There will be a welcome return to A1 GP this weekend when A1 Team Portugal has its first outing of the 2006/07 season, having secured commercial support from national financial organisation the Banif Group. Organizers have confirmed that Team Portugal will compete in the final four rounds of the 2006/07 season

The team will have former British Formula 3 Champion, Alvaro Parente, at the wheel for his 21st A1 GP race, and will be hoping to at least repeat its result from this event last year as third was the team's best Feature Race result, with second in Australia the best Sprint Race finish.

Seat holder, Luis Vicente, who was also strongly involved in the 2005/06 team organisation, spoke of the team's re-entry to the series. "Thanks to the support of Horacio Roque, President of Banif Group, we now have the financial support to put Team Portugal back on the grid in pursuit of wins in the World Cup of Motorsport. We have already shown that Portugal can be a strong competitor on the global motorsport stage and are confident of securing some top finishes in the last four races of this season before taking on the world in the 2007/08 season."

"I really enjoyed racing in A1GP last season and am delighted to be back," added Parente. "The Durban track is a really tricky one but we had a good result here last season and I'm looking forward to racing here again. It's an exciting race and has a great atmosphere with all the crowds lining the track."

One can only wonder whether Japan and Greece might eventually return to the fold.