Formula Renault V6 Silly Season (Klein to FRV6?)

[alonso11]

Today was the first collective off-season test in Misano (it seems we have two new teams too) :

-EuroF3 runner-up, Christian Klein tested with Eurointernational (AM: 2nd ; PM 4th)

-the winner of Formula Renault Masters series, Esteban Guerrieri tested with CRAM and I'm guessing that he will replace Melo Jr. in 2004 (after 4 years of Formula Renault 2000cc it's time to step up for Esteban and he is a CRAM pilot anyway) (AM: 3rd ; PM: 3rd)

-GT champion, Mateo Bobbi tested the brand-new 2004 version of the Tatuus chasse and set the pace (AM: 1st ; PM: 1st)

-EuroF3 backmaker, Stefano Proetto tested with CRAM (AM: 13rd ; PM: 9th)

-Italian F3 front-runner, Gregory Franchi tested with AFC (AM: 9th ; 10th)

-German Formula VW champion, Jaap van Lagen tested with some new team (AM: 7th ; 11th)

-occasional front-runner of Nissan Light, Matteo Pellegrino tested with AFC (AM: 5th ; PM: n/a)

-Australian F3 front-runner James Cressey tested with Jenzer (another Kiwi in the series after the very impressive Halliday?) (AM: 11th ; PM: n/a)

-surprisingly enough 34 years old Emanuel Clerico ex-F3000 pilot and Belmondo-Chrysler driver tested with the similary surprising entry of team Oreca (AM: 10th ; PM: n/a)

-Guglielmo Rojas tested with DAMS and I have no idea who he is (perhaps he is Mexican? perhaps he is the brother of Memo Rojas the Barber Dodge runner-up? I dunno but wasn't too slow) (AM: 8th , PM: 7th)


The rest of the testers were Formula Renault V6 regulars: Mondini, Scafuro, Di Benedetto and Bellarosa.No rookie to V6, Ryan Sharp was also there but this time with top-team Jenzer instead of the Swedish SRTS (it makes sense since Ryan drove for Jenzer in the 2000cc and SRTS is -according to rumours from a couple of months ago- likely to leave the category anyway) British Formula Renault front-runner James Rossiter was also there but failed to do a single lap.

Talking about last year's front-runners: Jani tested a Nissan V6 car in Jerez (I can't remeber the team) but according to the article I've read he did that test mostly to get to know Jerez before testing the Sauber F1 car there later this year.Jose-Maria Lopez will replace Motagny to partner Kovalainen at Gabord Team of the Nissan V6.Matsuura carried out an IRL rookie test and is likely to compete there in 2004.(Marco Asmer who also had a one-off in V6, tested the F3 Lola-Dome of Coloni)

[flor]

his name is Klien (spoken "clean")

[Russfeld]

Well thats a disappointing line up

[ghinzani]

Klein to Renault is a surprise... still they have tried F3000 and Superfund World Series, so.... oh and Euro F3000!

[flor]

Klien won't go to V6, if he won't get a F1 seat for 04 he'll do a second F3 season but then with ASM

[alonso11]

Originally posted by flor
Klien won't go to V6, if he won't get a F1 seat for 04 he'll do a second F3 season but then with ASM

Yes, he tested the FRV6 car only to get used to braking with the left-foot and controling a string of electronics from the steering-wheel in order to prepare for his test with Jaguar F1.I would choose Prema, but ASM also makes sense, they are the team's champions after all.IMHO it's going to be a bit dangerous for his reputation if he returns to F3 because what is left there for a Malboro Master winner EuroF3 runner-up? He can win Macau and Korea but he doesn't know those tracks so it won't be a piece of cake.He can also win the EuroF3 title to boost his reputation even further but if he finishes lower than 2nd then he can loose from the reputation he already has now.IMHO friday tests for Jag and F3000 (while he is presented in every European Grand Prix anyway) would seem the best option for Klien but he (and Red Bull) knows.

[alonso11]

Bold = Confirmed

Jenzer Motorsport :
Ryan Sharp
James Cressey tested with the team
Fredy Lienhard Jr. raced for the team in 2003

Neel Jani: left the series, will do friday tests for SauberF1 and perhaps race in Nissan V6


Bicar :
Ivan Bellarosa


DAMS :
Guillermo “Memo” Rojas Memo is his middle name and he is the vice-champion of Barber Dodge Pro, he already tested the FRV6 car in Estoril a couple of months ago and now signed with top-team DAMS
James Rossiter tested with the team (likely to join the series)
Mike den Tandt raced for the team in 2003 (likely to return)
Christian Murchison raced for the team in 2003
Adam Langley-Khan raced for the team in 2003

