2008 GP2 Asia Series

[Adri_tifosi]

- Teams:

Arden International
ART Grand Prix
BCN Competicion
Campos Grand Prix
Dams
DPR
Durango
FMS International
iSport International
Meritus Racing
Minardi Piquet Sports
Super Nova International
Trident Racing

- Calendar:

18th - 19th January Dubai (test)
22nd – 23rd January Dubai (test)
25th - 26th January Dubai
15th - 16th February Indonesia (subject to circuit approval by FIA)
22nd – 23rd March Malaysia
5th – 6th April Bahrain
11th – 12th April Dubai

[runshaw]

Why is everyone doing it except Racing Engineering? Any news on what drivers are looking at the series?

[Adri_tifosi]

I believe RE wants to focus in GP2

[Jackman]

I am currently focusing on football.

I shall not be kicking a ball this winter as part of that process.

[Go_For_Pole]

So Jackman those entering GP2 Asia, what are they focusing on then? Finding talent?

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by Adri_tifosi

I believe RE wants to focus in GP2

It is GP2 So then, are the other 12 teams not focusing on GP2 then?!

[Adri_tifosi]

There are diferents objetives , iSport , ART . . . are racing for the Championship

Durango , BCN , DPR are racing for the last places

And I think , for race in GP2 Asia you need separate your resources , different personnel , and more Budget

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by Adri_tifosi

Durango , BCN , DPR are racing for the last places

I'm sure that Durango, BCN and DPR wouldn't class their objectives as 'racing for last place'- even though they generally are not high points scorers.

[Adri_tifosi]

Of course , but if cannot racing for points in GP2 , why do you go to race in GP2 Asia ?

I think you need two good structures for fight for the two titles , and race in Asia is expensive if you has a Europe structure

[Asa]

The calendar looks so uninspiring. Two races at Dubai, one at Indonesia, then as F1 support for both Malaysia and Bahrain. No race in China or Japan.

I think if a top class Asian single seater racing series was easy to do, then Formula Nippon would have done it already.

[Valker]

All those races are also in Speedcar calendar.

[JamesRamone]

Racing Engineering must feel confident of there 2008 grid slot if they are not bothering with this series.

I agree with Asa that the calendar is very uninspiring and i think has been thrown together to try kill off A1GP. Still more off season motorsport is a good thing. Are drivers expected to be from the Asia area or will we get the usuals?

[Adri_tifosi]

I am sure Alfonso has good reasons for no enter GP2 Asia Series

I believe the grid will be 50% GP2 drivers and 50% Asian drivers

[Go_For_Pole]

He has two good reasons in Repsol and Telefonica that have no interests in the region and he is obviously not that keen to cash in the wealth that have certain individuals or companies of the area. Because at the end of the day I can not help but think that GP2 Asia is not about A1GP and it is not about developing talent.

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by Go_For_Pole

Because at the end of the day I can not help but think that GP2 Asia is not about A1GP and it is not about developing talent.

How can it be anything other than developing talent? It's a GP2 winter championship in effect, with the same GP2 cars and pretty much all the teams. They obviously see the benefits. It surely would develop talent, drivers get to race in GP2 over winter (including at 2 F1 races) rather than just testing. As they say in motorsport- the best experience is race experience- you will be able to see who is a good racing driver, rather than those drivers who have blinding speed in testing but can never get it together on a race weekend.

[Go_For_Pole]

What talent? The European talent that has 0,6m for the winter series + 1m or thereabouts for the proper one? How many drivers have that sort of budget and besides those that do have it are able to afford a testing role with a F1 team which I would think is more useful.

Let alone the fact that 50% of the drivers have to be Asian and I really struggle to find 12 names (irrespective of their funding) that could handle the beast that a GP2 car is. I assume you know well what sort of results the graduates of the Thunder Arabia series are producing in BARC FR2000 or the graduates of the Bahrain Auto Sport Academy are producing in ASR main series. And it is entirelly expected that they are backmarkers because the talent pool is so small so really, in talent development terms, the last thing the area needs is a GP2 series.

