Street fighting in downtown Durban

It’s a small world, this motor racing.

Walking through the A1GP paddock in Durban last weekend was like going back in time, being transported back to Grand Prix racing as it was in the 1970s and ’80s.

The drivers are young, yes, some of them familiar from other formulas, but the supporting cast is from another era. And nearly all of them from Britain, still the undisputed motor racing capital of the world. They call this the World Cup of Motor Sport, not to be confused with the FIFA World Cup which comes to South Africa in two years time. The casual observer, strolling through the streets of this city by the Indian Ocean, might be puzzled by hoardings promoting the excitement of two World Cups. One, an electronic scoreboard, is counting down the days until the footballers arrive in Durban to strut their stuff in a brand new stadium. The other proclaims that South Africa is taking on the world on the streets of the city this very weekend, and features a huge picture of Adrian Zaugg in his Team South Africa racing car. World Cup fever in the heat and dust of South Africa.

But back to the paddock where, it appears, the teams are crewed by Grand Prix has-beens, should-have-beens and wannabes. Well, that’s how Peter Bellringer of Team Great Britain describes it, he the former chief mechanic at BAR Honda and now in charge at Team Great Britain. And Gary Anderson agrees, adding that engineering an A1GP car is just another challenge, another racing car to be finely tuned. “It’s not F1, of course it isn’t,” he says, “but engineering counts for a lot in a one-make formula like this.” Then along comes Rory Byrne, here to assess the A1GP set-up on behalf of Ferrari, the Italians having done a deal to supply the engines for the 2009 series. Rory will have a hand in designing the new car, a project already underway under the wing of John Travis back home in Bognor Regis.

Talking of the south coast, here’s Mike Earle, bringing his vast experience as operations chief for Team India. Everywhere a familiar face, a slap on the back from a mechanic you haven’t seen since before the days of traction control and automatic gearboxes. Over there is Martin Dixon, chief mechanic for Team Canada, back from Indycar in America and once a mechanic for David Purley’s team. Up in the commentary box is John Watson, holding forth on the skills required for a street racer. And he should know. There’s Ann Bradshaw, stalwart press officer for Williams and latterly BMW-Sauber, bustling around getting things done for journalists. And so it goes on. Small world.

New faces there are, of course, and possibly the odd star of the future. Canadian teenager Robert Wickens may well be in this category. Just 18 years old, Wickens won the sprint race around the narrow streets of Durban and was running a strong second to Neel Jani in the big race on Sunday until he touched the wall. He was trying to outfox the experienced Swiss who leads the championship. New Zealander Jonny Reid looks good too in the car the Kiwis call the Black Beauty. Then there’s Filipe Albuquerque, a late nomination by Team Portugal, and said by many to be a star in the making. Among the more established racers, Brits Oliver Jarvis and Robbie Kerr are right on the pace, challenging the series leaders Jani and the Frenchman Loïc Duval who is using A1GP to boost his career. But more of this when we write at length about the Durban event in Motor Sport next month.

The series is better than you may think, more exciting than the critics have led us to believe. Grand Prix racing it is not, and was never meant to be, the cars are too slow and the driving skills required well below the pinnacle of the sport. But when the new Ferraris arrive on the scene, with their 4.3-litre V8 engines, greater skills will be called for. “At the moment,” says Earle, “the limits of the cars are well within the drivers’ capabilities, but the Ferrari package will be more of a pure racing car, a more sophisticated chassis, and then we’ll see who the top drivers really are.”

So, my first taste of A1GP, and it’s surprisingly refreshing, relaxed and – dare I say – fun. And that’s how it should be. Full report coming soon.