Jose Maria Lopez: left the series, will race in Nissan V6 for Team Gabord


AFC Motorsport :
Andrea Belicchi
Andrea Scafuro raced for the team and 2003 plus already tested with them during the off-season
Toni Vilander promising Formula Renualt driver from Finland, tested with the team and likely to join the series
Matteo Pellegrino tested with the team
Gregory Franchi tested with the team but likely to join the F3 Euroseries and not the FRV6


Victory : new team! after finishing the merger with CRAM they will start the season as an indepandent team
Daimen Pasini tested with the team, raced for CRAM/Victory in 2003, seems to remain with the Victory part of his ex-team
Stefano Proetto tested with the team


CRAM :
Esteban Guerrieri
Pastor Maldonado occasional front-runner of the Italian Formula Renault, tested with the team
Stefano Gattuso Italian F3 midfielder, tested with the team


Guidare Formula :
Davide di Benedetto
Stuart King tested with the team after a serious head injury forced him to stop racing for the last one and a half year, previously he had promising results in British Formula Vauxhall and Renault, according to his website he will either race in the European FRV6 or in the inaugural Fran-Am V6 championship
Claudio Consiglio reigning Italian Formula Ford champion, tested with the team
Valerio Scassellati ex-Euro3000 and International F3000 driver, tested with the team
Matteo Cressoni raced for the team in 2003

Eurointernational :
Giorgio Mondini
Christian Klien tested with the team, unlikely to join the series
Juan Martin Ponte recently 4th in Fran-Am Formula Renault, tested with the team in order to prepare for the Fran-Am V6 winter series but also possible that he will join the European V6 series in 2004


Interwetten : new Austrian team!
Jaap van Lagen


Oreca : possible new team!
Emanuel Clerico tested with the team


RN Motorsport : they havn't confirmed yet wether they continue in the series
Hayanari Shimoda


Signature : they seem to be serious with switching to F3000
Tristian Gommendy tested in F3000, if Signature step up to F3000 he will step up with them
Kousuke Matsuura tested in IRL


RD Motorsport : probably won't return to the series


SRTS : probably won't return to the series


Pilots from last season:

Jamie Melo Jr. ???
Matthew Halliday (I really do hope to see him racing again)
Marco Asmer (tested the Coloni F3 car)
Thed Björk (returned to Swedish Touring Car championship)
Charles Hall (he will probably race in the inaugural Fran-Am V6 series)
Vanina Ickx (her one-off race was probably only just for fun)
Edward Sandström (without SRTS I don't think that he will return)
Can Artam (I guess he will choose between the American and the European V6)
Ralf Dekarski (team-owner and driver who dropped his V6 campaign in the middle of last season)


Pilots from different private FRV6 tests:

Ceasar Campanico (EuroF3)
Marc Benz (former FR Eurocup runner-up)
Zilvinas Oskutis (World Championship karter; 10th in Formula Dodge Regional)
Andrew Ranger (leader of the Fran-Am series)
Chris Green (11th in Barber Dodge Pro)
Mateo Bobbi

[Russfeld]

I wonder why there arent any Brit teams in V6

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by Russfeld
I wonder why there arent any Brit teams in V6

They cant cheat ??

[ghinzani]

I never said that btw

[Russfeld]

I would have also accepted "why bother"

Mr Ghinzani, you control the board

[ghinzani]

Originally posted by Russfeld

Mr Ghinzani, you control the board

Why thankyou, but I dont feel qualified...

I am baseing it on the fact that I have heard (often on here) that cheating is rife in F3, F3000 and World Series but I havent heard any spurious allegations vis-a-vis Renault V6 - yet!

[visordown]

Can anyone tell me how the new Renault the 04 version went compared to the old 03 version. I take it it was running with the new exhaust and carbon brakes !?
I know only that it was quickest, if so by how much ?
Where if any are the times ?

[pv27uk]

Speaking of British teams, I read earlier that David Price Racing are returning to single-seaters next year, running a 2 car Renault V6 team. One car for Hayonari Shimoda, the other undecided.

[alonso11]

Originally posted by Russfeld
I wonder why there arent any Brit teams in V6

Eurotek is likely to join the series

[alonso11]

updates:

-Eurotek to join! (possible merger with EuroNova)
-David Price Racing to join??
-Italian Formula Junior graduate Marco Maneschi linked with team Guidare
-Adam Langley-Khan won't disappoint next year in FRV6 as he signed with Promatecme to race in the scholarship class of British F3

[Russfeld]

Why would Eurotek and EuroNova merge? Ones in Italy, ones in Britain, neither are in V6. Petrov cant have *that* much money.

Eurotek can win the Formula Renault 2000 series if they're smart. Over extending the team a season after they didnt show up for all the races is not the way to do that imo

[alonso11]

Originally posted by Russfeld
Why would Eurotek and EuroNova merge? Ones in Italy, ones in Britain, neither are in V6. Petrov cant have *that* much money.

