GP2 Final Rounds Monza - Crunch Time! Race weekend thread

[Go_For_Pole]

Pantano is champion!!!

[Adri_tifosi]

Yes !!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Giorgio , Alfonso and Racing Engineering !!!!!!!!!!!!

[cos]

Originally Posted by Chiefy

I was just about to ask about Pantano's crossing of the white line when coming out of the pits... I seemed to be the only one who saw it (the commentators didn't say a thing) - but he's just been penalised for it, so I guess my question is redundant! All enjoying the race?

Most kept it nicely on track considering the conditions. Re: crossing the white line; if it's such a dangerous move to make, why aren't cars racing down the pit straight penalised for cutting *into* the pit lane exit?

[ivanalesi]

Congratulations to Giorgio, RE and Lucas di Grassi!
Hopefully next year they will find F1 seats

[Adri_tifosi]

Villa excluded from Race 2

[gomick]

Congrats to Giorgio Pantano on his championship win & to Lucas di Grassi on another race win - what now for both these drivers in 09

[chunterer]

Huh, had to log off yesterday and then couldn't get any broadband connection to finish off my 'critique' of the first race!!

Yep ongrats to Pantano and RE though!!

So far race 2 is a bit 'wacky'

All sorts of sillyness, people cutting kerbs, going straight trying to outbrake each other.

Valsecchi went backwards off start but has just retaken lead off fast starting Rodriguez. Grosjean is 3rd and is monstering Roldan.

Senna has been doing his usual miss your braking point antics and then got taken off in a Di Grassi-Conway rubber necker.....

Conway had been flying until that point. Senna rejoined but is in 8th. Gi Grassi given a drive through for his trouble!

Grosjean and not Di Grassi is looking likely to knock Bruno down to 3rd in the final standings now but he needs to win the race!

Grosjean just took Roldan for 2nd but went off and now Maldonado is homing in having been sensible in the early laps just shadowing Di Grassi.

[chunterer]

So Valsecchi wins in style, from Roldan and Grosjean. Maldonado had a go at Romain but missed his braking and that was that, momentum lost.

Senna got the 2nd place done by finishing 8th. He hopes for F1, but for his sake I hope we see him back in GP2 next year, he's still not ready imo.

Pantano just got out of his car at the end of the main straight and went to the crowd, then cool as ice, got back in switched it back on again and drove off. Excellent.

Hey has Valsecchi got any Scandinavian blood in him by any chance?

[Suze]

I enjoyed the race this morning, GP2 is always my "Sunday morning alarm clock." I thought it was supposed to be dry today so interesting to see it's still rather slippy out there, Valsecchi drove so good for him picking up his first win on home soil.

[Chiefy]

Originally Posted by cos

Most kept it nicely on track considering the conditions. Re: crossing the white line; if it's such a dangerous move to make, why aren't cars racing down the pit straight penalised for cutting *into* the pit lane exit?

Good question, and something I've often wondered about.

The track was empty when Giorgio rejoined, so far be it from me to insinuate that it was dangerous of him to cross the line... But rules is rules, and I was only about to ask whether anybody else had seen it because it went unnoticed by commentary and unmentioned by race control for some time.

Good weekend of racing, I thought. Monza's delivered on all fronts for us. I especially enjoyed Pastor Maldonado.

[Go_For_Pole]

There was a replay shown on the tv feed

[OJB]

Great drive by Valsecchi - after all that's happened this year, that is a great way to end the season. Deserved it to - he was the quickest thing out there. With any luck, he'll get snapped up by a top team. Even Rodriguez impressed me!

[gomick]

Congrats to Davide Valsecchi on his maiden GP2 race win

[chunterer]

Yes I agree, Valsecchi's drive was more than just another 'beneficiary of pole from an 8th place in race 1'. Davide actually had to regain the place after he got beaten away at the start. He had to really 'work' the race and make it come back to him. Quite impressive.

Rodriguez did well all weekend and served a good reminder of the guy we started to see last year. Good timing if he wants a decent ride again next year?

Maldonado has surely been the main force of the last few rounds though. I guess he could stay with Piquet as they may just be strong enough to go for the title in '09, or maybe he ends up at I-sport. One way or another he has to be one of the favourites for next year now he's got more 'control' over his undoubted ability. His driving appears more measured, mature but has lost none of his spark or latent racecraft. The silly things he was guilty of last year seem to have been ironed out as well. Wise move for his longer term career.

Grosjean's was solid at Monza too and is clearly going to be most people's pre season favourite? Actually I wonder if he and Pastor can continue their recent burgeoning rivalry into the Asia series?

Big question is over Senna. Will he get to F1? He wants to, but he did say that he'd be happy eough to do GP2 again otherwise? That would be a wise move I think......

D'Ambrosio's got better and better and looks a very decent driver.

Add the ususal F3/WSR front runners into the mix that come up every new season I.E. Van Der Garde, Duran, Carbone, Turvey, Hartley, Hulkenberg, Mortara, Maki etc and we're in for another belter!!!!

[Mekola]

Originally Posted by gomick

Congrats to Giorgio Pantano on his championship win & to Lucas di Grassi on another race win - what now for both these drivers in 09

Should be a kind of agreement that states that the GP2 champion must drive in F1 the following year in order to prestige the immediate step before.
Shame that the "star system as youngest as we can, or making racing family dinasties" and the no allowance of optional 3rd cars on F1 teams, can't help on this matter due to very restrictive sporting rules.

[chunterer]

Back to Di Grassi, there's some suggestion that he will replace Nelsinho at Renault. I'm not sure though, the Piquet name seems to hold some gravitas with the money men even if his driving perhaps isn't!

Di Grassi is maybe paying for what was perhaps an over cautious approach last year leading to a lot of people suggesting he wasn't F1 material. However this this year we've seen more of a racer that he is. He was well combative in Monza to keep Maldonado at bay - top stuff!! Just hope it's not too late for him?

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Di Grassi is maybe paying for what was perhaps an over cautious approach last year leading to a lot of people suggesting he wasn't F1 material. However this this year we've seen more of a racer that he is. He was well combative in Monza to keep Maldonado at bay - top stuff!! Just hope it's not too late for him?

Yeah di Grassi seems to be overlooked as a racer from his performance last year. Although (dare I say it!) i think he was the best this year. He only won once last year en route to becoming vice-champion, but then again, not many drivers finish in the top 3 in the ch'ship two years on the bounce, he really is very good. And even though he is cautious, he is extremely good at overtaking, with many double podium finishes in 2007 and 2008. He is ultra consistent and always at the front.

His racing pedigree up to now is good enough for F1. Macau F3 GP winner (beating Kubica), multiple British and F3 Euroseries winner, vice-champion in SudAm F3, and 4 wins in GP2. From Magny-Cours onwards, he outscored everyone in GP2 and all credit to him with still being in touching distance of Pantano at Monza. He did exactly what he should have done this year with all his experience.