2015 FR3.5 silly season

[Rf1 Fan]

We won't see any RBJT driver in WSBR next year.

Mark my words!!!

[chunterer]

Eh? There's plenty in the junior ranks so why on earth not?

[Go_For_Pole]

Because they will go GP2 instead?

[WSR Fan]

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

It will be interesting to see what Auer will do? GP2 or FR3.5 or full focus on LMP2?

Well, in this week's Autosport it states "Auer is vauge about his future, only saying that he wants to race in a higher single-seater campaign".

Interestingly though, ItaliaRacing are reporting that he was present at this week's FR3.5 test at Jerez and that Auer himself has said he will be testing next time out at Motorland Aragon in November.

I think he would make a pretty decent addition to the grid next year if he got a seat - it looks like budget shouldn't be an issue (his mother runs a transport company in Austria & I'm sure uncle Gerhard Berger supports him in some way) and he actually has a pretty impressive career CV to date. He's only just turned 20 years old too (although in Max Verstappen terms, that's positively ancient )

[Down F0rce]

Any word on a date for the Austrian round? It's noted at 3.5 series only, so I guess they are supporting something... I would guess the ELMS, which has the provisional date of 11/12 July. Pretty good double header if it's the case...

[WSR Fan]

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

Any word on a date for the Austrian round? It's noted at 3.5 series only, so I guess they are supporting something... I would guess the ELMS, which has the provisional date of 11/12 July. Pretty good double header if it's the case...

You'd have thought it would be with the ELMS, but the official World Series by Renault site is stating 27/28 June (To be confirmed)

http://worldseriesbyrenault.com/The-...aled-4573.html

[Down F0rce]

That's rather odd. Who is hosting a race at the RB Ring the week after the F1 race?

[Go_For_Pole]

Tio traveling to test tomorrow for Strakka. Big opportunity.

[WSR Fan]

Originally Posted by Go_For_Pole

Tio traveling to test tomorrow for Strakka. Big opportunity.

Great news! I remember he drove for Tech 1 and Pons Racing last winter and did a pretty solid job for both.

I hate to say it but he sort of falls into the Robin Frijns/Tom Dillmann category, i.e. talent = yes, respectable amount of funding = no. Hopefully he can have a good test and that will maybe open some doors for him in FR3.5 next year.

It looks like Luca Ghiotto will also be testing with Strakka this week too.

[WSR Fan]

The entry list for this week's FR3.5 test at Motorland Aragon has been posted over at Paddock Scout.

The main notable additions for this test are:

Tio Ellinas (Strakka)
Lucas Auer (Arden)
Jann Mardenborough (Tech 1)
Marvin Kirchofer (Comtec)
Nelson Mason (Pons)
Sandy Stuvik (Pons)

Comtec Racing are back after missing the Jerez test, but there is no ISR for some unknown reason (and still no sign of Carlin either).

Live timing will be at: http://livetiming.alkamelsystems.com/motorland

[Hawkwood]

I'm glad Stuvik is getting a run. Hopefully he can step into a race seat next year.

[Go_For_Pole]

Brilliant job by Tio, after so much of downtime this year he was 1 tenth off from today's best. No more free testing for him unfortunately but let's hope that Strakka saw enough.

[WSR Fan]

Day One - Top 10 combined times:

1. Alexander Albon (Lotus) 1:41.629
2. Gustav Malja (Zeta Corse) 1:41.725
3. Nicholas Latifi (Arden) 1:41.744
4. Tio Ellinas (Strakka) 1:41.826
5. Pietro Fantin (Draco) 1:41.827
6. Egor Orudzhev (Arden) 1:41.878
7. Beitske Visser (AVF) 1:41.928
8. Jazeman Jaafar (DAMS) 1:42.027
9. Andrea Pizzitola (Lotus) 1:42.034
10. Charles Leclerc (Arden) 1:42.046

Of the others, Jann Mardenborough was 12th and Nyck de Vries 14th.

[Formulahistory]

1. Nicholas Latifi (Arden) 1:40,479
2. Matthieu Vaxivière (Lotus) 1:40,519
3. Oliver Rowland (Fortec) 1:40,764
4. Jazeman Jaafar (DAMS) 1:40,820
5. Andrea Pizzitola (Lotus) 1:40,963
6. Gustav Malja (Zeta) 1:41,014
7. Pietro Fantin (Draco) 1:41,016
8. Lucas Auer (Arden) 1:41,069
9. Egor Orudzhev (Fortec) 1:41,085
10. Beitske Visser (AVF) 1:41,140
11. Dennis Olsen (Strakka) 1:41,248
12. Nyck de Vries (DAMS) 1:41,264
13. Bruno Bonifacio (Draco) 1:41,350
14. Luca Ghiotto (Strakka) 1:41,556
15. LuÃ*s Sá Silva (Fortec) 1:41,621
16. Alex Albon (Lotus) 1:41,629
17. Oscar Tunjo (Pons) 1:41,702
18. Tio Ellinas (Strakka) 1:41,826
19. Vasily Romanov (Zeta) 1:41,837
20. Meindart van Buuren (Comtec) 1:41,922
21. Charles Leclerc (Arden) 1:42,016
22. Indy Dontje (Comtec) 1:42,057
23. Louis Délétraz (Zeta) 1:42,067
24. Nelson Mason (Pons) 1:42,078
25. Jann Mardenborough (Tech-1) 1:42,093
26. Alex Bosak (AVF) 1:42,190
27. Sandy Stuvik (Pons) 1:42,278
28. Marvin Kirchhöfer (Comtec) 1:42,298
29. Matevos Isaakyan (AVF) 1:42,442
30. Seb Morris (Fortec) 1:42,481
31. Ben Bornicoat (Fortec) 1:42,547
32. Maxx Ebenal (Tech-1) 1:46,483
33. Guillaume Cunnington (Tech-1) 1:51,744