[Jackman]

Originally Posted by runshaw

How can it be anything other than developing talent? It's a GP2 winter championship in effect, with the same GP2 cars and pretty much all the teams.

Except that they get the old cars rather than the new model, obviously.

[Jackman]

Originally Posted by Go_For_Pole

What talent? The European talent that has 0,6m for the winter series + 1m or thereabouts for the proper one? How many drivers have that sort of budget and besides those that do have it are able to afford a testing role with a F1 team which I would think is more useful.

Let alone the fact that 50% of the drivers have to be Asian and I really struggle to find 12 names (irrespective of their funding) that could handle the beast that a GP2 car is. I assume you know well what sort of results the graduates of the Thunder Arabia series are producing in BARC FR2000 or the graduates of the Bahrain Auto Sport Academy are producing in ASR main series. And it is entirelly expected that they are backmarkers because the talent pool is so small so really, in talent development terms, the last thing the area needs is a GP2 series.

I think the Asia series is really a toe in the water for guys in the region: raise the budget and go racing, and if they show some form it will be a lot easier to sell a full budget for the main series on the back of it. Plus the races are probably going to be shown live across Asia, which can only be a boost for drivers that do well: Chandhok's win was shown live in India, for example, and he got massive publicity for it.

And of course the teams get to see what the drivers are like in a racing situation, which is pretty invaluable for them if they're looking for a seat in the main series.

[Go_For_Pole]

Originally Posted by Jackman

I think the Asia series is really a toe in the water for guys in the region: raise the budget and go racing, and if they show some form it will be a lot easier to sell a full budget for the main series on the back of it. Plus the races are probably going to be shown live across Asia, which can only be a boost for drivers that do well: Chandhok's win was shown live in India, for example, and he got massive publicity for it.

Apart from exactly two Indian drivers and maybe a Chinese who are those guys with the capability to do what you say anyway?

Originally Posted by Jackman

And of course the teams get to see what the drivers are like in a racing situation, which is pretty invaluable for them if they're looking for a seat in the main series.

Invaluable at 0,6m?! Roughly the same amount to do WSR? So who will be more proven in competition terms for teams, the next Asia champion or the next WSR champion?

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by Go_For_Pole

I assume you know well what sort of results the graduates of the Thunder Arabia series are producing in BARC FR2000 or the graduates of the Bahrain Auto Sport Academy are producing in ASR main series. And it is entirelly expected that they are backmarkers because the talent pool is so small so really, in talent development terms, the last thing the area needs is a GP2 series.

Yes I do, but I severly doubt that the graduates of Thunder Arabia would even think of doing GP2, you need to look at Asian F3/Renault/BMW for the better Asian drivers. The guys from Thunder Arabia have split with Russell Racing Middle East partnership anyway in BARC FR, so I doubt they were even in the question to compete in GP2 Asia.

[Go_For_Pole]

Of course not, I am making a point for the general talent level at the momment in the region. Even in the series you mention, there is almost no grid in Renaults and although AF3 and ABMW are marginally better, no graduates have shone when they moved to Europe or competed in BMW World Final, right?

[Asa]

Originally Posted by Go_For_Pole

Of course not, I am making a point for the general talent level at the momment in the region. Even in the series you mention, there is almost no grid in Renaults and although AF3 and ABMW are marginally better, no graduates have shone when they moved to Europe or competed in BMW World Final, right?

General talent level is almost non-existant. Formula Renault V6 struggles to get a 10 car grid; Formula 3 is similar to FRV6, the 06-07 championship battle was between a Finn and an Italian; Formula BMW Asia guys are just starting out and not ready for GP2.

Motorsport in Asia is only at the formative stage and GP2 is not appropriate for now. You look at A1GP, only Malaysia has managed to win, the other Asian countries are also rans only.

I think putting GP2 Asia hasitly together is a bad move.

[Valker]

Originally Posted by Asa

Formula 3 is similar to FRV6, the 06-07 championship battle was between a Finn and an Italian

Dillon Battistini is British.

[runshaw]

Has there got to be 13 Asian drivers on the grid?

[Go_For_Pole]

yeap, one Asian driver per team