2009/10 GP2 Asia Off Season & 2010 GP2 Series off season discussions

[Rf1 Fan]

30th October Practice Session: 10.30 – 11.00
30th October Qualifying Session: 1455 – 15.25
31st October Race 1: 11.00 – 12.20
1st November Race 2: 13.30 – 14.20

[skells22]

Originally Posted by Rf1 Fan

30th October Practice Session: 10.30 – 11.00
30th October Qualifying Session: 1455 – 15.25
31st October Race 1: 11.00 – 12.20
1st November Race 2: 13.30 – 14.20

can you put gmt times plese?

[Rf1 Fan]

Race 1:7:00-8:20
Race 2:9:30-10:20

[skells22]

thankyou

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Keyfabe

Be interesting to see how Leimer does, he seemed to struggle to overtake in Formula Master when he started 8th, I think Bianchi is only doing a half the races so wont be a contender to win the championship. I would like to see Jon Lancaster move up to GP2.

If Bianchi wins all of his and the others spam up, he could well do!!

[jondownunder]

Durango confirm they won't be in GP2 Asia:

http://www.italiaracing.net/notizia.asp?id=25310&cat=4

[jondownunder]

Also, in what was news to me, italiaracing have the following listed for the Abu Dhabi races -

Arden: Rodolfo Gonzalez
Meritus: Luca Filippi, Diego Nunes
DPR: Giacomo Ricci (alongside the inevitable Herck)

Curiously they've put "TBA" where Turvey should be at iSport. Maybe it's just confusion over him missing the upcoming tests due to his WSbR commitments.

[chunterer]

Some others, presumably, who may be in the hunt for drives in the upcoming series:

Van der Drift
Bamber
Bonanomi
Provenzano
Clos

and quite a few other I would imagine?

Anyone got any more news on who's talking to whom?

[Dan Friel]

The first test session is later today. I'll report back with any interesting news.

[runshaw]

Didn't expect Filippi to be back, I must admit.

[Valker]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

Also, in what was news to me, italiaracing have the following listed for the Abu Dhabi races

Curiously they've put "TBA" where Turvey should be at iSport. Maybe it's just confusion over him missing the upcoming tests due to his WSbR commitments.

The entry list is for the test days, not the 1st round of the series. So Turvey isn't on the list due to reason you stated (minus the confusion)...

[miniman]

Originally Posted by Dan Friel

The first test session is later today. I'll report back with any interesting news.

good morning Dan. do you know of any live timing for the tests please?

[Fujer]

Anyone got any times from today yet?

[Spudy]

I don't have times but I have some positions:
1 Valsecchi
2 Fillipi
3 Vietoris
4 Razia
5 Rossi
6 Nunes
7 Bird
8 Jakes
9 Cecotto
10 Zamp- (something, can't read it)
11 Chilton
12 Ericsson
13 Piscopo
14 Sanchez
15 Kral
16 Bratt
17 Herck
18 Gonzales
19 Leimer
20 Valdimir (someone)
21 Cralev
22 Rodrigues

Sorry for the lack of info and names etc but reading it off a rubbish picture on the iSport Twitter page.

[Rf1 Fan]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

Also, in what was news to me, italiaracing have the following listed for the Abu Dhabi races -

Arden: Rodolfo Gonzalez
Meritus: Luca Filippi, Diego Nunes
DPR: Giacomo Ricci (alongside the inevitable Herck)

Curiously they've put "TBA" where Turvey should be at iSport. Maybe it's just confusion over him missing the upcoming tests due to his WSbR commitments.

Pic is in the second arden for asian series.

[jondownunder]

Originally Posted by Valker

The entry list is for the test days, not the 1st round of the series.

Ah yes, makes sense... the Italian version of the article does say the list is for the tests, unfortunately I was reading the English version which writes "Italiaracing.net can anticipate the almost definitive GP2 Asia Series roster for the first race at Abu Dhabi."

Originally Posted by Spudy

10 Zamp- (something, can't read it)
...
20 Valdimir (someone)

Daniel Zampieri & Vladimir Arabadzhiev.

Originally Posted by Rf1 Fan

Pic is in the second arden for asian series.

Funny, I hadn't seen this mentioned anywhere apart from your posts, but you're right, he is listed on Arden's website: http://www.arden-motorsport.com/drivers/

Session 1 times at italiaracing.net:
http://www.italiaracing.net/notizia.asp?id=25319&cat=4

[runshaw]

Are they using the older GP2 cars like they usually do in the Asia series?

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by Spudy

I don't have times but I have some positions:
1 Valsecchi
2 Fillipi
3 Vietoris
4 Razia
5 Rossi
6 Nunes
7 Bird
8 Jakes
9 Cecotto
10 Zamp- (something, can't read it)
11 Chilton
12 Ericsson
13 Piscopo
14 Sanchez
15 Kral
16 Bratt
17 Herck
18 Gonzales
19 Leimer
20 Valdimir (someone)
21 Cralev
22 Rodrigues

Sorry for the lack of info and names etc but reading it off a rubbish picture on the iSport Twitter page.

