The A1 Grand Prix car will run at the Dubai Autodrome on 26th and 27th January, in a two-day testing and display programme organised by A1 Grand Prix President, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum and sponsored by IMGG (Ilyas Mustafa Galadari Group).

The test will be open to the public at an entrance price of AED 20 (approximately £4.00), with all ticket proceeds from the two days going to the International Tsunami Relief Fund.

Sheikh Maktoum has been keen to run the car again in the Middle East and particularly his native Dubai, to allow its people the opportunity to see and enjoy the car in its latest form. They have not seen the car run since March 2004, when it appeared in a street demonstration run in an early development stage of the car’s life.

Sheikh Maktoum said, “It is great to be able to bring the project back to the Middle East and my home country of Dubai to show the commitment A1 Grand Prix has of increasing awareness of motorsport, and in particular A1 Grand Prix in the developing world”.

Sheikh Maktoum was also generous in his praise of the companies whose sponsorship of the event has made this possible, who include IMGG (Ilyas Mustafa Galadari Group), The Media Factory and Dubai Autodrome.

A1 Grand Prix will also be appearing at the Autosport International Exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC in the UK this week from 13th – 16th January 2005. Sheikh Maktoum himself will be in attendance at the show, where the latest developments of the new series will be announced. The A1 Grand Prix car will be one of the star attractions in the Live Action Arena, where the public will be able to see the car run for the first time in the UK.

The attendance at the show follows the beginning of a global marketing campaign in January for which A1 Grand Prix has produced nearly half a million DVD’s. The distribution of these DVD’s is being rolled out globally during January and February and will be appearing on publications such as F1 Racing, BusinessF1 and Sport Business.

Pitpass launched its own Tsunami Auction on Thursday 6 January, selling a wide range of items donated by Pitpass, its readers, several F1 teams and Bridgestone. New items are added daily.