Gp2 2009

[Nikki Katz]

I didn't post anything on this earlier because of all of the other stuff that's happened in the last few days, but there was a race this weekend! (Just one though - second was a washout).
Unfortunately, Eurosport's coverage has taken a turn for the worse. The cut out the first third of the race, and when they did start broadcasting the commentary wasn't great. One of the people doing it was pretty good and seemed to know what he was talking about, the other just mumbled and sounded very bored, often going off on complete tangents. He even managed to miss a quite impressive pass for the lead! And no mention of what happened to Maldonado in the last few laps, I'm still unsure. Oh well...

[Hayley]

I think the GP2 market has been slow as most of the drivers are waiting to see what the top teams are doing. Plus it must be hard for all those guys to find budgets at the moment.

ART have confirmed Hulkenberg and Maldonado. Campos I believe are sticking with Petrov, rummors are that Renault are shifting their focus to Campos so Grosjean will go there. Although I have heard recently Campos may even run with both Grosjean and Di Grassi. That would be a mega lline up.

No news from iSport. I guess they must be waiting to hear about Senna as if Honda don't sort themselves out in time I guess he'll do another season in GP2 with iSport. Heard a vague rumour on another site that iSport have linked up professionally with McLaren, plus they also have Jonathan Williams from Willams F1 as an advisor according to their website. That could be very interesting. I guess based on that Van der Garde who already runs with them in GP2 Asia will likely race with them for Europe. The other seat appears to be open though. If the McLaren thing is true then maybe Paul De Resta??? I guess we'll have to wait and see....

[Nikki Katz]

I think that some of the seats in the top teams will indeed depend on what happens with Honda and Senna. I doubt that di Grassi will be back, but you never know I guess. Some of the other seats might start filling up in about a month after there have been a couple more Asian rounds. Plus presumably by that point we'll know whether Honda still exists or not.

[MikeD]

I think that some of the seats in the top teams will indeed depend on what happens with Honda and Senna. I doubt that di Grassi will be back, but you never know I guess. Some of the other seats might start filling up in about a month after there have been a couple more Asian rounds. Plus presumably by that point we'll know whether Honda still exists or not.

I see two problems for the 2009 GP2 main series right now. The first is that F2 now has filled up 12 seats whereas GP2 has filled up (officially) 3 seats. Even though that F2 will run alongside WTCC, it's a problem if too many drivers are taking their sponsor money (and perhaps talent) to F2. That could lead to several GP2 teams having huge problems finding sponsors if their potential drivers aren't any good.

The second problem for GP2 is the old F3000 trap. The series must not turn into a series where it's the same less talented drivers year in and year out. I personally think there should be a limit of 3 years, so that we don't have to see drivers like Javier Villa and Luca Filippi again. They have had their chance and facts are that they weren't good enough. A fourth season won't change that.

It's important that GP2 can attract the best talents, and that the best talent can beat or get beaten by other good upcomming stars, because if a new talent is just beating Villa or Filippi, then we (and the F1 team bosses) won't know how good or bad a driver is.

I personally think that GP2 is the best formula series in the world, but F2 is clearly a threat, and still it seems that none of the involved in GP2 seem to care.

Here are the current signed drivers for GP2 2009 and for F2 2009:

GP2 - grid so far for 2009:

1. Campos - TBA
2. Campos - TBA
3. iSport - TBA
4. iSport - TBA
5. Piquet GP - TBA
6. Piquet GP - TBA
7. Racing Engineering - TBA
8. Racing Engineering - TBA
9. ART Grand Prix - P.Maldonado (VEN)
10. ART Grand Prix - N.Hülkenberg (GER)
11. Arden - TBA
12. Arden - TBA
14. Super Nova - TBA
15. Super Nova - TBA
16. DAMS - TBA
17. DAMS - TBA
18. Trident Racing - TBA
19. Trident Racing - TBA
20. FMS International - TBA
21. FMS International - TBA
22. Durango - D.Valsecchi (ITA)
23. Durango - TBA
24. Ocean Racing Technology - TBA
25. Ocean Racing Technology - TBA
26. DPR - TBA
27. DPR - TBA


F2 - grid so far for 2009:

