Appallingly bad GP2 coverage

[gm99]

I have always followed the GP2 series, and pior to that, the International F3000 championship with avid interest, and with Monaco coming up, I am just disgusted that it is currently only available on pay-TV ("Premiere") in my home country of Austria and elsewhere in the German-speaking world. Prior to this season, it was available on Eurosport and for a short while also on German RTL, but now I have no chance whatsoever of following the races, especially as GP2 is about the only relevant racing series which does not even offer live timing on its website (F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, DTM, WTCC, Atlantics all offer free live timing in some form). I simply cannot understand why a feeder series is doing its darnest best to remain virtually invisible to a large number of racing fans. Certainly limited coverage won't exactly help sponsors get involved in the series, nor will it enable fans to pick out future talents (my opinion on drivers like Montoya, Heidfeld, Bourdais, Hamilton, Kovalainen or Piquet Jr. has been very much shaped by their F3000/GP2 performance, where they competed in very similiar equipment to that of their opponents).

[ChrisS]

you can try ITV's website for live streaming video but it will probably only work in the UK

[Shirk]

you can try ITV's website for live streaming video but it will probably only work in the UK

It does work only for users in the UK – unless you're lucky enough to find an anonymous UK proxy, but those are very hard to come by and quite unreliable anyway. No worries about Friday's feature race, though, as ITV doesn't televise it until Saturday...

Anyone know another channel somewhere that carries GP2 live? Yes, it's shame: We now get Formula 1's free practice sessions live on several channels plus half-a-dozen same day repeats, but no GP2 Series races at all.

[Tallgeese]

I have always followed the GP2 series, and pior to that, the International F3000 championship with avid interest, and with Monaco coming up, I am just disgusted that it is currently only available on pay-TV ("Premiere") in my home country of Austria and elsewhere in the German-speaking world. Prior to this season, it was available on Eurosport and for a short while also on German RTL, but now I have no chance whatsoever of following the races, especially as GP2 is about the only relevant racing series which does not even offer live timing on its website (F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, DTM, WTCC, Atlantics all offer free live timing in some form). I simply cannot understand why a feeder series is doing its darnest best to remain virtually invisible to a large number of racing fans. Certainly limited coverage won't exactly help sponsors get involved in the series, nor will it enable fans to pick out future talents (my opinion on drivers like Montoya, Heidfeld, Bourdais, Hamilton, Kovalainen or Piquet Jr. has been very much shaped by their F3000/GP2 performance, where they competed in very similiar equipment to that of their opponents).

One must remember (& I don't know much about Motorsports outside FIA's F1, GP2 & F3) that the latter two are 'feeder' series & while prestigious & important in their own right mean nothing unless a driver wins in F1, & goes better & wins the Grand Prix title itself but then again, GP2 or F3 are intended for managers & F1 directors to watch to weed out talent.

As I understand it, IRL is a parallel league to F1, but some have used it as a stepping stone to get into F1, even though F3000/GP2 (or the previous Formula 2) or even F3 is probably better preparation to get into F1. As such one must recognise the limitations of GP2 & F3 as these really are junior leagues or 'feeder' sports so winning them isn't as important as showing what you're made of. It must be remembered that some super-champions (Schumacher) or even present ones Räikkönen didn't get go through the normal F3/F3000 or GP2 to get into F1 & yet won championships. Heidfeld & Montoya proved much less successful.

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[Hayley]

GP2 now has live coverage on the GP2 Series websie. It should be up and running ok. I spoke to the Alexa the head of media comms for GP2 in Monaco and she said it should now be running ok.

So you should be able to watch live times etc on the website.

German and Austrian TV rights for GP2 are split between several channels so live coverage is split. I suggest you check your TV guide before each race to see who will be cpvering which race.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Mekola]

Hayley, you're right, on last Montecarlo weekend it was a GP2 live race textfeed, but it was just up on comments. What we need is, at least, a GP2 live timing window during race weekends.
Formula Nippon does this since around 2000 and they made it with success in Japan, can't see why GP2 is not able to do the same.

GP2 is a very much excited series of all, and dont worry it will be telecasted in as much as availbale medias, so it'll always be available to all rally fans, so lets enjoy the series

[MikeD]

I have always followed the GP2 series, and pior to that, the International F3000 championship with avid interest, and with Monaco coming up, I am just disgusted that it is currently only available on pay-TV ("Premiere") in my home country of Austria and elsewhere in the German-speaking world. Prior to this season, it was available on Eurosport and for a short while also on German RTL, but now I have no chance whatsoever of following the races, especially as GP2 is about the only relevant racing series which does not even offer live timing on its website (F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, DTM, WTCC, Atlantics all offer free live timing in some form). I simply cannot understand why a feeder series is doing its darnest best to remain virtually invisible to a large number of racing fans. Certainly limited coverage won't exactly help sponsors get involved in the series, nor will it enable fans to pick out future talents (my opinion on drivers like Montoya, Heidfeld, Bourdais, Hamilton, Kovalainen or Piquet Jr. has been very much shaped by their F3000/GP2 performance, where they competed in very similiar equipment to that of their opponents).

You can watch the GP2 races using the web-site MyP2P.eu. It's legal. You log in and find the software you need to install for seing it. It's most likely to be TVAnts, TVU or just a normal mediaplayer .... and then you can see GP2.

If you install TVU and TVAnts then you are covered with most of the motorsport you need to watch. I watch F1, MotoGP and GP2 via that site and it's quite good I have to admit.

[Copse]

The reason for GP2 disappearing from the screens of most of us is that they consider themseleves to be a sellable product now. When the series started, the wanted to be available to build a base, but when it turned out channels in the UK were willing to pay for the rights, they jumped on that, stopped selling non-country-specific broadcast rights (i.e. Eurosport), and now tries to get a bag of money from each country.

End result: People can't see the series at all, less exposure for sponsors, step one on the slippery slope to grids full of guys with fathers rather than talent