2013 GP2 Champion?

[TR Motorsport]

So people, who do we think will clinch the 2013 GP2 Championship?
To refresh your memories as to who can win the crown in Abu Dhabi, here are the contenders...

Fabio Leimer (Racing Engineering; 179 Points)
Sam Bird (Russian Time; 172 Points)
Felipe Nasr (Carlin; 148 Points)

So whats your pick for the 2013 GP2 Title? Would love to have you guy's choices for this, but who do I think will win the title? Sam Bird, the guy has taken 5 wins this season, more than anyone else and has found consistency in recent races, and has experience in GP2 round Abu Dhabi, so he's my choice for the title, who's yours?

[el_cat]

Leimer for me.

Strikes me as the sort of guy who will deliver a measured approach over the weekend. I fully expect Bird to take the big haul of points, with Leimer doing just enough to deliver the title.

[gert]

ditto. Leimer for me.

[Mekola]

Before the season, seeking GP2 TWPC Championship prediction, Calado was the main title favourite for many GP2 followers. Nasr was second voted. Few selected Leimer, Ericsson and Coletti.

Nasr was my choice then. Now I'm not that secure.

[Beryl]

For Nasr to have a realistic shot, he needs to win the feature race and have both Leimer and Bird finish outside the the top 8 in that race. Both events don't look likely, especially the latter.

Think Bird will pip it, though it's hard to choose between the top 2.

[Peat]

If Bird has an 'on' weekend, then he will be unstoppable. The momentum is swinging with him at the moment.

Would like to see Nasr get lucky and steal it though. No disrespect to the other 2, but i regard Nasr as more of a 'star of the future'.

[Formulahistory]

My pre-season predictions were

1. James Calado
2. Stefano Coletti
3. Stéphane Richelmi
4. Marcus Ericsson
5. Fabio Leimer
6. Sam Bird
7. Felipe Nasr
8. Tom Dillmann
9. Johnny Cecotto jr.
10. Jolyon Palmer

I hope Bird will win the title.

But the champion of 2013 will not be in F1 as Valsecchi last year.

[ivanalesi]

I like both Bird & Leimer, but it's toooo late for both of them. So I hope Nasr takes the title and goes to F1.
If my memory serves me well, Leimer won the last GP2 race at this track, so he's clearly the #1 bet for me.

[ace007]

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

I like both Bird & Leimer, but it's toooo late for both of them. So I hope Nasr takes the title and goes to F1.
If my memory serves me well, Leimer won the last GP2 race at this track, so he's clearly the #1 bet for me.

Bird, Bird and Bird. 3 times Bird. And he will be in F1 next year.

[Go_For_Pole]

In the pits watching one assumes

[TR Motorsport]

Originally Posted by ace007

Bird, Bird and Bird. 3 times Bird. And he will be in F1 next year.

Couldn't agree more-
Bird (2013 GP2 Champion + Mercedes academy driver) to Williams Mercedes I think

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by TR Motorsport

Couldn't agree more-
Bird (2013 GP2 Champion + Mercedes academy driver) to Williams Mercedes I think

Not unless Merc offer a discount on engines he won't be!!

[ace007]

Originally Posted by Go_For_Pole

In the pits watching one assumes

Wrong assumption!

[Go_For_Pole]

Seriously what has he done to deserve a F1 drive? He has been racing at this level since forever.

[jondownunder]

It's been done to death in that F1 thread, but I kind of agree. He's a good driver, as worthy as many who've got into F1, but little to suggest in his career that he's got that special something that multiple GP winners and potential champions require. He's been with many top teams and is yet to have a single championship to his name. Like Valsecchi, to me he would be a "got there in the end" sort of GP2 champion, against a weaker field than earlier GP2 seasons. Yes he's as worthy of a place in F1 as guys like Maldonado or Sutil, but there are many other names I'd seek first if I was a team boss selecting a rookie driver on merit alone.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

As somebody who was raving about Nasr since a good F3 debut in 2010, I'd love to see him take the title, but I doubt he will. Neither Bird or Leimer have as much to offer as Kevin Magnussen in FR3.5 (he seems like the perfect package), but I can see Leimer taking the title and getting a good DTM career.

[TR Motorsport]

If Bird is 2013 GP2 Champion or not, I still think he will end up at Williams in 2014 due to his Mercedes connections, its just wether he's a race driver or a test driver. If Massa gets the Williams seat (with Maldonado moving to Lotus with his $$$), then bird will be a Friday morning test driver, if Massa finally retires (and I really think he should) then bird will be in a race seat alongside Bottas.

Sadly I agree with many others that it is just too late for Leimer, despite what his manager says. He is 24 now and just maybe a bit too old for F1 plus the fact he doesn't have any connections with any F1 teams unlike previous GP2 championship contenders/champions (Valsecchi- Lotus, Grosjean- Renault/Lotus, Maldonado- Williams, Hulkenberg- Williams, Glock- Toyota, Hamilton- McLaren, Rosberg- Williams, etc..) maybe the FIA GT championship or DTM has a seat ready for him but I don't think he will go to F1, maybe he would have done a year or two ago, but not now.