1.) Team - J.Jousse (FRA)
2.) Team - R.Wickens (CAN)
3.) Team - A.Ebrahim (IND)
4.) Team - J.Moore (GBR)
5.) Team - T.Hegewald (GER)
6.) Team - N.Gachnang (SPA) - female driver
7.) Team - S.Hohenthal (SWE)
8.) Team - M.Zipoli (ITA)
9.) Team - P.Gandolfi (ITA)
10.) Team - A.Brundle (GBR) - son of Martin Brundle
11.) Team - H.Surtees (GBR) - son of John Surtees
12.) Team - M.Aleshin (RUS)

[jens]

Considering that Formula 2 is at least supposed to be a cheap series, then I guess we may start seeing a chasm between those two feeder series based on wealth. 'Richer' drivers, who are capable of gathering enough sponsorship money, will race in GP2. Those, who can't afford it, will race in F2.

Indeed more drivers have registered for F2 season, but I don't see anyone of them as a world-beater, so I'm not worried about GP2 yet. The cream of the feeder series will still be there. But obviously it will depend on the success of F2's 2009 season, how will the balance between those two series turn out in the longer run.

From Estonia's and Marko Asmer's perspective - I'm just wondering, whether he might opt for F2, because he is among them, who has constantly lacked of money. But alas the current situation is such that there have been basically no news about him for the last two months, so no idea, what is going on!

[Nikki Katz]

F2 is indeed filling up quickly, but who are these people??? There's a couple of GP2 rejects, but other than that the only driver I'd heard of was Surtees, who finished midfield in quite a junior series last year. If it's genuinely cheaper than not only GP2 but also some F3 series then I don't see F1 teams taking it hugely seriously.

GP2 is taking longer to fill this year than last year, but I think that's more to do with general financial uncertainty at the moment. iSport will be waiting to see what happens with Senna and Honda, and that should determine whether or not Chadhok will stay at the team; he may well end up elsewhere on the grid if not.

F3000 only really turned rubbish in the last 3 years or so it ran, it was going around 15 years before that. And even if you do think that the GP2 rules are a little unfair, they have provided some very good races, often better than the F1 race it supports. I think it's got a while in it yet, so long as they don't do anything stupid like introduce medals, and as long as there are still enough European races to keep the series feasible.

I doubt that Asmer will be back. He arrived in GP2 with some expectation being an F3 champion and F1 test driver, but he did nothing and was a backmarker at most races. FMS didn't have a great year anyway, but he was pretty badly outperformed by his teammate. I think he'll only be back if there's a lot of sponsorship, though there are probably worse drivers than him (Herck) that stand reasonable chances of returning.

[Hayley]

I doubt Chandhok will be back at iSport regardless of the Senna situation. He didn't score enough points in 08. They got rid of Zuber in 07 for the same reason.

I don't think F2 will take anything away from GP2 its quite a step down in car performance probably not even better than F3. I the F2 guys will look to move up to GP2 after F2. GP2 is way too expensive though! But how can you produce a car which is as competitive as that for only 200K?

The GP2 car is so quick and for a tiny fraction of the cost of F1 so I don't know how it could be cheaper. If GP2 did fold F3 or F2 really isn't high enough to be good preparation for F1, they don't even have pit stops!

[MikeD]

F2 is indeed filling up quickly, but who are these people??? There's a couple of GP2 rejects, but other than that the only driver I'd heard of was Surtees, who finished midfield in quite a junior series last year. If it's genuinely cheaper than not only GP2 but also some F3 series then I don't see F1 teams taking it hugely seriously.

Maybe you’re right…maybe the current F2 field isn’t that impressive, but the current financial crisis could force potential good drivers into F2, due to the high costs of entering GP2. All I am hoping for is that GP2 reacts to the new economic climate, because I really don’t hope we will see the rather lame driver line-up in GP2 Asia repaated in the this years main series. And with Andreas Zuber signing today for FMS I still think my point stands that GP2 needs to get a limit of a maximum of 3 years in the series – a rule which F2 have.

GP2 is taking longer to fill this year than last year, but I think that's more to do with general financial uncertainty at the moment. iSport will be waiting to see what happens with Senna and Honda, and that should determine whether or not Chadhok will stay at the team; he may well end up elsewhere on the grid if not.

