GP2 Asia Rounds 1&2 Yas Marina

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Turvey, didn't qualy well but he made serious progress in the races. Can't help but think that he would be a cast iron title contender in the right team, although I am hoping he will be a galvanising force at Ocean.

Did he make serious progress? I only saw him going backwards! But I agree, he should be a contender, makes you wonder how and why there can be so much of a difference between an ORT car to an ART or iSport. Because pace-wise, Turvey would surely be in the top 3. He won at Abu Dhabi in only his 3rd GP2 race and had a convincing pole there at the final round of the main series. I bet he is exceptionally frustrated. He was ahead of half of the F1 regulars in the Pirelli testing too.

[kipper]

Originally Posted by runshaw

I bet he is exceptionally frustrated.

I expect he is; however, racing for Ocean is probably a better alternative than sitting on the sidelines particularly if he can haul the team further up the grid.

[chunterer]

Yeah I thought Turvey was up to about 7th from much lower in race one, which wasn't bad going?

Ocean aren't the best but they can't be too bad, didn't Parente do ok with them a couple of years ago?

[kipper]

Originally Posted by chunterer

didn't Parente do ok with them a couple of years ago?

Parente was eight overall in the 2009 GP2 championship with his best results being first in the Spa feature race and second in the sprint race at the Nurburgring. By way of contrast, Karun Chandhok in the sister car was 18th championship with a best result of third in the Silverstone sprint race.

[runshaw]

And Fabio Leimer won the sprint race for ORT during the opening round at Barcelona last year, although strangely he didn't score a single point more in the remainder of the championship! I wasn't meaning the team weren't good, more just surprised at Turvey being where he has been in testing and the first couple of races, because you'd expect him to be at the front looking at previous form, especially at Abu Dhabi where he's always been amongst the top 3. He hasn't become slower overnight. Have to wait and see how he does in Bahrain, maybe its too early anyway to judge anything.

[ivanalesi]

ORT are getting lots of stick, but I think Turvey is capable of delivering wins just like Parente did! I could only watch the 1st race and I have to say the tires lasted too long, I thought they would fade away much faster. I mean if Fabio Leimer had not pitted, he could win it. May be the slower GP2 car can't overwork these Pirellis!? The racing was very much the boring F1 style, I don't remember much side-by-side... Grosjean can overtake and he tried a lot, but he just couldn't pass Bianchi. Hopefully it will be better in Bahrain! Otherwise you can see how the experienced guys are having an advantage, I thought Valsecchi was brilliant to get a podium with a new team.

Originally Posted by jondownunder

I hate it when Eurosport don't show it live. I can appreciate they've got clashing commitments, fine, but how hard can it be to find 45 minutes in the schedule to show the whole race on delay?

Me too I think Europe needs a proper motorsport channel just like Speed TV in the US, but I doubt this will happen since CVC are still to understand how you expand your fanbase.

[runshaw]

ORT aren't getting stick, read the posts, it was merely a comment on Turvey's form compared to the last Asia series where he won at Abu Dhabi and also the main series at the end of 2010, where he got the feature pole. What I mean is, if he was in an ART or iSport car again, I would imagine him to be at least in the top 10, something he didn't even manage this past weekend. I agree, Turvey is capable of taking the team to victories, so lets see, like I said its early yet.

As for overtaking, there was slightly more in the GP2 races than the final round of F1 last year, but it was still quite dull by GP2 standards. It's a bit of a shame that this Asia series again is only running at Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, arguably two of the most boring race tracks in the world. In fact, the Formula 1 races at Bahrain and Abu Dhabi last year were by far the worst, in what was overall a classic season.

[ECW Dan Selby]

A classic season, with very little in overtaking, might I add. People seem to forget that bit (and that's not a criticism - I myself am guilty of it now and then). It was 'sold' to us as a rivetting season (which in many cases, is true), but as far as on track racing goes, it was pretty poor.

I was expecting more from the GP2 as far as overtaking goes, but obviously they are using this new HRT, I mean, chassis I think as far as a modern day single seater/open wheeler goes, it's quite nice. It has to be relevant to F1, whether anyone likes that or not, or it defeats the purpose.

The cars seemed to be able to follow ok - the problem in this case certainly seemed to be more the track. The straights wern't particularly long enough to mount a decent attack, and many of the corners are impossible to overtake on unless someone trips over themselves.

Overall, i'll certainly be watching GP2 again, but I must echo the statements made above in regards to the circuit choice.

Is there any reason for them not visiting a couple of other Asian locations?