[Formulahistory]

My new guess:

DAMS: Nyck de Vries – Jazeman Jaafar (?)
Fortec: Oliver Rowland (?) - Egor Orudzhev (?)
Arden: Nicholas Latifi (?) – Lucas Auer (?)
Zeta: Vasily Romanov (?) – Louis Délétraz (?)
Lotus: Matthieu Vaxivière (?) - Alex Fontana (?)
Strakka: Luca Ghiotto (?) – Dennis Olsen (?)
AVF: Beitske Visser (?) – Matevos Isaakyan (?)
ISR: Felix Rosenqvist (?) - Gustav Malja (?)
Tech-1: Andrea Pizzitola (?) – Jann Mardenborough (?)
Draco: Pietro Fantin (?) - Bruno Bonifacio (?)
Comtec: Meindart van Buuren (?) - Steijn Schothorst (?)
Pons: Oscar Tunjo - Robert Visoiu (?)

[kotkot]

Still a lot of speculation. I really hope Isaakyan will join Eurocup instead of jumping here too early. From what I've been told, the Eurocup grid will be epic. I also can't really imagine Deletraz, it's just too soon.

[bella]

agree about deletraz. i think the same about panis, he hasn't had a particularly competitive season, but no, he seems intent on moving into f3.

i'd like to see kirchhofer on the grid. has he got the budget though?

[Formulahistory]

I think Kirchhöfer will stay another year in GP3 or will drive for Motopark Academy in European F3.

[WSR Fan]

I'm still wondering why we didn't see a few more European F3 runners at the test (Blomqvist, Giovinazzi etc.) You can argue that they are all focusing on the Macau GP, but take the example of Lucas Auer - he raced a Lotus LMP1 in the Shanghai WEC round on Sunday, flew back to Spain to test on Tuesday and Wednesday and he's also competing in Macau next week. Or maybe it's just that he has more budget/contacts?

I actually thought that Gustav Malja put in one of the more consistent/noticeable performances of the week. He wasn't quite at the sharp end of the Eurocup FR2.0 field this year, but you can argue that against the likes of Olsen, Pizzitola, Orudzhev and even de Vries he has enjoyed one of the smoothest transitions to the 3.5 car. Athough it's not the full junior team, he's part of McLaren's Performance Academy Programme, and it looks like he has a fair bit of backing behind him so I wouldn't be surprised to see him next year.

I was super impressed with Charles Leclerc's brief outing too, he really has got all the ingredients to become a superstar of the future. Hopefully he'll go for a title push in Eurocup FR2.0 next year then maybe, just maybe, FR3.5 after that.

[bella]

i don't think it's sensible to look at times as anything other than a list of people who did and didn't get tugged for a weight check after their new tyre run!

personally i see leclerc as potentially being quicker and better than de vries, but it's a hunch not evidence or science based. he didn't half get the job done on his wild card eurocup races.

i agree about the lack of f3 drivers being a bit of a shame. i guess there's less point in doing the f3-fr3.5 jump when the budget difference between 3.5 and gp2 isn't all that significant any more.

is it just me or is it less clear cut where the best drives are in 3.5 this winter?

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Isaakyan and Deletraz will both in the Eurocup next season, and yes, it will be mega. Perhaps we should be talking about that! Think about it though, Isaakyan, Deletraz, Barnicoat, Leclerc, Hughes, Russell, Hubert, and Sorensen all likely to enter. That is one field!!!

[kotkot]

Politics... You could also see the lack of Italian F4 drivers in the Eurocup test. FIA tries to cut out Formula Renault racing. Next year it will be hard to ignore Italian, ADAC, MSA, SMP and other F4 series. 2015 could be the last epic Eurocup season, we'll see. And if Eurocup weakens, 3.5 could pretty much be done.

[ivanalesi]

F4 is aimed at FR2.0, we will see what will be Renault's answer. You can still do F4 and go to FR2.0 - FR3.5 like i.e. Vandoorne and Gasly. Seems to me a reasonable ladder as FR2.0 is so close to F3 and now... F3 is pure spec.
FIA will have to truly sort out F3 in order to damage FR2.0.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Originally Posted by kotkot

Politics... You could also see the lack of Italian F4 drivers in the Eurocup test. FIA tries to cut out Formula Renault racing. Next year it will be hard to ignore Italian, ADAC, MSA, SMP and other F4 series. 2015 could be the last epic Eurocup season, we'll see. And if Eurocup weakens, 3.5 could pretty much be done.

I thought the FIA were involved with FR. But we all know from the national F3 scene and F3 Masters that the FIA couldn't care less about series' that they don't run, whether they have history or not.

However I think we'll see Italian F4 racers in the Alps series, seeing the number of Italian circuits on the calendar.

[kotkot]

Yeah, they can't control the driver's moves but they might have had a hand in their lack of appearance in the testing. Especially while half of the single-seater world wants to enter FIA F3, there can be problems for the likes of Drudi, Russo or Valente.