Euro 3000/Italian F3000 (Coloni series) Silly Season

[jondownunder]

Confirmed and rumoured teams and drivers:

Team Astromega
2 x Lola B2/50

Avelon Formula
2 x Lola B2/50 (bought from BCN)

CEK Team?

Coloni Motorsport?
2 x Lola B2/50
Davide Valsecchi, Luigi Ferrara & Paolo Nocera tested

Corbetta
2 x Lola B2/50
Luigi Ferrara rumoured

Durango
2 x Lola B2/50

Euronova
2 x Lola B2/50?
Marcello Puglisi & Francesco Dracone confirmed

Scuderia Fam�*?
2 x Lola B99/50
Marco Mocci rumoured

Fisichella Motor Sport (run by Durango)
3 x Lola B2/50
Marco Bonanomi confirmed; Giacomo Ricci, Paolo Nocera & Davide Valsecchi tested

Fortec
2 x Lola B99/50

ma-con Motorsport
2 x Lola B2/50

Minardi Team by GP Racing
2 x Lola B2/50
Stefano Gattuso, Maria De Villota, Roman Rusinov tested (before Minardi partnership)

Motori di Carlotta
1 x Lola B99/50?

Sighinolfi
2 x Lola B2/50

System Racing Team?

Vanni Racing (Traini Corse)



Calendar 2006:

16/17 February: Collective test, Misano
19 March: Monza - Euro 3000 and Italian F3000
7 May: Imola - Euro 3000 and Italian F3000
4 June: Spa - Euro 3000
18 June: Budapest - Euro 3000
9 July: Mugello - Euro 3000 and Italian F3000
27 August: Hockenheim - Euro 3000
24 September: Barcellona - Euro 3000 and Italian F3000
1 October: Vallelunga - Euro 3000 and Italian F3000
22 ottobre: Misano - Euro 3000 and Italian F3000



This is pieced together from translated Italian reports, so corrections will be welcome. Great to see the Minardi name back, and especially the traditional colours -

[DanFlag]

Great to see the Minardi name back, and especially the traditional colours


Traditional from when and where?

[Russfeld]

Their early F1 and F2 years

[Go_For_Pole]

Ahaaaaa, so you aren't old enough to remember them

[DanFlag]

No I'm not, I'm 34
Thic can be verified in my profile

Anyone got pictures?

[Valker]

Originally Posted by DanFlag

Anyone got pictures?

http://www.f1-forum.fi/vb/showthread.php?t=17817

[DanFlag]

Excellent, could not have wished for more :-)

[jondownunder]

I don't think it's official, but apparently Roldan Rodriguez has signed for Minardi Team by GP Racing. Davide Rigon will supposedly be announced for the other seat, while they could run a third car for Juan Caceres.

Link

[Mekola]

The silly season list above has a problem, AFAIK there are 20 Lola B2/50 cars built, and on the entrylist are 23 B2/50 cars announced.
Perhaps some of the teams with B2/50 and question marks will race B99/50 instead. I don't see FMS with 3 B2/50 but with 2 of these and one of the older model.

[sceptic]

There were at least 27 B2/50 chassis built... and I can't recall any of them being destroyed in accidents.

[bradrive]

Originally Posted by sceptic

There were at least 27 B2/50 chassis built... and I can't recall any of them being destroyed in accidents.

21cars built, Durango has 2cars, 2 for FMS and 2 for Durango Automotive

[sceptic]

Yes you are right - I was thinking that because the highest car number in F3000 was 27, that there must have been 26 cars. But of course the withdrawl of DAMS, KTR and Prost in 2001 meant that some numbers were never issued.

So yes, there must have been 21 built.

[Mekola]

Different the case of the B99/50, 42 cars built for F3000 and 7 B99/51 destined to F.Nippon, just one I recall was destroyed on an accident (Alex Yoong at Spa, 1999), and other transformed onto a show car (Gonzalo Rodr�*guez 1999 car, later crashed many times by Fabrice Walfisch, finally destined to Uruguay when Astromega decided to adquire an ex-Draco tub for their team. A poet should think that car missed Gonchi at command).

[e12]

What kind of budgets are these teams looking for, for the Italian and Euro seasons?

[jondownunder]

Italiaracing.net reports that ex-FIA F3000 team Autosport Racing will return to F3000, with Gavin Cronjé already confirmed... with negotiations going on for a second car.

