GP2 Testing Times

[strider]

Loic Duval is okay and people keep telling me that Ben Hanley has potential. It's Adam Khan, btw.

[mllevy]

only one car for super nova?

[SALEEN S7R]

Here are the times from the morning and afternoon sessions courtesy of www.autosport.com

Afternoon times:

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Luca Filippi Durango 1:13.630 26
2. Andreas Zuber iSport International 1:13.635 32
3. Jose Maria Lopez BCN Competicion 1:14.206 30
4. Alexandre Negrao Piquet Sports 1:14.313 28
5. Giorgio Pantano Campos Racing 1:14.335 20
6. Jason Tahinci FMS International 1:14.408 32
7. Nicolas Lapierre DAMS 1:14.413 23
8. Andy Soucek Super Nova International 1:14.636 44
9. Javier Villa Racing Engineering 1:14.656 18
10. Antonio Pizzonia FMS International 1:14.691 32
11. Kohei Hirate Trident Racing 1:14.768 27
12. Alvaro Parente iSport International 1:14.833 26
13. Ben Hanley Racing Engineering 1:14.841 26
14. Ricardo Risatti BCN Competicion 1:14.970 33
15. Mike Conway DPR 1:15.002 28
16. Roldan Rodriguez Campos Racing 1:15.005 28
17. Loic Duval Trident Racing 1:15.029 33
18. Christian Bakkerud Arden International 1:15.038 28
19. Vitaly Petrov Super Nova 1:15.294 29
20. Kaziki Nakajima DAMS 1:15.352 24
21. Adam Kahn Arden International 1:16.006 26
22. Tomas Kostka Piquet Sports 1:16.545 12
23. Dominick Muermans Durango 1:16.552 36
24. Michael Patrizi DPR 1:17.197 12

Morning times:

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Luca Filippi Durango 1:14.001 25
2. Javier Villa Racing Engineering 1:14.361 28
3. Andreas Zuber iSport Interational 1:14.411 29
4. Jose Maria Lopez BCN Competicion 1:14.765 17
5. Giorgio Pantano Campos Racing 1:14.777 23
6. Alexandre Negrao Piquet Sports 1:14.861 27
7. Kaziki Nakajima DAMS 1:15.127 33
8. Christian Bakkerud Arden International 1:15.305 38
9. Roldan Rodriguez Campos Racing 1:15.351 28
10. Alvaro Parente iSport Interational 1:15.405 33
11. Nicolas Lapierre DAMS 1:15.407 28
12. Loic Duval Trident Racing 1:15.423 51
13. Mike Conway DPR 1:15.449 40
14. Jason Tahinci FMS International 1:15.472 31
15. Tomas Kostka Piquet Sports 1:15.553 40
16. Ben Hanley Racing Engineering 1:15.604 30
17. Vitaly Petrov Super Nova International 1:15.659 31
18. Ricardo Risatti BCN Competicion 1:15.941 38
19. Antonio Pizzonia FMS International 1:15.963 30
20. Kohei Hirate Trident Racing 1:16.107 25
21. Michael Patrizi DPR 1:16.563 35
22. Adam Kahn Arden International 1:16.575 36
23. Dominick Muermans Durango 1:17.144 35

Nice to see Lopez up towards the top of the times, perhaps 2007 could be his year? He certainly showed flashes of brillance in 2006 and he will be one of the few 3rd season drivers next year if he is indeed in GP2...

[chunterer]

But with BCN? Unlikely....

He only seems to be testing with them so i guess it's his only option, unless Renault still help him out?

And what is Rodriguez douing testing for Campos if he's already signed for Piquet/Minardi???

[hotwheels]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Dear me, that's got to be the most un-inspiring assembly of drivers for a test since the series began??!!

Teams are making some money... Maybe most of the guys applying for a second (or third) year don't need to be tested again, speccially at Paul Ricard.

[Mekola]

Originally Posted by chunterer

And what is Rodriguez douing testing for Campos if he's already signed for Piquet/Minardi???

RodrÃ*guez is driving for Campos in Spanish F3 this year, and has still chances to get the title of that series. Ricardo Risatti (who tested for BCN) is the other candidate.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Mekola

RodrÃ*guez is driving for Campos in Spanish F3 this year, and has still chances to get the title of that series. Ricardo Risatti (who tested for BCN) is the other candidate.

Ah, I see now, thanks for updating us Mekola.

What do you think about Risatti, he's been around for a few years hasn't he? Was he quite highly rated a few years back?