Lovin' it. Every time this kid steps in a car, he getting closer and closer to Rahal as my favorite driver.

[sauber11]

Afternoon times

1. Luca Filippi Meritus 1:52.842 23
2. Roldan Rodriguez Scuderia Coloni 1:53.091 26
3. Diego Nunes Meritus 1:53.188 28
4. Davide Valsecchi iSport International 1:53.279 18
5. Luiz Razia Barwa Addax Team 1:53.486 26
6. Sam Bird ART Grand Prix 1:53.572 27
7. Johnny Cecotto Trident Racing 1:53.681 35
8. Christian Vietoris DAMS 1:53.682 26
9. Daniel Zampieri Piquet GP 1:53.916 26
10. Max Chilton Barwa Addax Team 1:54.022 23
11. William Bratt Scuderia Coloni 1:54.060 25
12. Michael Herck DPR 1:54.086 20
13. Edoardo Piscopo DAMS 1:54.297 25
14. Josef Kral Super Nova Racing 1:54.494 25
15. Fabio Leimer Ocean Racing Technology 1:54.494 20
16. Alexander Rossi Ocean Racing Technology 1:54.516 16
17. Vladimir Arabadzhiev Piquet GP 1:54.661 19
18. Marcus Ericsson ART Grand Prix 1:54.740 20
19. James Jakes Super Nova Racing 1:55.714 16
20 Rodolfo Gonzalez Arden International 1:55.758 10
21. Plamen Kralev Trident Racing 1:59.411 22
22. Giacomo Ricci DPR -- --

[Keyfabe]

Plamen Kralev is 36 years old whats he doing in a GP2 car!!!

[Keyfabe]

Originally Posted by runshaw

Are they using the older GP2 cars like they usually do in the Asia series?

I was wondering the same too

[p-matt]

Originally Posted by runshaw

Didn't expect Filippi to be back, I must admit.

I'm not that surprised. He fell off the radar completely after a woeful 2008 and after Portugal is only now looking like a decent driver again. He absolutely must win the championship though, and I'm not sure he can do that in a Meritus

[ivanalesi]

What it will change for Filippi? Many of these guys need to get somehow into F1 testing and try to impress, now w/o Friday testing it's quite hard just for these 3 days in December to find a spot.
Anyway, do you know what these times mean guys? It's an important social experiment for the motorsport industry.
Basically, a random person picked from the street should be able to be at about 7 sec. off Luca Filippi's pace. In fact, I guess many would be closer, because Mr. Kralev, who represents Bulgaria's Tourism Authority R&D department as a highly expensive test dummy, is 1+ sec. off the public's pace in a rental Rotax after extensive training during the summer.

[JohnMiller]

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

Basically, a random person picked from the street should be able to be at about 7 sec. off Luca Filippi's pace.

More likely to be 27s.

[jondownunder]

Originally Posted by runshaw

Are they using the older GP2 cars like they usually do in the Asia series?

I'm sure they're still using the old GP2 car (Dallara GP2/05). I'm guessing after the 2010 main season, the Dallara GP2/08 will be shipped off to be used in the Asia/Arabia series - if it's still going. Which would be a shame, as the newer car produces far less entertaining racing. That's assuming the current GP2 car is being replaced after its 3-year cycle for 2011?

---------

A couple of articles seem to suggest that Newman Wachs Racing could enter GP2, the other option being IRL IndyCar, in either case with John Edwards driving...

http://www.racer.com/Newman-Wachs-ta...rticle/155872/

Newman Wachs Racing team owner Eddie Wachs admitted in an interview on SpeedTV.com earlier this week that he was working towards move his longtime Atlantic Championship team up to the IndyCar Series next year, along with its Atlantic Championship-winning driver, John Edwards. Wachs admitted a move to GP2 was also possible, although he indicate IndyCar was the preferred option.

http://www.johnedwardsracing.com/ (see news 19th Oct.)

...thanks to Newman Wachs Racing owner Eddie Wachs, 2009 Atlantic Championship series winner John Edwards appears to be headed for the big leagues. After watching Edwards earn consecutive titles in Star Mazda and now Atlantics, Wachs says he’s hard at work to move the 18-year-old Ohioan and the NWR team along for a greater challenge.

“There are two areas we’re considering,” said Wachs, “one is GP2 and I’m not as familiar with that series, but we’re talking with people; that would take Edwards overseas again. The other is IndyCar.”

Wherever NWR and Edwards end up next year – and he enjoyed being coy about coming right out and confirming their intentions -- Wachs says he looks forward to the journey. After watching his drivers dominate the Atlantic Championship, a fresh challenge could be just the motivation the team needs.

“If we were to run GP2 it opens up a whole new avenue for us. Obviously, we’d have to be with the right team. It would certainly be new for us, and its something we haven’t done before and I’m sure it would be interesting. There would be a lot to learn. If we stay in the United States, what I really want to do is launch John Edwards.”

Reading both these articles, it certainly looks like NWR would want to have a team in GP2, not just Wachs backing Edwards in a drive. Obviously that would mean doing a tie-up with an existing team - as his "we’d have to be with the right team" alludes to - or buying one out (Durango?).