London, September 2004:
The A1 Grand Prix official tyre supplier will be Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, through its Avon Tyres Racing operation, they have signed a three-year agreement with the series to provide tyres bearing the Cooper and A1 Grand Prix names.

Chairman, President and CEO of Cooper, Mr. Tom Dattilo, said: “It seems only right for a global brand such as Cooper Tires to support this innovative racing series that brings a new dimension to motorsport. Cooper has a strong racing heritage, which traces its roots to Europe through our Avon racing tyres. We are making a long-term commitment to the series, and it is thrilling to be here at the start.”

After recent testing at Snetterton and Jerez Sheikh Maktoum, who saw the tyres in use, said “I was highly impressed by the performance and resourcefulness of the Cooper-Avon team, and the tyres gave us everything we wanted for our series. They were reliable and consistent and worked well in all conditions. The feedback from our team and test driver, Ralph Firman, was totally positive. I have looked at the other series that have benefited from this company’s tyres and I know that we have chosen the perfect partner.”