[Sephirot1]

Today, morning times:

Driver Team Time Laps
1 Franck Perera Durango 1:13.595 36
2 Giorgio Pantano Campos Racing 1:13.844 30
3 Luca Filippi Arden International 1:13.851 39
4 Javier Villa Racing Engineering 1:13.856 29
5 Jose Maria Lopez BCN Competicion 1:13.879 29
6 Kohei Hirate Trident Racing 1:13.928 19
7 Antonio Pizzonia Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:14.053 48
8 Kaziki Nakajima DAMS 1:14.086 45
9 Nicolas Lapierre DAMS 1:14.393 43
10 Ricardo Risatti BCN Competicion 1:14.412 29
11 Borja Garcia Isport International 1:14.496 41
12 Alexandre Negrao Piquet Sports 1:14.532 39
13 Tomas Kostka Piquet Sports 1:14.572 39
14 Hiroki Yoshimoto Super Nova International 1:14.596 37
15 Guillaume Moreau Racing Engineering 1:14.606 37
16 Bruno Senna Arden International 1:14.643 38
17 Vitaly Petrov Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:14.728 38
18 Mike Conway DPR 1:14.921 45
19 Christian Bakkerud Isport International 1:15.022 33
20 Paul Di Resta Trident Racing 1:15.403 59
21 Jonny Reid Super Nova International 1:15.433 31
22 Roldan Rodriguez Campos Racing 1:15.855 29
23 Michael Patrizi DPR 1:16.275 38
24 Dominick Muermans Durango 1:16.446 47

[Sephirot1]

And afternoon:

Driver Team Time Laps
1 Luca Filippi Arden International 1:13.827 30
2 Franck Perera Durango 1:13.837 36
3 Bruno Senna Arden International 1:13.871 33
4 Antonio Pizzonia Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:14.132 31
5 Nicolas Lapierre DAMS 1:14.138 25
6 Jose Maria Lopez BCN Competicion 1:14.203 40
7 Borja Garcia Isport International 1:14.275 26
8 Alexandre Negrao Piquet Sports 1:14.276 35
9 Kohei Hirate Trident Racing 1:14.309 35
10 Paul Di Resta Trident Racing 1:14.429 52
11 Javier Villa Racing Engineering 1:14.439 28
12 Kaziki Nakajima DAMS 1:14.466 33
13 Guillaume Moreau Racing Engineering 1:14.687 35
14 Hiroki Yoshimoto Super Nova 1:14.851 29
15 Vitaly Petrov Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:15.063 30
16 Mike Conway DPR 1:15.074 24
17 Ricardo Risatti BCN Competicion 1:15.083 19
18 Roldan Rodriguez Campos Racing 1:15.164 39
19 Dominick Muermans Durango 1:15.420 37
20 Jonny Reid Super Nova International 1:15.458 29
21 Christian Bakkerud Isport International 1:15.770 11
22 Tomas Kostka Piquet Sports 1:16.129 35
23 Michael Patrizi DPR 1:16.682 30

[strider]

Very good effort by Senna - top rookie and 5th overall

[Kidzer]

I hope to god M.Conway doesn't sign with DPR, it wont do his aspirations any good...

Good to see a lot of teams in the top 10, obviously no ART, but it's looking pretty good in terms of team competitiveness, with a fair number capable of challenging for race wins next season.

Echo strider's comments about Senna - except he was 3rd

[strider]

Originally Posted by Kidzer

Echo strider's comments about Senna - except he was 3rd

Er... no, he was 5th overall taking both sessions into account. See below (from autosport.com).

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Perera Durango 1:13.595 72
2. Filippi Arden International 1:13.827 69
3. Pantano Campos Racing 1:13.844 30
4. Villa Racing Engineering 1:13.856 57
5. Senna Arden International 1:13.871 71
6. Lopez BCN Competicion 1:13.879 69
7. Hirate Trident Racing 1:13.928 54
8. Pizzonia FMS International 1:14.053 79
9. Nakajima DAMS 1:14.086 78
10. Lapierre DAMS 1:14.138 68
11. Garcia Isport International 1:14.275 67
12. Negrao Piquet Sports 1:14.276 74
13. Risatti BCN Competicion 1:14.412 48
14. di Resta Trident Racing 1:14.429 111
15. Kostka Piquet Sports 1:14.572 74
16. Yoshimoto Super Nova International 1:14.596 66
17. Moreau Racing Engineering 1:14.606 72
18. Petrov FMS International 1:14.728 68
19. Conway DPR 1:14.921 69
20. Bakkerud Isport International 1:15.022 44
21. Rodriguez Campos Racing 1:15.164 68
22. Muermans Durango 1:15.420 84
23. Reid Super Nova International 1:15.433 60
24. Patrizi DPR 1:16.275 68

[Euphony]

Pantano's car was found underweight and times were taken off.

