2012 GP2 Silly Season - Page 14

kotkot · 24 Feb 2012, 06:39 (Ref:3030211)

Racing Engineering used to choose drivers with at least one year experience... But from 2011... Grosjean, Pic in F1, Filippi in Indycar, Vietoris in DTM, Van Der Garde and Razia probably with Caterham, Bianchi is FR3.5, Valsecchi, Ericsson, Gutiérrez, Leimer, Král have already a seat.
So Bird and Clos have remained, and Clos is Spanish, so maybe he can be chosen.

Btw what about Rapax? This year is conjugate (2012) so they should be successful.

p-matt · 24 Feb 2012, 12:34 (Ref:3030349)

Bird has gone to FR 3.5. I doubt Clos will stay at RE. Probably more likely for Rapax

jms380 · 24 Feb 2012, 14:17 (Ref:3030402)

Haryanto to Carlin. Anyone know the details of the Marussia link up?

Peralta · 25 Feb 2012, 05:34 (Ref:3030738)

Razia signed a week ago with Arden.

p-matt · 25 Feb 2012, 11:51 (Ref:3030846)

van der Garde now confirmed at Caterham. I really don't want another driver who has been in the series four years to win the title. I don't even particularly rate him either.

**chunterer** · 25 Feb 2012, 19:50 (Ref:3030996)

Quote:

Originally Posted by p-matt

van der Garde now confirmed at Caterham. I really don't want another driver who has been in the series four years to win the title. I don't even particularly rate him either.

I thought he was dead good in the years leading upto his FR3.5 title but he's achieved 2 parts of naff all since then. Not sure what's gone wrong for him, wrong teams at wrong times?

I would suggest that in Perez he had a seriously strong teammate who put him in the shade but other than that, who?

kotkot · 25 Feb 2012, 20:14 (Ref:3031018)

He had three good seasons, right, and he claimed he would leave GP2 after 2011, and seek to get an F1 seat... Well, he was able to stay close to F1... I think he didn't want to return to GP2, but he is the reserve driver of Caterham, and there is a Caterham Team in GP2... The reserve driver job is fairly good, but it's a false hope, because Rossi will replace the Caterham drivers in case there is some problem. I guess.

cappra250 · 25 Feb 2012, 21:40 (Ref:3031068)

Van der Garde is very fast most of the times. He just needs more consistency and will be a title contender.

Go_For_Pole · 25 Feb 2012, 23:27 (Ref:3031141)

He also needed to stay away from Bianchi who destroyed his races so often in 2011

Peralta · 26 Feb 2012, 01:43 (Ref:3031204)

Most everyone thought van de garde was going to with the title back in 2010 with Addax but Perez was quicker younger and more handsome and that did his head in. He hadn't been the same since. Same thing happened to Mortara the previous year. The same thing will happen to Kobayashi. Watch.

**chunterer** · 26 Feb 2012, 10:46 (Ref:3031390)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peralta

Most everyone thought van de garde was going to with the title back in 2010 with Addax but Perez was quicker younger and more handsome and that did his head in. He hadn't been the same since. Same thing happened to Mortara the previous year. The same thing will happen to Kobayashi. Watch.

Well i'm not sure how many thought vdg would win it in 2010, I certainly didn't, not with Checo in same team, someone he would have to beat before he even thought about the title imo.

I think the latter part of you post is already well in progress

p-matt · 26 Feb 2012, 11:24 (Ref:3031413)

So what seats are left to fill?

Racing Engineering - Berthon perhaps? Gonzalez and Svendson-Cook also tested for them in October.
Caterham - No idea. Teixeria, Buurman, da Costa and Gonazalez all tested for them last year. I have a horrible feeling it will be Teixeira given the links to the F1 team
Lazarus - Would most likely be someone Venezeulan but they've already confirmed that it won't be Gonzalez
Rapax - 2 seats up for grabs. They have already said they want 2 experienced drivers. Clos is likely given he did the GP2 Final with them. Varhaug and Marinescu have both tested / driven for them recently.
Arden - Razia not yet confirmed but is looking very likely
ORT - Felix da Costa has been linked to Ocean for ages. Maybe Brendon Hartley might get a full season?

kotkot · 26 Feb 2012, 13:12 (Ref:3031441)

I think Berthon was really aggressive last year in Abu Dhabi, and he'd deserve a chance... In the FR3.5 he wouldn't have a chance anyway.

ivanalesi · 26 Feb 2012, 14:10 (Ref:3031456)

Caterham is full according to Nino Judge since Nov last year.

@ninojudge Seats all gone since Nov last year Jon. announcement Monday pm. Call me anyway RT @Lancester4F1

So Razia & Rossi!? Their line up from the finals? Van der Garde did say that it was going to be his last season.
Also Svendsen-Cook has lost his backer, he said it in Autosport, while Varhaug is close to finding the budget.
I'd be surprised if Marinescu finds the budget, he lost the backing of their petrol company some seasons ago, so it's a tall order. Da Costa also tested for Carlin in GP3 and it seems like Herck has stopped after Monza, but I think we can be surprised by the Venezuelan driver! That's for sure

p-matt · 26 Feb 2012, 15:43 (Ref:3031481)

Is Razia still linked with Caterham? Rossi is already confirmed at Arden in FR 3.5.

Tom Dillman is testing for Ocean in Jerez this week, so he's likely to end up there.

Peralta · 26 Feb 2012, 18:44 (Ref:3031546)

Razia signed with Arden last week!!!done

p-matt · 27 Feb 2012, 15:28 (Ref:3031955)

Gonzalez at Caterham. Better than Teixeira!!

**bella** · 27 Feb 2012, 15:36 (Ref:3031959)

only just.

Go_For_Pole · 27 Feb 2012, 22:33 (Ref:3032149)

Bruno Michel thinks all is well with his 2 million series and that it's not his fault that talent moves over to Renault WS

With leadership like this there is no future for GP2

**chunterer** · 28 Feb 2012, 10:36 (Ref:3032355)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Go_For_Pole

Bruno Michel thinks all is well with his 2 million series and that it's not his fault that talent moves over to Renault WS

With leadership like this there is no future for GP2

Hahahahahahah!!!

If he thinks all is well i'd love it for him to tell us what he thinks actually isn't well!!

Mr Pink · 28 Feb 2012, 17:07 (Ref:3032526)

Testing has begun! Valsecchi fastest in the morning and Ericsson in the afternoon.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97720

kotkot · 28 Feb 2012, 17:50 (Ref:3032546)

+Gutierrez and Calado were constantly fast.

Not bad yet, but I hope Ghirelli and De Jong will not have a seat...

jondownunder · 28 Feb 2012, 23:09 (Ref:3032698)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunterer

Hahahahahahah!!!

If he thinks all is well i'd love it for him to tell us what he thinks actually isn't well!!

Perhaps he should be up for Midweek Motorsport's "Delusional Fantasist of the Week".

**chunterer** · 29 Feb 2012, 11:40 (Ref:3032959)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jondownunder

Perhaps he should be up for Midweek Motorsport's "Delusional Fantasist of the Week".

Good point indeed!

My hope is that we have a classic season's racing, regardless of the dearth in actual driver quality, which will remind anyone who cares to notice what made the series soooo damn good when it started in 2005.

I guess the current cars don't permit that, so it's maybe the organisers own that GP2 is where it is in addition to the extreme cost obviously.

Can anyone see any changes in either of these things?

Hawkwood · 6 Mar 2012, 15:08 (Ref:3036017)

Autosport confirms Jon Lancaster in at Ocean:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97875

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