We'll see more in testing at Misano on Thursday and Friday.

[jondownunder]

Testing times from Misano:

Day 1:

Morning -

1 - Marco Bonanomi (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'21"3
2 - Giacomo Ricci (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'21"8
3 - Vitaly Petrov (Lola B99/50) - Fortec - 1'21"8
3 - Paolo Nocera (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'22"5
4 - Roldan Rodriguez (Lola B02/50) - Minardi - 1'22"5
5 - Marcello Puglisi (Lola B02/50) - Euronova - 1'23"1
6 - Francesco Dracone (Lola B02/50) - Euronova - 1'23"9
7 - Ivan Bellarosa (Lola B02/50) - Avelon - 1'24"4
8 - Gavin Cronjé (Lola B02/50) - Autosport - 1'24"4
9 - Basil Shabaan (Lola B02/50) - Astromega - no time
10 - Nino Fam�* (Lola B99/50) - Fam�* - no time
11 - Glauco Solieri (Lola B99/50) - Vanni/Traini - no time

Afternoon -

1 - Roldan Rodriguez (Lola B02/50) - Minardi - 1'21"799
2 - Marco Bonanomi (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'21"856
3 - Paolo Nocera (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'21"945
4 - Giacomo Ricci (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'22"091
5 - Marcello Puglisi (Lola B02/50) - Euronova - 1'22"343
6 - Gavin Cronjé (Lola B02/50) - Autosport - 1'23"373
7 - Basil Shaaban (Lola B02/50) - Astromega - 1'23"968
8 - Graham Rahal (Lola B02/50) - Astromega - 1'24"500
9 - Francesco Dracone (Lola B02/50) - Euronova - 1'24"660
10 - Ivan Bellarosa (Lola B02/50) - Avelon - 1'25"184
11 - Glauco Solieri (Lola B99/50) - Vanni/Traini - 1'26"107
12 - Khalil Beschir (Lola B02/50) - Astromega - 1'28"060
13 - Nino Fam�* (Lola B02/50) - Fam�* - no time

Day 2:

Morning -

1 - Marco Bonanomi (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'20”828
2 - Giacomo Ricci (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'21”598
3 - Paolo Nocera (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'22”127
4 - Graham Rahal (Lola B02/50) - Astromega - 1'22”349
5 - Roldan Rodriguez (Lola B02/50) - Minardi - 1'22”362
6 - Alex Frassineti (Lola B99/50) - Fam�* – 1’22”389
7 - Marcello Puglisi (Lola B02/50) - Euronova - 1'22”449
8 - Vitaly Petrov (Lola B99/50) - Euronova - 1'22”530
9 - Gavin Cronjé (Lola B02/50) - Autosport - 1'22”647
10 - Ivan Bellarosa (Lola B02/50) - Avelon - 1'23”533
11 - Khalil Beschir (Lola B02/50) - Astromega - 1'23”760
12 - Glauco Solieri (Lola B99/50) - Vanni/Traini - 1'24”330
13 - Francesco Dracone (Lola B02/50) - Euronova - 1'24”577
14 – Jeremie Dufour (Lola B99/50) - Fam�* – 1'24”765

Afternoon -

1 - Marco Bonanomi (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'20”621
2 - Giacomo Ricci (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'21”122
3 - Paolo Nocera (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'21”315
4 - Roldan Rodriguez (Lola B02/50) - Minardi - 1'22”022
5 - Graham Rahal (Lola B02/50) - Astromega - 1'22”589
6 - Gavin Cronjé (Lola B02/50) - Autosport - 1'22”773
7 - Vitaly Petrov (Lola B99/50) - Euronova - 1'23”071
8 - Marcello Puglisi (Lola B02/50) - Euronova - 1'23”103
9 - Ivan Bellarosa (Lola B02/50) - Avelon - 1'23”835
10- Khalil Beschir (Lola B02/50) - Astromega - 1'24”000
11 – Jeremie Dufour (Lola B99/50) - Fam�* – 1'24”344
12 - Davide Rigon (Lola B02/50) - Minardi - 1'24”380
13 - Glauco Solieri (Lola B99/50) - Vanni/Traini - 1'26”177
14 - Francesco Dracone (Lola B02/50) - Euronova - 1'26”597
15 - Alex Frassineti (Lola B99/50) - Fam�* – 1’27”713

