If the A1GP series is revived, organisers need to be more upfront, writes Eric Thompson.
A motor racing acquaintance of mine mentioned the other day he'd read somewhere the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport might be rearing its head again.
As a fan of the concept, part of me would like to see it resurrected but the sensible side says it's a waste of time.
When the series crashed and burned towards the end of last year with the organisers remaining in denial and refusing to tell the truth right until the end, any new series will be tainted with what has gone before.
The once-mighty 11-round series staggered, lurched, stumbled and fizzled to a dismal seven-round event fraught with money worries and impounded cars towards the end of its four-year life.
I was a great fan of the A1 series, where drivers got to represent their country and hoped it was going to be the future of the sport. But the less-than-full truth that came out of A1 headquarters, along with the lame excuses for cancelling various rounds, didn't help the scepticism abounding about the series' future, all of which proved to be true.
I think everyone knew the series had ground to a halt when the organisers suggested the Mexico race might have to be revisited because it clashed with a Radiohead concert - please.
It is quite possible the financial crisis around the world has finally caught up with A1, and if so, the organisers should have stood tall and told the truth without pussyfooting about with all manner of excuses.
If you try to manipulate your fans with half-truths and smoke and mirrors, they'll leave in droves and a bad taste remains in the mouth for a very long time.
A recent item on Autosport.com has reported a leading figure (here we go again - no names just hints, smoke and mirrors) from the collapsed series has suggested he and a number of investors (pray tell) have put together a package to get the series up-and-running in 2011.
If the series is to rise from the ashes, I hope they have very deep pockets. The cars and their Ferrari engines, along with the intellectual property and a bunch of the earlier Lola cars are in hock with administrators who are trying to recoup around $275 million owed to creditors.
At least former CEO Tony Teixeira's name has not been linked with the new consortium - in fact no one's name has been linked with it.
What has emerged via the rumour mill is that a number of the countries previously involved have shown interest in the idea again. The model will have to change though, as the series imploded last time because it was trying to bankroll the concept rather than the teams paying their own way.
This time if it's going to have any chance of getting off the ground, individual teams will have to fund their involvement and the Phoenix-like new A1GP and the organisers can just be the facilitator.
I doubt any of the previous seat-holders will want to chuck good money after bad so it'll be interesting to see if the rumours turn into anything concrete.
In the meantime a 2011/12 race calendar is supposed to be announced soon - don't hold your breath.
