The A1 Team Ireland squad heads to Gauteng Province, South Africa for round five of the A1 World Cup of Motorsport on top of the points standings and looking forward to racing at a new venue for the A1 series.

Ireland carries a 16 point lead into the weekend following the victory and second place finish at the last event in New Zealand and will be aiming to maintain the current level of competitiveness at the world famous 4.26km Kyalami circuit.

Lead driver Adam Carroll is looking forward to learning a new track layout and is particularly keen to race at a venue that is steeped in motor racing heritage having hosted the South African Grand Prix on 21 occasions between 1967 and 1993.

"I'm really looking forward to it," says Carroll. "I've heard a lot about Kyalami and I'm sure it will be great to test myself on what is known to be a really challenging circuit. I've also seen the enormous enthusiasm of the crowds at the A1 race in Durban and I feel sure there's going to be a great atmosphere at the event".

Carroll was out of luck in Durban last year, failing to score points in both the sprint and feature races and is hopeful that the switch to the Johannesburg circuit will bear greater fruit.

"This is a new season, a new car and a new venue for the series in South Africa so it'll be a completely clean slate for us. So far we've adapted well and had no problems getting on the pace in Chengdu, another new venue for the teams. For us the challenge is to maintain the current work rate and intensity because the other teams are sure to be upping theirs. Everyone in the team is really motivated to keep pushing all the way to the chequered flag on Sunday afternoon."

The work theme is echoed by Team Principal, Mark Gallagher, who is asking his team not to lose focus as the series enters a critical phase. "It's terrific that we have come to Kyalami and that the region has made this huge investment in bringing A1GP to Johannesburg. From a team point of view we are determined to defend our championship lead this weekend; we really feel we have the momentum and the Kyalami track will suit Adam's track style".