Gp2 @ Monza

[Rf1 Fan]

Pierre Gasly will finish the season with Caterham.

[p-matt]

Originally Posted by Rf1 Fan

Pierre Gasly will finish the season with Caterham.

Oh, that's interesting. Still Red Bull backed? IMO he's not nearly as good as everyone makes out, but will be good to see how he gets on.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

He's better than Rossi!

[Rf1 Fan]

Will be interesting to see if gets up to speed as quickly as Sorensen who has much more experience.

Then again, the main thing that he will have to face is the bigger power and softer tyres.

As far as downforce is concerned i don't think that he will be impressed.

[Formulahistory]

Why Gasly? He is Red Bull supported and Red Bull do not put their drivers in GP2. So what's the story of that?

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Originally Posted by Formulahistory

Why Gasly? He is Red Bull supported and Red Bull do not put their drivers in GP2. So what's the story of that?

Perhaps RBR are thinking of a future without Gasly. Not wanting to look heartless and cold (as he did with Alguersuari and now Vergne), Mr Marko has probably explained to Gasly that, given recent events, he won't be a member of the RB Junior programme for the next season. As a result, he will run in GP2 to give himself a good showing and get a decent drive for the next season. That way Gasly's progress isn't hampered/ruined by RB dropping him, Mr Marko can move on the place Lynn in Gasly's seat (and bring in another star - Antonio Giovinazzi, Dennis Olsen, Jake Dennis, etc, for example - into their GP3 set-up), and the image of the programme isn't one of a ruthless junior programme, where if you're not good enough you're left to your own devices in a chasm of eternal failure.

[Formulahistory]

But who will pay the money for Gasley?

And what are the sources of that rumour?

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Oh I just thought that my theory was a likely scenario. He may end up defecting from RB to Caterham for next season, and Caterham will pay for that. I don't know, it's just that my theory fits the current circumstances, especially with Verstappen entering the frame immediately in an STR seat. Lynn has to move up - he's been in the same tier of the ladder for 3 seasons and has looked spectacular every season. Imo he should have been in FR3.5 or GP2 this season, but Marko had other plans. It just makes more sense.

[kotkot]

Yeah, dropping him after one impressive year because of Verstappen, that would not make Red Bull look cruel at all...

Anyway, with both Verstappen and Sainz possibly going to F1, maybe both Lynn and Gasly will do GP2 next year and this is just a preparation.

With so many talents, I really don't see why would Red Bull pick other talents. There aren't new talents with good marketing value... However, if they do, Olsen had some connections with Red Bull and he is probably closely monitored.

[Rf1 Fan]

Originally Posted by Formulahistory

But who will pay the money for Gasley?

And what are the sources of that rumour?

The source is french newspaper l'équipe.

[Rf1 Fan]

According to the article Gasly is doing the last three meetings in order to prepare himself for a Top seat in 2015.

[ivanalesi]

Gasly is 18 and 3rd after Sainz and Merhi, hardly a disappointing season for a rookie. May be they want to make a shoot-out next season with him and Lynn.

[Rf1 Fan]

According to this feature it does seem that in fact from all the drivers in Red Bull Junior Team, Gasly will be the only to stay there.

Lynn has decided to go in own route.

http://plus.autosport.com/premium/fe...or-verstappen/

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

I guess Lynn is frustrated that Marko leaves him on the same tier of the ladder that he's been a standout on for the last 2 seasons and has then shoved a much more raw and inexperienced driver into an F1 seat.

Right now, Lynn is a better driver and I can't see that suddenly changing at the start of next season.

[chunterer]

Lazarus have booted out Conor Daly for the rest of the year.

Who's got a spare half million euros or so for the drive that needs to put themselves in the window for next year?!!

Sainz?

[Rf1 Fan]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Lazarus have booted out Conor Daly for the rest of the year.

Who's got a spare half million euros or so for the drive that needs to put themselves in the window for next year?!!

Sainz?

apparently jeffries

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Rf1 Fan

apparently jeffries

Gosh that's an exciting signing!

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Meanwhile, at the sharp end, Vandoorne has claimed pole no.2 in succession, the 3rd of an impressive rookie season. Palmer will start 4th, Nasr will start 8th. Arthur Pic will start 2nd.

[skells22]

make that last place for Palmer as his car did not have enough fuel after qualfying but he also got Cecetto pen 3 grids spots as he was blocked on a fast lap by the Cectto driver

[chunterer]

He'll easily still get points from there unless of course he gets embroiled!

[p-matt]

I'd say Nasr's probably more likely to get involved with another car from 7th than Jolyon is from the back. Let's hope we see Vandoorne is full attack mode today. He's faded a bit when it's come to the feature races the last few weekends.

Gasly not at all stellar languishing at the back there...

[skells22]

now the next question is? Will all the cars safety get past turn 1?

[Rf1 Fan]

Originally Posted by p-matt

I'd say Nasr's probably more likely to get involved with another car from 7th than Jolyon is from the back. Let's hope we see Vandoorne is full attack mode today. He's faded a bit when it's come to the feature races the last few weekends.

Gasly not at all stellar languishing at the back there...

So you are reaching conclusions over a 18 year old driver making a gp2 debut in middle of a season with a midfield team with just 2 third of a season in 3.5 series behind him....

In fact he ended the race in the same second as his team mate.

Sergio Campana who made his Gp2 debut finished 20 seconds behind his teammate

He did not set the world on fire but he did a solid job and put mileage.

[p-matt]

Originally Posted by Rf1 Fan

So you are reaching conclusions over a 18 year old driver making a gp2 debut in middle of a season with a midfield team with just 2 third of a season in 3.5 series behind him....

In fact he ended the race in the same second as his team mate.

Sergio Campana who made his Gp2 debut finished 20 seconds behind his teammate

He did not set the world on fire but he did a solid job and put mileage.

In the age of the Max Verstappens and the Daniil Kvyats, motosport fans are increasingly judging the stars of tomorrow and how they cope being thrown into the deep end. Gasly is part of the Red Bull junior programme after all, and they're the worst for it! I don't like it myself, but if you're going to complain about "journeymen" in junior formulae then you're going to be making quick judgements on drivers based on not very much.

To be honest, Gasly's race pace was respectable enough I guess, but I don't see any spark in him at all. I know it was his debut and all, but how can Gasly debut in FR3.5 and be on it straight away, yet not show the same pace (so far) in a supposedly equal series (GP2). Yet Sorensen who has struggled in FR3.5 is in the mix for points in GP2 immediately.

I have to say - I did like the Caterham Red Bull livery a lot. Hopefully we'll see Sainz Jnr in a similar livery in F1 soon.

[Rf1 Fan]

Well thanks to Forix i could look into Gasly compared to top players in Gp2 on similar strategies.

Compared to Vandoorne 1 second off him in Softs ( he closed the gap a bit compared to qualy) then he was 8 tenths slower on harder compound after he served his drive through which is same trend as in the softer tyres. However before his drive through he was 3 tenth slower than Vandoorne.

Then compared to Nasr he was 0.250 of sec slower in softer tyres while the gap was 6 tenths in qualy. On the harder tyre he was as fast as Nasr during the 8 laps before his drive through then he dropped back quite a bit , 8 tenth slower.

Gasly seemed to have a rather respectable pace but his lack of knowledge of pirelli's seemed to put him on the backfoot at the end.