Delphi Panther Racing driver Vitor Meira was named the driver for Team Brazil in this weekend’s A1GP event in Shanghai, China. Meira will be making his series’ debut at the 15-turn, 2.85-mile road course as a replacement for Bruno Junqueira, who is missing the race due to a conflict with this weekend's Champ Car World Series race in Long Beach.
"This invitation to compete with Team Brazil was an honor and a surprise for me," Meira said. "Like a lot of people, I’ve followed the A1GP series for awhile now and I’m excited by the opportunity to race in Shanghai, China. I’m very proud to represent Brazil when I drive for Panther Racing and to be able to do so in the A1GP series is a very special honor for me."
History is on Meira’s side, as last season’s A1GP event in China was won by a former Panther Racing driver – Tomas Enge, who drove for Panther in 2005.
"First of all, I’m very happy with the team," Team Brazil Principal Emerson Fittipaldi said. "Vitor Meira (is) a talented and experienced driver, and I’m sure he will keep the driving level very high. These last two races are very important for Team Brazil as we want to start the next season with confidence."
Meira becomes the third Panther driver to have competed in the A1GP series, joining Enge (Czech Republic) and Tomas Scheckter (South Africa).
