GP2 2011 silly season. - Page 11

Mekola · 27 Jan 2011, 13:28 (Ref:2821355)

Racing Engineering has confirmed their drivers:
- Dani Clos will race in both GP2 Asia and GP2 Series for 2011;
- Nathanael Berthon will be Clos teammate at GP2 Asia 2011;
- Christian Vietoris will be Clos teammate at GP2 Series 2011.

Frosty11 · 27 Jan 2011, 13:54 (Ref:2821362)

Also aleshin is at carlin as well

shaping up to be a very interesting season!!

**chunterer** · 27 Jan 2011, 16:25 (Ref:2821384)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosty11

Also aleshin is at carlin as well

shaping up to be a very interesting season!!

That'll presumably mean a lot of sponsorship is coming with him. That might mean they can sign a quick, underfinanced guy for the second car then?

Maybe Hartley or Parente?

Frosty11 · 27 Jan 2011, 16:29 (Ref:2821387)

possibly max chilton as he is rumoured for that second seat

EDIT: Chilton confirmed at Carlin

Jacques Rabbit · 27 Jan 2011, 17:10 (Ref:2821397)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamesy-18

Any ideas what Rob Wickens is aiming to do?

The lack of talk about guys like Wickens and Rossi in any series' off-season hot stove concerns me a bit. I know Wickens is finding it hard to achieve funding. GP3's pretty low-cost, so it wasn't so bad losing Red Bull, but taking the next step to GP2 where the cost increase a lot seems hard. He hasn't been in Europe this winter, either (mostly in Canada, but also doing some karting in the U.S.A.), which has to mean he either has confidence about being able to get something or has just been told no too many times. He's not linked to any North American series, though, so I'm assuming he wants to be back in Europe. Hopefully he gets something together, same with Rossi and Morad.

ivanalesi · 27 Jan 2011, 20:25 (Ref:2821457)

The seat next to Fabio Leimer is the remaining hot seat, but I guess it's been already decided. I dunno why all the teams announced almost 50% of the drivers in just a couple of days... some were certain long before that. Anyway, there are some notable missing drivers like Parente, Hartley, Turvey, Wittman, Wickens, Merhi or Guerrieri & Mortara in an ideal world... Edit: Just read on stopandgo that Haryanto will stay in GP3, because he couldn't raise the 3mil EU(!?!?!?!) to race in GP2 with Arden.

Alex K · 28 Jan 2011, 10:45 (Ref:2821707)

Edoardo Mortara is 99% certain to get a drive at Audi Sport (DTM) mate. Thought Parente was doing GT Open and Guerrieri FIL and TC2000?!

ivanalesi · 28 Jan 2011, 11:18 (Ref:2821725)

I know about Guerrieri & Mortara, that's why the ideal world comment, but I didn't know about Parente

((

Hawkwood · 28 Jan 2011, 11:52 (Ref:2821746)

Cecotto (Asia only) - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89104

Racing Engineering - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89105

Gonzalez - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89106

p-matt · 29 Jan 2011, 11:27 (Ref:2822225)

Italia Racing is reporting that Valsecchi and Razia will race for Air Asia, with Valsecchi running some Fridays for Lotus.

Not sure what that means for Cecotto - maybe a full time Main Series drive with Super Nova?

The Rapax seat is the interesting one now. Parente would be my pick - if they are to win the championship again they need an experienced hand. Leimer alone will not be enough.

Frosty11 · 29 Jan 2011, 13:20 (Ref:2822269)

very little news regarding ocean

Daisy · 29 Jan 2011, 15:58 (Ref:2822327)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosty11

very little news regarding ocean

Wasn't Da Costa supposed to race with them this year? I thought he signed a deal for 2011 about 12 months ago?

Frosty11 · 30 Jan 2011, 11:14 (Ref:2822639)

Leal confirmed at Rapax

2 ocean+2 air asia still to be confirmed

Daisy · 30 Jan 2011, 11:46 (Ref:2822651)

Tony Fernandes says on Twitter the GP2 drivers will be announced soon. Valsecchi perhaps? I heard he might me Team Lotus' 3rd driver in F1

skells22 · 30 Jan 2011, 12:07 (Ref:2822662)

Just about to warn you about the races that are on Euro Sport. 1st race is live on Friday 11 feb and therefore on Eurosport 2 but we will have to wait for tennis to finish to see the 2nd race due to be shown at 5.00pm but as we all know we can not trust tennis on the Saturday 12 Feb.

jondownunder · 30 Jan 2011, 13:26 (Ref:2822700)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosty11

Leal confirmed at Rapax

Leal's confirmed only for Asia at present.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skells22

Just about to warn you about the races that are on Euro Sport.

