South Africa awarded at celebration of end of A1 Grand Prix first
season

3 April 2006

KwaZulu-Natal, Durban and South Africa came top in a glittering award
ceremony in Shanghai last night as A1 Grand Prix celebrated the end of its
first season.

CEO for A1 South Africa Dana Cooper clinched the award for Best Presented
Event in recognition of the brilliant event put on for A1 Grand Prix’s first
street race in Durban, South Africa. A1 seat holder Tokyo Sexwale won the award
for Most Supportive Franchisee along with Colin Giltrap from A1 Team New
Zealand and Emerson Fittipaldi from A1 Team Brazil.

Another winner was Stephen Simpson, the young South African who won Most
Improved Driver.

On 28 and 29 January more than 1.2 billion people in 122 countries had their
eyes glued on Durban, KwaZulu-Natal and over 100 000 spectators converged
around the city’s racetrack as it proudly hosted South Africa’s first ever A1
Grand Prix.

Professor Mandla Mchunu, Director-General of the province said today: “We
certainly did our province and our country proud, delivering a world class
event and putting ourselves on the global map as a winning destination.

“These awards last night send a message that the best is yet to come. What
we have used is just a fraction of our capability. We still have the warmth,
the tourism mecca and much more we can offer the world.

“We want to become front runners in the motor racing world something like
the Monaco of the Southern Hemisphere. We can become the trail blazers for
motor racing in South Africa. It would be exciting to associate with
international motor shows giving us impetus to be in the driving seat for motor
sport,” Professor Mchunu said.

In Premier Sibusiso Ndebele’s State of the Province Address in February this
year, he said: “We have shown again to the world that we do indeed have the
will and the skill to thrill an international audience. We have once and for
all dispelled the myth of third world ineptitude by effectively placing the
province and South Africa on the world map for hosting high tech sporting
events.”

Professor Mchunu added again: “The best is yet to come.”

For more information contact:
Farhana Ismail
Cell: 082 889 1278

Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
3 April 2006
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kwazulunatal.gov.za)