Good point.

F3000 only really turned rubbish in the last 3 years or so it ran, it was going around 15 years before that.

To be honest I think F3000 went rubbish after Heidfeld took the title in 1999. There was very little racing action in the series, because the Lola chassis (post 1998) was crap (IMHO). In 2000 the fight was between Junqueira and Minassian and to be honest none of those were F1 material. Then it was Wilson, Webber, Enge, Bourdais, Pantano, Wirdheim and Liuzzi who dominated the series, but none of these drivers had F1 race winning potential – or hardly F1 podium potential. F1 took their future stars from other series (Räikkönen, Button, Massa), and it was only Alonso who was taken from F3000, but only after one year in the series.

And even if you do think that the GP2 rules are a little unfair, they have provided some very good races, often better than the F1 race it supports.

I am by no means critising the quality of GP2 and the cars and racing it provides. Like I wrote in my post before, then I think it’s the best formula series in the world. I will only be critical of Bruno Michel if he doesn’t react to the new climate (both financial and with the new F2 series).

I think it's got a while in it yet, so long as they don't do anything stupid like introduce medals…

+1



I have updated the entrylist for GP2 and for F2. F2 only have 8 seat left before being filled up.

GP2 - grid for 2009:


1. Campos - TBA
2. Campos - TBA
3. iSport - TBA
4. iSport - TBA
5. Piquet GP - TBA
6. Piquet GP - TBA
7. Racing Engineering - TBA
8. Racing Engineering - TBA
9. ART Grand Prix - P.Maldonado (VEN)
10. ART Grand Prix - N.Hülkenberg (GER)
11. Arden - TBA
12. Arden - TBA
14. Super Nova - TBA
15. Super Nova - TBA
16. DAMS - TBA
17. DAMS - TBA
18. Trident Racing - TBA
19. Trident Racing - TBA
20. FMS International - A.Zuber (AUT)
21. FMS International - TBA
22. Durango - D.Valsecchi (ITA)
23. Durango - TBA
24. Ocean Racing Technology - TBA
25. Ocean Racing Technology - TBA
26. DPR - TBA
27. DPR - TBA


F2 - grid for 2009: (MotorSport Vision vil act as a team for all drivers)

1.) R.Wickens (CAN)
2.) J.Jousse (FRA)
3.) A.Ebrahim (IND)
4.) J.Moore (GBR)
5.) T.Hegewald (GER)
6.) N.Gachnang (SUI) – female driver
7.) S.Hohenthal (SWE)
8.) M.Zipoli (ITA)
9.) P.Gandolfi (ITA)
10.) A.Brundle (GBR) – son of Martin Brundle
11.) H.Surtees (GBR) – son of John Surtees
12.) J.Clarke (GBR)
13.) N.De Marco (ITA)
14.) M.Aleshin (RUS)
15.) J.Palmer (GBR) – son of Jonathan Palmer
16.) A.Soucek (SPA)[/font][/color]

[Nikki Katz]

I think that Rodriguez is confirmed at Piquet for the main season too. I think it's fairly easy to guess the lineup of Campos and particularly DAMS, but nothing's confirmed yet. Super Nova mentioned a number of drivers that they're talking to, but weirdly not Parente. I hope that he gets a seat somewhere, and not just at BCN.

[MikeD]

I think that Rodriguez is confirmed at Piquet for the main season too. I think it's fairly easy to guess the lineup of Campos and particularly DAMS, but nothing's confirmed yet. Super Nova mentioned a number of drivers that they're talking to, but weirdly not Parente. I hope that he gets a seat somewhere, and not just at BCN.

I cannot find any confirmation that Rodriguez is confirmed for the main series ... but it would be the logical choice due to the success they have had.

I assume that Campos will have Grosjean and Petrov - and that DAMS will continue with Kobayashi & D'Ambrosio. That's what you were thinking as well, right?

(PS: D'Ambrosio needs to up his game soon IMHO)

I wonder who will get Villa and his many spanish sponsors. My bet is that he will stay with Racing Engineering, with Super Nova as his second choice.

PS: I think both Parente and Albuquerque are talking to Ocean RT.