Eurotek can win the Formula Renault 2000 series if they're smart. Over extending the team a season after they didnt show up for all the races is not the way to do that imo

The team-managers former f1 pilot Vincenzo Sospiri (EuroNova) and Marcus Koch (Eurotek) are negotiating about a merger to take part in the FRV6 series in 2004.EuroNova being Italian is just one of the reasons I think since that would make the logistic more effective... To join the FRV6 makes sense for any 2000cc teams because the V6 cars will race on a national level after 2005 and to prepare for it is an obvious goal don't you think.

Talking about Petrov (who btw finished the Italian series a very dissapointing 19th on the final standings before winning that British Winter Series race in Donington) continues to disappoint in Italy as the qualified 11th (out of 16 competitors) for the first meeting of the Italian Winter Series and finished 7th way off the pace.I don't know how much money he has but talent he doesn't have a lot, I highly doubt that the possible Eurotek-Euronova merger would build upon him. And hey in 2004 he will drive in F1 for Jordan anyway

[Russfeld]

I thought Koch is out replaced by Donnely.

And Renault are stupid if they replace 2000cc with V6. V6 is useless, they should never have dumped the 2litre Eurocup.

[alonso11]

Now that Renault made an almost all-new 2000cc car,I doubt that they will drop the national 2000cc championships, national level V6 will be rather an addition to the already existing national 2000cc series.
I guess we will see 2000cc+V6+Clio weekends.And no V6 is not useless at all, if you've read what the 2000cc drivers are usually say about its handling (it requires a way more precise way of driving that the 2000 cars do) or if you just think about the fact that it involves pit-stop stategies and almost F1 class electronics (the most developed ones among all the feeder series) then you can see the point.

[Russfeld]

Fancy electronics do not an F1 driver make. There isnt a need for V6, either nationally or on a multi country level.

[alonso11]

F1 teams obviously rates it though ... The V6 is barely one year old and already produced two F1 testers: Jani and JML (you can guess they would hardly test for major F1 teams with only 2000cc experience under their belts) plus Matsuura is very likely to join IRL and race for Aguri-Fernandez since he massively impressed Mr. Suzuki in V6.And yes mate to control a string of -absolutely up to date-electronics from the steering wheel and be aware of pit stop strategies is something that I wouldn't call useless in case I would want to join F1.That's also the reason why Klien has tested V6: the electronics and the left- foot braking...he and his not exactly bad management thought that it won't be useless before his upcoming F1 test with Jag... I guess the most successful F3000 team DAMS is here for a reason so are the leading 2000cc teams like Jenzer and CRAM,there is prize money plus the champion also gets a F1 tests,it isn't so bad as your comment would make me think it is.You just bash the series and have no point (or at least you astutely conceal it ) dude,
have you ever seen a V6 race (or read V6 regs) btw?

[Russfeld]

*sigh*

Jani got Sauber attention for what he did in 2litres, Sauber said it himself. JML got it becaues of RDD, no other reason. Matsuura is getting an IRL test/drive because of Aguri Suzuki/Panasonic Japan/Autobacs/Honda. No one rates V6. They can barely get 17 cars, why would you want to split it into multiple series? There is no need for the Super V6 series at all. Maybe when F3000 is back to having 40 cars trying to get 24 or 26 spots, we need V6, but right now its just further diluting the talent

[alonso11]

Yea right,it's rubbish.Peter Sauber actually offered the fisrt shakedown to Jani after the guy shown some dominant form in Barcelona's V6 race.JML's test HAS NOTHING to do with being an RDD driver since it is the prize for winning V6,the fact that he is an RDD driver too is perfectly irrelevant he will test the RenaultF1 car because he is the V6 champion.Mr. Suzuki said himself that Matsuura highly impressed him in V6 (no wonder) and that's why he took him into consideration,please don't talk rubbish to me.By repeating that "there is no need of it" and "it's useless" you hardly do argumenting I know the point of the series and if you don't then try to watch it in the tele or get to know it somehow.The V6 is not the reason why F3000 is in a bad shape.Hopefuly it will be a decent series again in 2005 and that's when the V6 will became national level so national level 2000cc - national level v6 - F2 will be an awesome route to F1.Just for the record Renault will be also involved in the new F2 since they are excellent in making feeder series and the FIA knows it.

[Russfeld]

But there's no need for it. There isnt enough drivers or drivers with money to support additional series. They cant support V6 as it is, why add more championships? And there's no room in the British single seater scene. Its allready getting too spread out with Fords, BMWs, and Renaults now.

Renault's problem is that they *do* think they're the midas touch when it comes to single seater grids. They struck gold with the revamped 2litre format, but they got greedy. Imo the 02 FRS Eurocup was the premier single seater championship in the world for grid size and quality. Its replacement is almost embarassing. Whats the point?