Ah, back to the joys of Eurosport... let's hope they don't cut a massive chunk of the 2nd race out when they're showing it delayed.

cds_uk · 30 Jan 2011, 13:42 (Ref:2822703)

I thought Valsecchi had been confirmed at Lotus?

p-matt · 30 Jan 2011, 13:52 (Ref:2822707)

Vietoris and whoever races in the Main Series for Rapax (I'm assuming they won't go with Leal for obvious reasons) will be at a massive disadvantage to everyone else by not racing in Asia. The drivers will have had 3 race weekends to get used to the car by Turkey.

Interesting too that it looks like we will have 2 former Asia Series champions on the grid, when we have never had a champion defend their title before, ever, in GP2.

ivanalesi · 30 Jan 2011, 16:28 (Ref:2822767)

Good point, I thought the champions weren't allowed to race in GP2!?

kipper · 30 Jan 2011, 17:21 (Ref:2822805)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

Good point, I thought the champions weren't allowed to race in GP2!?

That rule certainly applies to the main series; although it would seem that the same rule does not apply to the Asia series. Ordinarily, one would assume that a driver would not wish to defend a crown in a feeder series due to the possible damage it could do to a reputation if a poor season is experienced. However, the move to the new car makes competing in the Asia series worthwhile in order to have the maximum amount of experience for the main season.

Daisy · 30 Jan 2011, 19:11 (Ref:2822861)

It seems it will be Valsecchi and Razia voor TeamAirAsia.

Source: 422race.com

(I don't know that website, but I got it from a Dutch F1 site, who gave the above website as their source).

**chunterer** · 30 Jan 2011, 19:50 (Ref:2822875)

Anyone care to do an updated list please?

jondownunder · 30 Jan 2011, 20:08 (Ref:2822892)

Here you go

Arden - Josef Kral / Jolyon Palmer
Lotus/ART - Jules Bianchi / Esteban Gutierrez
Barwa Addax - Giedo van der Garde / Charles Pic
Carlin - Max Chilton / Mikhail Aleshin
DAMS - Romain Grosjean / Pal Varhaug
iSport - Sam Bird / Marcus Ericsson
ORT - Antonio Felix da Costa? / ?
Racing Engineering - Dani Clos / Christian Vietoris (Main) & Nathanael Berthon (Asia)
Rapax - Fabio Leimer / Julian Leal (Asia - possibly Main)
Scuderia Coloni - Michael Herck / James Jakes
Super Nova - Fairuz Fauzy / Johnny Cecotto Jr (Asia - possibly Main?)
Team Air Asia - Davide Valsecchi? / Luiz Razia?
Trident - Rodolfo Gonzalez / Stefano Coletti

RF_Racer · 31 Jan 2011, 00:02 (Ref:2822975)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosty11

possibly max chilton as he is rumoured for that second seat

EDIT: Chilton confirmed at Carlin

Chilton Hasnt really achived much to date in his single seater career, just 2 F3 wins rest has been dissapointing. I guess its a case of money over tallent.

**chunterer** · 31 Jan 2011, 10:22 (Ref:2823105)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jondownunder

Here you go

Arden - Josef Kral / Jolyon Palmer
Lotus/ART - Jules Bianchi / Esteban Gutierrez
Barwa Addax - Giedo van der Garde / Charles Pic
Carlin - Max Chilton / Mikhail Aleshin
DAMS - Romain Grosjean / Pal Varhaug
iSport - Sam Bird / Marcus Ericsson
ORT - Antonio Felix da Costa? / ?
Racing Engineering - Dani Clos / Christian Vietoris (Main) & Nathanael Berthon (Asia)
Rapax - Fabio Leimer / Julian Leal (Asia - possibly Main)
Scuderia Coloni - Michael Herck / James Jakes
Super Nova - Fairuz Fauzy / Johnny Cecotto Jr (Asia - possibly Main?)
Team Air Asia - Davide Valsecchi? / Luiz Razia?
Trident - Rodolfo Gonzalez / Stefano Coletti

Great thanks Jon!

A quick scan down the list doesn't make for mouthwatering prospects does it?

There are about 6 or 7 decent drivers with the rest being journeymen?

First season we haven't seen any real depth

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