And I don' think Leimer will win title, Bird will almost certainly win the title as he has better qualifying form and the momentum with him after a sprint race win in Singapore.

[W.A Trichlorostyrene]

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

If my memory serves me well, Leimer won the last GP2 race at this track, so he's clearly the #1 bet for me.

Leimer has always been fast at Abu Dhabi I belive. I recall of him getting a surprise third row qualifying spot for ORT a few years ago(he was then involved in an incident at the start).

[chunterer]

Leimer isn't a stand out driver, he is a solid journeyman like Valsecchi is and Petrov is. These sorts of drivers shouldn't be winning championships at such a high level which kind of underlines the state of GP2 at the moment and why F1 team bosses are only interested of one of them has a pot of gold and they're desperate for a driver!

Compare them to the calibre of the champions in the first seasons and the problem is clear! The category either needs an overhaul or just replacing.

Rant over.

For the good of the series it needs Bird or Nasr to win it. That equals credibility in my mind.

[el_cat]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Leimer isn't a stand out driver, he is a solid journeyman like Valsecchi is and Petrov is. These sorts of drivers shouldn't be winning championships at such a high level which kind of underlines the state of GP2 at the moment and why F1 team bosses are only interested of one of them has a pot of gold and they're desperate for a driver!

Compare them to the calibre of the champions in the first seasons and the problem is clear! The category either needs an overhaul or just replacing.

Rant over.

For the good of the series it needs Bird or Nasr to win it. That equals credibility in my mind.

Sorry but I cannot agree with this. Both Bird and Leimer started out in GP2 in 2010 - the only reason Leimer has more starts is because Bird spent a year in FR3.5. I don't see how that makes Leimer a journeyman and Bird some kind of megastar in waiting. At least Leimer has a junior championship under his belt.

For some reason I just cannot get on-board with all this Sam Bird hype. Sure he's quick and has had some fantastic drives this year, but I just can't warm to him.

[cds_uk]

Originally Posted by el_cat

For some reason I just cannot get on-board with all this Sam Bird hype. Sure he's quick and has had some fantastic drives this year, but I just can't warm to him.

I feel the same way about Nasr, as far as I can see Palmer has got the better of him the longer the season has gone on and nobody is talking about Jolyon as anything special.

[AS1924]

Originally Posted by el_cat

For some reason I just cannot get on-board with all this Sam Bird hype. Sure he's quick and has had some fantastic drives this year, but I just can't warm to him.

That's why this forum is great and welcomes different opinions! And the fact that Sam doesn't leave you indifferent is also interesting.

I think Sam has always been an exciting driver since his 2005 dominant BMW year in the UK (even if he lost the championship in the last race by being taken out by Oliver Turvey).

Sam has always fought in his career, is plenty of charisma and excites the crowd when he races. He would be a fantastic champion and would carry the GP2 flag very far and very proudly! With all due respect, you can not have another "invisible" Valsecchi (like Leimer is...) - nice guys but do not rock the place - as it will damage GP2 forever.

I am routing for him not only because he is extremely talented but because he is also very exciting to watch and that's what racing needs these days!! Exciting, emotional racing!!! So let's go! Let's go racing!!!!

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by el_cat

Sorry but I cannot agree with this. Both Bird and Leimer started out in GP2 in 2010 - the only reason Leimer has more starts is because Bird spent a year in FR3.5. I don't see how that makes Leimer a journeyman and Bird some kind of megastar in waiting. At least Leimer has a junior championship under his belt.

For some reason I just cannot get on-board with all this Sam Bird hype. Sure he's quick and has had some fantastic drives this year, but I just can't warm to him.

I never said Bird was mega, I don't think that at all, but he is certainly better than Leimer regardless of how many starts they have to their names.

For the last few years there's been a group of 'professional' racing drivers inhabiting the GP2 series mainly because of connections and budgets, but they haven't really done an awful lot other than prevent more rising talent coming to the fore because they have so much experience.

It's not their fault it's just that the budgets and system favours it at present. They are seen as 'safe' are capable of winning the odd race and they bring money to the teams which helps pay the bills.

[p-matt]

Why do people not rate Leimer? He's always been very quick and consistent, and with a bit more luck last year could have taken it to Valsecchi.

[ace007]

I do rate Leimer. He can be very quick. I just do not find him as exiting as Bird on track (and off-track) but Leimer is certainly a proper number.

I will not go down the route to degrade the series and slash 3/4 of the grid and say - contrary to some - that the field is weaker and weaker. If anything, because some guys have accumulated a lot of experience with these cars, it is harder and harder to make a real impression in your first year, even 2nd year (see Nasr who is an overall good driver in my view).

When Rosberg won it, all drivers were rookies in the discipline! With Hamilton, they had max one year of experience behind them. If anything, it became harder and harder to win in the first year - Hence the high standard of Hulkenberg if you ask me.

But GP2 remains a very difficult and extremely competitive series - with some debatable penalties sometimes - and whoever comes above the rest deserves attention.