GP2 Testing Times

[Martin Haven]

Originally Posted by Go_For_Pole

The interesting story is Senna though, it is funny how he is showing well after an up and down year in F3

Wonder if this is another example of drivers just not suiting one category, only to excel in another?

F3 demands such a distinctive, and ultra-narrowly defined style, that it surely can't suit everyone...

Although both Senna A and Schumacher M excelled in F3, as well as everything else... the genius exceptions that prove the rule, perhaps??

[Martin Haven]

Originally Posted by strider

That's what I wondered! Did a quick google and it appears that he's currently leading this year's SudAm F3 Championship. His website's in Portuguese, though, so I had to rely on a google translation.

Razia seems to be popping over to Europe to test different waters, even as he tries to win the SudAm series... looks like the kid's got talent and foresight/good management...

Expect to see more of him in 2007

[Kidzer]

Razia, of F3000 Int'l Masters @ Estoril fame, IIRC?

[Mekola]

Luis Razia and Alberto Valerio comes from the same series...

Unfortunately, SouthAm F3 is, since about 2001, in fact a Brazilian F3. The Argentine part of the series fell down during the late 90s and their sole team that could have fought for something, GF Motorsport (Gabriel Furlán), decided to move to TC2000 Argie touring car series at that time. The other Argie concurrent, Ricardo Risatti, moved to Spanish F3 where is he now with his son, who raced for Campos at todays GP2 testing.

Problem is, that SudAmF3 lost part of their media coverage in late 1990s when entered on a TV contract with ESPN, and now the series is aired in Brazil by ESPN Brasil, but not in Argentina... strangely because ESPN has three channels into cablechanel TV grids in this country. Add to this that Carburando and Campeones, principal motosport media from Argentina, turn their backs to SudAmF3, just giving few lines about this to their websites or magazines.

One more point makes worse the thing: the currency of Argentina and Brazil among their local money and Euros makes so expensive the thing about importing old Dallara F3 chassises from Europe. And if they could do this it would be great, mostly when the series is racing with Dallaras F301 and... ¡394!

That's because Argie drivers prefer to go directly to Europe instead to spend time into the highest formula series on their South-American scheme. Then, now the most Argentinian part in SudamF3 are the Berta engines...

[Martin Haven]

Originally Posted by Kidzer

Razia, of F3000 Int'l Masters @ Estoril fame, IIRC?

There you go... I knew last night I'd commentated on him somewhere recently - darned if I could remember where... and the Port didn't help with recall either...

Wonder where he's going to race next year?

British F3 Like Valerio - who did the Barcelona WSR races as well - or maybe the F3000 masters replacement on the WTCC bill? Euro F3?

Choices, choices

[bella]

valerio definitely did the wsr barcelona races.

thanks for that background information mekola

[Go_For_Pole]

Took a look at the SudAm website, kind of sad to see 10-something entries per race

[hotwheels]

Originally Posted by Sev

I was going by the times in the first session as:

a) Wet racing is meant to be good demonstrator of a drivers performance outside set-up/car speed.
b) As the track was drying, afternoons times could just as well reflect when the drivers ran, not how fast they were.

nice point. It looks more on when they ran than HOW they are able to perform, actually. The real laptime pace was set on Monday, and was 4-5 seconds faster than Tuesday...

[Sephirot1]

1-12-2006: Morning Times.