Selby

[formula_fan]

The corkscrew part of the track didn't help overtaking. Taking out the longest straight and the most challenging high speed section and putting in a few corners which didn't seem like the easiest to follow through in a single seater. It seemed a strange choice of layout.

[kerrmanningjarv]

I only managed to see the 2nd half of both races 1 and 2 and haven't caught the repeats yet. What happened to Grosjean in race 2? All I know was that he DNF'd, he surely would have been able to move through the field in that race if he was running to the end, as Bianchi did. They were both the class of the field in race 1.

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by ECW Dan Selby

A classic season, with very little in overtaking, might I add. People seem to forget that bit (and that's not a criticism - I myself am guilty of it now and then). It was 'sold' to us as a rivetting season (which in many cases, is true), but as far as on track racing goes, it was pretty poor.

You speak for yourself, nothing was 'sold' to me last year! I'm not quite sure how you consider the racing poor when it had statistically more overtaking than any of the previous 10 years. There was plenty of wheel to wheel battles with big name drivers. But thats not for here.

I would like to know too why it has a much more sparse calender than it used to. It was much better with Sepang and Shanghai on the calender.

kerrmanningjarv- Grosjean was pitched into a spin by Michael Herck at the end of the back straight on lap 1 and stalled. Thats the penalty you get for being quick in race 1 with reverse grids.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

I think Europe needs a proper motorsport channel just like Speed TV in the US, but I doubt this will happen since CVC are still to understand how you expand your fanbase.

There is a substitute, it's called Motors TV

Originally Posted by runshaw

I'm not quite sure how you consider the racing poor when it had statistically more overtaking than any of the previous 10 years. .

If you just look at statistics, it was a great season. But yet again racing was very dull and artificial, and the so-called rise of overtaking was purely caused by the three new teams (and established teams running over them). And I've seen those figures millions of times, so no need to remind me.

I would like to know too why it has a much more sparse calender than it used to. It was much better with Sepang and Shanghai on the calender.

Costs, that's pretty much it. They also failed to get enough Asian drivers around, so the series just stop caring really... now it's pretty much just a separate winter testing platform for the main series, with same teams.

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by Chiana

If you just look at statistics, it was a great season. But yet again racing was very dull and artificial, and the so-called rise of overtaking was purely caused by the three new teams (and established teams running over them). And I've seen those figures millions of times, so no need to remind me.

I wasn't reminding you. The racing was not dull and artificial. And the rise of overtaking wasn't purely caused by the three new teams.

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by runshaw

I wasn't reminding you. The racing was not dull and artificial. And the rise of overtaking wasn't purely caused by the three new teams.

Well... it was a pleasure disagreeing with you then

[skells22]

very easy answer, got spun around and stalled!

[ivanalesi]

Now when F1 drivers are talking how hard it's with all the buttons and so on, a movable rear wing for GP2 wouldn't be too bad!? It'll be cheaper than a whole new upgrade kit to make the racing more entertaining...

[ivanalesi]

Originally Posted by Chiana

There is a substitute, it's called Motors TV

I would love Motors TV to have the same funding, the same level of access as Speed TV does, but currently it's not the case. They're certainly trying hard, but I think it's extra hard in Europe. The racing isn't very fan or media friendly, I mean imagine what would be FOM's or McLaren's reaction if BBC asks them to interview Lewis Hamilton during a SC period?)) In the US they don't have any problem with this.

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

Me too I think Europe needs a proper motorsport channel just like Speed TV in the US, but I doubt this will happen since CVC are still to understand how you expand your fanbase.

The problem with that is that SpeedTV is not a proper motorsport channel outside of the weekends.

[chunterer]

Hey as far as I can remember this level's always suffered from patchy coverage in spite of the significance of it.

I can't see any reason why it will change. We must just get on with trying to get our fix by whatever means possible.

Difference is imo, is that 15-20 years ago plus one could actually get to see the racing live for not a lot of money without worrying about the telly too much.

But this is all a bit off topic for a race weekend thread?

[runshaw]

I was thinking recently that because this championship only comprises 6 races, it isn't out of the question that the guy who wins the title may do so with only 1 race win or possibly none. The top 3 in the feature races will rarely be seen on the podium in the sprint race due to the reverse grid. So for example if Grosjean gets 3 feature podiums and Bianchi has a bad scoring round, its not out of the question that you could get a champion who has simply picked up points. A couple of years back in the FR UK winter series, there was 4 different race winners from 4 races, but the eventual champion was Richard Singleton, who wasn't one of those 4 who won a race. And Marko Asmer was leading the British F3 championship in 2005 at the half way point, despite not winning. Its just a trail of thought anyway, doesn't mean much.