KEY POINTS:
European-based New Zealander Chris van der Drift will be behind the wheel for round two of the A1 grand prix motor racing series at Chengdu in China this weekend.
New Zealand lie third in the championship points standings, with nine rounds remaining between this weekend and May 2009.
Van der Drift drove the new Ferrari-powered car for New Zealand in pre-season testing in September, but missed the A1GP opening round in Zandvoort early last month as it clashed with the final round of his Formula Master campaign .
New Zealand teenager Earl Bamber put in an outstanding effort to come away with two podium finishes in the season's opening round, taking second in the sprint then third in the feature race.
Since winning the Formula Master title, Rotterdam-based van der Drift, 22, has been in Asia, testing then racing a GP2 car most recently in Shanghai, China.
He will have benefited from the GP2 race format, which includes a compulsory pit-stop .
A1 Team New Zealand has some local knowledge to draw on for Chengdu, as Bamber has driven a handful of laps there in a Formula V6 Asia race-car.
Bamber described the 3.367km circuit as "a great challenge with the elevation changes and blind brows". He also noted the circuit was especially difficult in rain.
Van der Drift said he had been viewing videos of the Chengdu track on the internet and "it looks pretty tight and twisty in places".
While New Zealand managed a relatively strong build-up to the season opening race at Zandvoort, delays in the build of the new A1GP car meant some teams were still building their car while others were practising on track.
The month-long break before round two has allowed teams affected by the build delays to prepare properly, and should ensure a far more competitive grid for the remainder of the season.
Practice at Chengdu is scheduled for Friday and Saturday morning, with the four 10-minute qualifying sessions on Saturday afternoon. The sprint race and feature race are scheduled for Sunday.
- NZPA