Driver Team Time Laps
1 Timo Glock iSport International 1:18.541 27
2 Antonio Pizzonia Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:18.793 22
3 Andreas Zuber iSport International 1:18.825 30
4 Nicolas Lapierre Dams 1:18.841 34
5 Javier Villa Racing Engineering 1:18.936 25
6 Giorgio Pantano Campos Racing 1:18.949 27
7 Jose Maria Lopez BCN Competicion 1:19.035 18
8 Xandi Negrao Piquet Sports 1:19.052 34
9 Michael Ammermuller ART Grand Prix 1:19.096 19
10 Mike Conway Super Nova International 1:19.215 22
11 Kazuki Nakajima Dams 1:19.242 37
12 Alvaro Parente Super Nova International 1:19.253 26
13 Kohei Hirate Trident Racing 1:19.258 32
14 Borja Garcia Durango 1:19.293 18
15 Alberto Valerio Durango 1:19.295 29
16 Andy Soucek DPR 1:19.368 24
17 Roldan Rodriguez Piquet Sports 1:19.400 32
18 Sergio Jiminez BCN Competicion 1:19.529 29
19 Adrian Zaugg Arden International 1:19.555 22
20 Bruno Senna Arden International 1:19.598 32
21 Ben Hanley Racing Engineering 1:19.690 30
22 Pastor Maldonado Trident Racing 1:19.905 38
23 Ernesto Viso DPR 1:19.916 16
24 Ricardo Risatti Campos Racing 1:20.044 25
25 Jason Tahinci Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:20.220 30
26 Lucas di Grassi ART Grand Prix 5:48.695 2

[Go_For_Pole]

Poor Hanley and Jimenez. One day RWS, the other GP2, life is tough for them

Pizzonia to be comfirmed at FMSI on Bologna Motor Show or so says italiaracing

[Sephirot1]

And Afternoon times!

Driver Team Time Laps
1 Luca Filippi Arden International 1:18.680 34
2 Nicolas Lapierre Dams 1:18.689 24
3 Borja Garcia Durango 1:18.705 30
4 Andreas Zuber iSport International 1:18.743 40
5 Jose Maria Lopez BCN Competicion 1:18.899 29
6 Giorgio Pantano Campos Racing 1:18.956 32
7 Michael Ammermuller ART Grand Prix 1:19.007 37
8 Lucas di Grassi ART Grand Prix 1:19.011 27
9 Antonio Pizzonia Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:19.055 22
10 Xandi Negrao Piquet Sports 1:19.093 30
11 Andy Soucek DPR 1:19.229 27
12 Timo Glock iSport International 1:19.255 23
13 Kazuki Nakajima Dams 1:19.315 29
14 Ben Hanley Racing Engineering 1:19.371 40
15 Javier Villa Racing Engineering 1:19.417 33
16 Roldan Rodriguez Piquet Sports 1:19.428 27
17 Sergio Jiminez BCN Competicion 1:19.469 41
18 Nico Hulkenberg Super Nova International 1:19.495 45
19 Kohei Hirate Trident Racing 1:19.518 41
20 Ricardo Risatti Campos Racing 1:19.693 31
21 Mike Conway Super Nova International 1:19.925 34
22 Ernesto Viso DPR 1:19.981 25
23 Alberto Valerio Durango 1:20.113 17
24 Jason Tahinci Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:20.232 26
25 Bruno Senna Arden International 1:20.539 23
26 Pastor Maldonado Trident Racing 1:21.450 14
27 Adrian Zaugg Arden International 1:21.572 2

[strider]

Those afternoon times suggest Arden were fastest with Filippi, slowest with Zaugg (although he only did 2 laps) and also ran Senna in a third car! But Filippi didn't run in the morning. I'm confused. Maybe Zaugg was just checking the car out for Filippi.

And I though Conway was going to drive for ART this week, not Super Nova. Maybe tomorrow...

[Go_For_Pole]

Zaugg had a problem with a muscle and Filippi, who was due to test for Arden tomorrow, was called in for the last couple of hours of the test. His first run was with tyres which were in bad shape following a spin by Zaugg but on the second run he used new ones and got a good lap in.

[strider]

Thank you for that explanation. I am much less confused now!

[GoBruno]

And what about bad time for Bruno ? No lap with new tyres ?

[shambles]

Yeah, why was Bruno so compartively slow today, any ideas?

[chunterer]

Yes it's only testing but I have to agree that he's unexpectedly well down?

Maldonado didn't get on very well with Trident Engineers either then??!!

[Sephirot1]

2-12-2006: Morning.

