Is GP2 now more highly regarded?

[jens]

GP2 is closer to F1 than F3000 ever was and is simply a better platform for young drivers to get into F1. If I remember correctly, then F3000 engines had about 400 HP-s, but current GP2 engines have 600 HP-s. F3000 cars lost about 20 seconds (depended on circuit) to F1 cars per lap, the loss of GP2 cars is about half of that. So... without any doubt GP2 is a strong series and who is successful there, tends to do well in F1, but most of the F3000 champions never achieved the predicted success in F1 (if they even participated).

[Stuartf12007]

I really enjoy GP2, the racing is actually better than F1.

I am looking forward to hopefully seeing Nico Hulkenberg come over from A1GP to GP2

[Copse]

GP2 is closer to F1 than F3000 ever was and is simply a better platform for young drivers to get into F1. If I remember correctly, then F3000 engines had about 400 HP-s, but current GP2 engines have 600 HP-s. F3000 cars lost about 20 seconds (depended on circuit) to F1 cars per lap, the loss of GP2 cars is about half of that. So... without any doubt GP2 is a strong series and who is successful there, tends to do well in F1, but most of the F3000 champions never achieved the predicted success in F1 (if they even participated).

IMO, the technichal advantage of GP2 over F3000 is almost irrelevant, as the general feeling of this thread suggests. F3000 champs from latter years didn't succeed in F1, because they never got the chance. And that was all because of the perception of the series to not have strong fields or be a good measure of a driver's capabilities. A F3000 win wasn't worthless because the cars were slower than F1 cars, but beacuse decisionmakers believed that you hadn't beaten anybody with talent anyway.

The embracing from Bernie and Renault is what made the difference for GP2. That, and the fresh start with fields full of up-and-comers.

There is quite some risk that GP2 will start sinking into that bog as this season comes to an end. With people like Glock and Pantano among the front runners, and no one making any great impressions.

Next year, who's going to be impressed by a guy beating the likes of Lapierre, Tahinchi or Negrao, who'll have been journeymen for three seasons by then?

[Mark]

Would you agree that, as far as F1 team managers are concerned that if you have gotten to the end of 2 years in GP2 and you haven't won it or at least done well, then you aren't worth considering for F1?

[Copse]

Would you agree that, as far as F1 team managers are concerned that if you have gotten to the end of 2 years in GP2 and you haven't won it or at least done well, then you aren't worth considering for F1?

Definitely.

And that is a major part of my point. The switch from F3000 to GP2 cleared these guys out of the ranks, but as we're approaching the end of year 3 for GP2, I get the feeling that more and more of them (drivers who've tried for a couple of years but failed) will be making up the fields there as well. The result; lower status for the entire GP2 series, including the winners.

[pits4me]

Would you agree that, as far as F1 team managers are concerned that if you have gotten to the end of 2 years in GP2 and you haven't won it or at least done well, then you aren't worth considering for F1?

So much still depends on getting a competitive seat these days. I guess it depends on what's intended by done well?

There may be occassions where promotions are limited. Its not every year a driver leaves for NASCAR or is put out to pasture.

[Sleeper]

Definitely.

And that is a major part of my point. The switch from F3000 to GP2 cleared these guys out of the ranks, but as we're approaching the end of year 3 for GP2, I get the feeling that more and more of them (drivers who've tried for a couple of years but failed) will be making up the fields there as well. The result; lower status for the entire GP2 series, including the winners.

F3000 was dead on its feet for its last few years and bears little or no comparison. The switch didnt clear out the old F3000 drivers, it was a case of GP2 sudenly coming along as the most desirable feeder series going with far more promotion and interest making it a far easier sell to sponsors. There are very few, probably no, drivers that stay for more than a few races without money. The likes of Tahinci and Negrao are still their because they have money but up and comers are more likely to go their as they can ell themsleves and the intention to race in the series to sponsors better. The top seats are always hotley contested in the off season by the newcomers and the best of the previous rookies.

[Kata89]

I don't think it's just Hamilton - it's GP2 in general that is more regarded than F3000 was.
Look at the top 3 in the 2005 championship - now Rosberg in F1, Kova in F1, Speed had 1,5 years of F1.
The top 3 of last year - Hamilton in F1, Piquet will get to F1 for sure, Premat - well, I doubt he'll ever reach F1, but still, if you're up there in GP2, you have big chances for a F1 seat.
This wasn't the case in F3000.

[ArrowsFA1]

A quick look at the F3000 champions:

1985 - Christian Danner
1986 - Ivan Capelli
1987 - Stefan Modena
1988 - Roberto Moreno
1989 - Jean Alesi
1990 - Erik Comas
1991 - Christian Fittipaldi
1992 - Luca Badoer
1993 - Oliver Panis
1994 - Jean-Christophe Boullion
1995 - Vincenzo Sospiri
1996 - Jorg Muller
1997 - Ricardo Zonta
1998 - Juan Pablo Montoya
1999 - Nick Heidfeld
2000 - Bruno Junqueira
2001 - Justin Wilson
2002 - Sebastian Bourdais
2003 - Bjorn Wirdheim
2004 - Vitantonio Liuzzi

Not a bad list of talent, although there are a couple of "where are they now's"

[patnicholls]

It will be interesting to see what happens at the end of this year re: the F1 status of some or all of the following: Jarno, Ralf, Giancarlo, Mark Webber, Tonio Liuzzi, and even Rubens.

Renault have Nelsinho Piquet sitting in the wings (a product of GP2 - he ran Lewis close - and with a year's F1 testing under his belt). Toyota, as a German-based team may have a look at Timo Glock or give Kazuki Nakajima a whirl (he's been testing for Williams).

As we've seen, there's plenty of young talent waiting to fill those seats when the moment arrives.

re: the point on drivers languishing in GP2 for a few years, well I don't see much of a problem really. If you're a Giorgio Pantano or an Adam Carroll, you're a good measure of competition. Only the top couple of guys will be being looked at by F1 teams purely because of the limited number of spots available there. Money-bringing grid fillers like Tahinci, etc tend to sink fairly easily in a deep field like GP2 and there's only a couple of guys in that position, so it's not a problem. I believe most drivers in GP2 have to bring some money, but in the vast majority of cases there's talent to go with it. Even guys like Andy Soucek - who's really struggled and not scored a point - had an excellent pedigree in WSbR last year.

And, how quiet is this forum? We need to get some more folk in here - GP2's the best car racing around!