Overall -

1 - Marco Bonanomi (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'20”621
2 - Giacomo Ricci (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'21”122
3 - Paolo Nocera (Lola B02/50) - FMS - 1'21”315
4 - Roldan Rodriguez (Lola B02/50) - Minardi – 1’21”799
5 - Vitaly Petrov (Lola B99/50) - Euronova – 1’21”910
6 - Marcello Puglisi (Lola B02/50) - Euronova - 1'22”343
7 - Graham Rahal (Lola B02/50) - Astromega - 1'22”349
8 - Alex Frassineti (Lola B99/50) - Fam�* – 1’22”389
9 - Gavin Cronjé (Lola B02/50) - Autosport - 1'22”647
10 - Ivan Bellarosa (Lola B02/50) - Avelon - 1'23”533
11 - Khalil Beschir (Lola B02/50) - Astromega - 1'23”760
12 - Glauco Solieri (Lola B99/50) - Vanni/Traini - 1'24”330
13 – Jeremie Dufour (Lola B99/50) - Fam�* – 1'24”344
14 - Davide Rigon (Lola B02/50) - Minardi - 1'24”380
15 - Francesco Dracone (Lola B02/50) - Euronova - 1'24”577

(source: italiaracing.net)

[jondownunder]

Paolo Nocera and Giacomo Ricci confirmed at FMS, alongside Bonanomi:

http://www.stopandgo.tv/news.php?idtitolo=1156

[cds_uk]

I have to confess i don`t know much about this series and i am not sure where it stands in the big scheme of things, obviously you guys who are posting here have a far greater knowledge of Euro F3000 than i do, my questions are as follows, as an Eric Salignon fan it looks to me as though his best bet at a WSR drive has gone, is this series a viable option to keep his career heading in the right direction and what are his chances of ending up here, thanks for your help, Chris.

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by cds_uk

I have to confess i don`t know much about this series and i am not sure where it stands in the big scheme of things, obviously you guys who are posting here have a far greater knowledge of Euro F3000 than i do, my questions are as follows, as an Eric Salignon fan it looks to me as though his best bet at a WSR drive has gone, is this series a viable option to keep his career heading in the right direction and what are his chances of ending up here, thanks for your help, Chris.

This would certainly be seen as a backward step for Salignon.
If he wants to progress in single-seaters and there are no WSbyR seats left, then he needs to look at one of the remaining seats in F Nippon, or Champcar.

[jondownunder]

I agree, although Luca Filippi has progressed to GP2 after last season, like the older F3000 Italia (1999-2000) and Euro 3000 ('01-04), this series will probably always have the stigma of being seen as outside of the grand scheme of things.

There still appear to be a load of good World Series seats available, so I'd imagine if he has the budget Salignon could well be back there.

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

I agree, although Luca Filippi has progressed to GP2 after last season, like the older F3000 Italia (1999-2000) and Euro 3000 ('01-04), this series will probably always have the stigma of being seen as outside of the grand scheme of things.

There still appear to be a load of good World Series seats available, so I'd imagine if he has the budget Salignon could well be back there.

But Filippi hadn't done bigger things before.
I absolutely agree that it is a good series to do to move upwards - look at people like Ricardo Sperafico, Tomas Scheckter, Felipe Massa, Gianmaria Bruni or Johnny Reid.

[Go_For_Pole]

3rd place in Italian FRenault is nothing big in your book?

[sceptic]

Well it's not as big as F3 Euroseries or WS by Renault, which is what Salignon has done the last two years.

Which is why Euro3000 is a backward step for Salignon but was natural progression for Filippi.

[Jackman]

It actually could be a good thing for Salignon - the cost is really low in comparison to most other series (250-300k euro), and with Coloni wanting to build a staircase of talent the winner of the series gets a GP2 test, and potentially a GP2 season - there's nothing else out there offering so much for so little.

[jondownunder]

Great news, Euroseries 3000 (as it's now called) will have a round at Silverstone, supporting Grand Prix Masters on August 13th.

The official website is: http://www.euroseries3000.com/

On the driver front, Vitaly Petrov confirmed in a Lola B99/50 for Euronova - http://www.speedsportmag.de/racing/n...he=en&nid=7294