[Kidzer]

Originally Posted by strider

Er... no, he was 5th overall taking both sessions into account. See below (from autosport.com).

Shhhhh!

[Martin Haven]

Originally Posted by bella

just got the right bank balance, i'd imagine...

CRUEL !! and not entirely true... he is certainly quick - not a word I'd associate with certain names on the list...

[Martin Haven]

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

Nice to see Lopez up towards the top of the times, perhaps 2007 could be his year? He certainly showed flashes of brillance in 2006 and he will be one of the few 3rd season drivers next year if he is indeed in GP2...

The times I was sent from PRHTTC said Juan Maria Lopez... I assumed it was Jose... you never know though!

Not sure concerning how random those flashes are...

Seem to remember that, as the reigning Renault V6 champ, he was dropped into a DAMS FR V6 car for some reason at Oschersleben the following year and binned it in most spectacular style at the first corner.

In BOTH races.

He does display pace on occasion but I have him mentally filed in the "Andrea de Cesaris" drawer.

[bradrive]

Originally Posted by Euphony

Pantano's car was found underweight and times were taken off.

Pantano did 13.47 with the car 1.0kg underweight and did afterwards a run with 13.55 with the car weighted 6.5kg above the weight limit being still overall quickest (see www.italiaracing.net). All times were taken off as per testing rules.
Testing Pantano with Campos proves what everyone always knew: Experienced drivers are needed to go quickly in GP2.

[Frank_White]

Originally Posted by bradrive

...Testing Pantano with Campos proves what everyone always knew: Experienced drivers are needed to go quickly in GP2.

How do you explain hamilton?

[Boro]

or rosberg for that matter.

[bella]

Originally Posted by Martin Haven

CRUEL !! and not entirely true... he is certainly quick - not a word I'd associate with certain names on the list...

no, but it's certainly got to be the case if you're having gp2 tests in the first place!

following on from the last 2 posts, you can't count rosberg because no-one had the experience that year, and i think hamilton's a strange one for various reasons. but i think in general terms, it's correct to say that experience is required to do well.

[Boro]

come on.

rosberg went from f3 to gp2

kovalainen went from WSR (or formerly wsn) to gp2

i'd say the hop from a wsr car to a gp2 car (or guys who went from f3000) to gp2 is certainly a smaller jump from f3 to gp2

so i don't think the statement "no one had the experience" is entirely valid.

[Mekola]

López has interesting times during these days. In addition to his GP2 tests with BCN, got the authorization from Renault to do some demonstration laps on a Williams FW28-Cosworth on the autodrome of Buenos Aires last weekend, before the race of Buenos Aires 200 Kms. of TC2000 series.
Could he be the dark horse next year???

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Mekola

López has interesting times during these days. In addition to his GP2 tests with BCN, got the authorization from Renault to do some demonstration laps on a Williams FW28-Cosworth on the autodrome of Buenos Aires last weekend, before the race of Buenos Aires 200 Kms. of TC2000 series.
Could he be the dark horse next year???

Mate, I seriously rated him a couple of years ago when he won the Renault V6series and then showed raw unharnesses pace in F3000 and I reckoned all it would take would be another year of maturing and we would witness the new Argentine F1 star in the making.

With DAMS in 2005 his starts in GP2 were usually bordering on sensational, making up lots of ground on cold tyres and moving into points contention.

But this year whether it was him or the Super Nova team not completely on it I don't know, but he seemed to go backwards and my opinion of his ability has lessened somewhat.

If he can consistently run at or near the front next year then yes I don't see why he can't challenge for the title, but can a team like BCN provide him with the hardware?

[Alex K]

That's the question I am asking myself. In his thrid season of GP2 Series he should opt for ART Grand Prix, Arden International, ..., not BCN.

In SNIR he had problems with racing set-up of their Dallara, look at his speed in qualifing trim, or common tests.

[flexible-flyer]

experience is good to have, but what you really need is the right car. like any other motorsport. bruni, glock, pantano, kova, piquet, carroll etc didnt win the gp2 title because they never drove for ART. and premat is waste of top team space, thats why he has never won it.