2016 Formula 3.5 V8 (formerly Renault!) Silly Season

[10TENTHS]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I think interest will be very strong but let's hope we don't see a ridiculous level of in-season seat changes as someone runs out of money every 2 races!

GP2, GP3 and FR3.5 have had frequent driver changes this season. Often the same drivers rotating between the three. That isn't a good sign for future grid numbers.

[Rf1 Fan]

Originally Posted by 10TENTHS

GP2, GP3 and FR3.5 have had frequent driver changes this season. Often the same drivers rotating between the three. That isn't a good sign for future grid numbers.

well to be honest i struggle to see where the likes of Ocon,Bernstorff,Ceccon,Eriksson might go in 2016 in open wheel.

So yeah with the batshit crazy loads of rookies in f3 that are out of depth for feeder series it does not bode well for gp2/3.5 series.

[jodi]

A lot of people are moving onto sports cars, which does open a lot of spaces up for newcomers, but at the end of the day it seems bank balances is what talks in single seaters. If they have the budget, I'm sure they'll find a seat if they want it.

[Formulahistory]

Fortec: Louis Délétraz, Jack Aitken
Lotus: Alex Fontana, Callan O’Keffee
Strakka: Gustav Malja, Jake Hughes
Arden: Egor Orudzhev, Emil Bernstorff
Carlin: Dean Stoneman, Jake Dennis
Tech-1: Aurélien Panis, George Russell
Pons: Yu Kanamaru , Yarin Stern
AVF: Alfonso Celis jr., Tom Dillmann
Comtec: Mahaveer Raghunathan, Ukyo Sasahara
Spirit: Matthieu Vaxivière, Nikita Zlobin
Teo Martin: Alvaro Parente, Andrew Watson
RP: Vitor Baptista, Domiano Fioviranti

[WSR Fan]

So, from today until Friday there are three days of post-season testing at Motorland Aragon in Spain.

Here's the driver lineup for day one:



Ten Formula Renault 2.0 drivers have been invited to take part in the test by Renault Sport (Delétraz, Aitken, Jorg, Hughes, Vivacqua, Hubert, Wells, Sasahara, Barnicoat and Isaakyan).

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Dillmann's time in the afternoon was nearly 1s faster than Vaxiviere's pole lap!!!! Quite comedic...

[Formulahistory]

That could be the grid:


Fortec: Louis Délétraz, Jack Aitken
Lotus: Alex Fontana, Callan O’Keffee
Strakka: Gustav Malja, Jake Hughes
Arden: Egor Orudzhev, Emil Bernstorff
Carlin: Dean Stoneman, Jake Dennis
Tech-1: Aurélien Panis, Roy Nissany
Pons: Yu Kanamaru, Tatiana Calderón
AVF: Alfonso Celis jr., Tom Dillmann
Comtec: Mahaveer Raghunathan, Ukyo Sasahara
Spirit: Matthieu Vaxivière, Nikita Zlobin
Teo Martin: Alvaro Parente, Andrew Watson
RP: Vitor Baptista, Domiano Fioviranti

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Formulahistory

That could be the grid:
Teo Martin: Alvaro Parente, Andrew Watson

While I like it when drivers move around, and I think Parente is brilliant and Watson has great potential, his career so far has been entirely GTs.
This line-up isn't at all likely.

[tux]

Parente is Mclaren works GT driver. Watson is a Junior Mclaren GT driver. I dont see why they would move to the single seaters with Teo Martin.

[Formulahistory]

Fortec: Louis Délétraz, Jack Aitken
Lotus: Alex Fontana, Kevin Jörg
Strakka: Tio Ellinas, Jake Hughes
Arden: Egor Orudzhev, Jimmy Eriksson
Carlin: Dean Stoneman, Jake Dennis
Tech-1: Aurélien Panis, Roy Nissany
Pons: Yu Kanamaru, Tatiana Calderón
AVF: Alfonso Celis jr., Tom Dillmann
Comtec: Mahaveer Raghunathan, Ukyo Sasahara
Spirit: Nikita Zlobin, Vladimir Atoev
Teo Martin: Alvaro Parente, Andrew Watson
RP: Vitor Baptista, Domiano Fioviranti

[olev]

Dillman confirmed with AVF for 2016

[WSR Fan]

Apparently at the test last week he hinted he might stay on in single-seaters, but I am slightly surprised by this as I thought he would switch full-time to sportscars next year.

He says he feels he has unfinished buisness in single-seaters, which may be true, but he's obviously been brought in to mentor Celis Jr. in the same way that he did for Gelael at Carlin this year.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

There must be something in it for Dillmann. I never followed the title talk last season in the same way I have never seen Tuscher as F1 material - they haven't done enough or shown enough to make me think that.

However, this could be very good for Celis, who's improving as it is. Who knows, give him a few years...

[chunterer]

Simply getting paid and the chance to do other things if they come up?
That's probably as good as it gets for Dillmann at this stage of his career.

[Formulahistory]

Fortec: Louis Delétraz (?) – Jack Aitken (?)
Lotus: Kevin Jörg (?) – Alex Fontana (?)
Strakka: Tio Ellinas (?) – Jake Hughes (?)
Arden: Egor Orudzhev (?) – Jimmy Eriksson (?)
Carlin: Dean Stoneman (?) – Jake Dennis (?)
Tech-1: Aurélien Panis (?) – Roy Nissany (?)
Pons: Yu Kanamaru (?) – Tatiana Calderón (?)
AVF: Alfonso Celis jr. – Tom Dillmann
Comtec: Ukyo Sasahara (?) – Mahaveer Raghunathan (?)
Spirit: Nikita Zlobin (?) – Vladimir Atoev (?)
Teo Martin: Alvaro Parente (?) – Andrew Watson (?)
RP: Vitor Baptista (?) – Domiano Fioviranti (?)

[p-matt]

Mate, Parente is not going to return to a series he won 8 years ago!

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Louis Deletraz confirmed at Fortec. Good driver, good car. Maybe not a title but surely championship top 5 is the aim.

[Go_For_Pole]

Ever since running Frijns Fortec likes Josef & Lars graduates

[WSR Fan]

I think you've got it spot on there about Delétraz Biscuits. He looked pretty consistent in testing and already has the benefit of taking part in a full race weekend this season so he should be right on the pace from the start next season.

Plus, he replied to a tweet from myself a few weeks ago so I speak very highly of him

[WSR Fan]

Looks like Alfonso Celis Jr might have a Force India-liveried AVF car next season:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/121866

[p-matt]

It's probably a bit early, but anyone know about TV rights for 3.5 and Eurocup next year? Hoping BT Sport have it again - both alongside Indycar make a BT Sport sub value for money.

Do we think Eurocup will still act as a feeder series to 3.5 in the next few years after both series race apart? I wonder if we'll see more Euroformula graduates in future years

[Rob29]

Bit soom for TV contracts I guess.I only signed with BT sport to get Indycarrecently found more interesting stuff there. Has anyone noticed British Eurosport has been abolished? Now just Eurosport1 & 2.
I last went to a WSR race in Bilbao 2005.Still waiting for news of what Betskie Visser is doing.

[Formulahistory]

just three drivers confirmed and rumours about Carlin leaving the series:

Fortec: Louis Delétraz – Jack Aitken (?)
Lotus: Alex Fontana (?) – Kevin Jörg (?)
Strakka: Tio Ellinas (?) – Jake Hughes (?)
Arden: Egor Orudzhev (?) – Jimmy Eriksson (?)
Carlin: Dean Stoneman (?) – Jake Dennis (?)
Tech-1: Aurélien Panis (?) – Roy Nissany (?)
Pons: Yu Kanamaru (?) – Tatiana Calderón (?)
AVF: Alfonso Celis jr. – Tom Dillmann
Comtec: Mahaveer Raghunathan (?) – Ukyo Sasahara (?)
Spirit: Nikita Zlobin (?) – Vladimir Atoev (?)
Teo Martin: Alvaro Parente (?) – Andrew Watson (?)
RP: Vitor Baptista (?) – Domiano Fioviranti (?)

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Formulahistory

just three drivers confirmed and rumours about Carlin leaving the series

I don't recall all that many seats being confirmed this time last year for 3.5, or GP2 for that matter. These days people have to work triple hard to find any money so I fully expect a few deals to be announced in Jan and the rest will sort of come at the last minute.

Also a number will try and step up to GP2 and if they can't probably return to the series.

[olev]

Carlin was there this year for Gelael. With Gelael moving to GP2, they're left with no reasons to stay I guess.

There're also rumours that Pons is on sale and that pretty much all their staff moved to Teo Martin.