Driver Teams Time Laps
1 Andreas Zuber iSport International 1:18.432 38
2 Timo Glock iSport International 1:18.465 42
3 Antonio Pizzonia Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:18.472 25
4 Kazuki Nakajima Dams 1:18.607 34
5 Roldan Rodriguez Piquet Sports 1:18.621 34
6 Mike Conway ART Grand Prix 1:18.667 31
7 Michael Ammermuller ART Grand Prix 1:18.703 37
8 Borja Garcia BCN Competicion 1:18.717 39
9 Kohei Hirate Trident Racing 1:18.932 29
10 Giorgio Pantano Campos Racing 1:18.947 33
11 Nicolas Lapierre Dams 1:19.004 27
12 Bruno Senna Arden International 1:19.089 32
13 Pastor Maldonado Trident Racing 1:19.109 37
14 Adrian Zaugg Arden International 1:19.124 27
15 Jose Maria Lopez BCN Competicion 1:19.167 24
16 Xandi Negrao Piquet Sports 1:19.186 38
17 Nico Hulkenberg Super Nova International 1:19.295 44
18 Ricardo Risatti Campos Racing 1:19.380 38
19 Ernesto Viso DPR 1:19.424 26
20 Alvaro Parente Racing Engineering 1:19.459 38
21 Luiz Razia Racing Engineering 1:19.489 46
22 Jason Tahinci Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:19.523 30
23 Alberto Valerio Durango 1:19.602 34
24 Clivio Piccione Durango 1:19.629 29
25 Luca Filippi Arden International 1:19.682 17
26 Christian Bakkerud DPR 1:21.152 40
27 Sam Bird Super Nova International 1:21.592 38


Maldonado did better today.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Sephirot1

2-12-2006: Morning.

Driver Teams Time Laps
1 Andreas Zuber iSport International 1:18.432 38

13 Pastor Maldonado Trident Racing 1:19.109 37

27 Sam Bird Super Nova International 1:21.592 38

Maldonado did better today.

A bit....

So did Senna arguably.

[Sev]

Wow, looks like iSport is really going to be the team to beat last year. They're the first team to consitently top the tables in testing so far.

I'm surprised about ART. They clearly have the best setup's of any team with this years cars, and the drivers they're using aren't exactly bad Maybe they're just seeing how drivers do with bad setup's...

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Sev

I'm surprised about ART. They clearly have the best setup's of any team with this years cars, and the drivers they're using aren't exactly bad Maybe they're just seeing how drivers do with bad setup's...

Well there's no much in it at the top of the times so I wouldn't go that far.

Glock is a potential ace and ought to be up there.

It really is difficult unless an anonymous team person comes on here, to determine who is running what and how if you see what I mean!

For example both Pizzonia for FMS and Nakajima have featured in the top 3-6 in all the tests so far.

However can we really expect DAMS to return to the top of the tree where they ought to be and quick as he appears to be so far, is Nakajima a driver who can help them do it?

Conway and Ammermuller were pretty close too!

[strider]

It's a strange test in some ways. Drivers jumping from one team to another over the two days. But it's the last one this year, so we should get news about who's signed for whom over the next few days and weeks.

[GoBruno]

Afternoon results :

Driver Team Time Laps
1 Mike Conway ART Grand Prix 1:18.737 32
2 Clivio Piccione Durango 1:18.828 32
3 Bruno Senna Arden International 1:18.836 43
4 Luca Filippi Arden International 1:18.861 22
5 Javier Villa Racing Engineering 1:18.888 36
6 Roldan Rodriguez Piquet Sports 1:19.019 34
7 Borja Garcia BCN Competicion 1:19.140 34
8 Giorgio Pantano Campos Racing 1:19.144 33
9 Timo Glock iSport International 1:19.160 22
10 Antonio Pizzonia Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:19.185 38
11 Alberto Valerio Durango 1:19.221 37
12 Nicolas Lapierre Dams 1:19.268 23
13 Jose Maria Lopez BCN Competicion 1:19.302 31
14 Michael Ammermuller ART Grand Prix 1:19.404 31
15.Kohei Hirate Trident Racing 1:19.434 26
16 Kazuki Nakajima Dams 1:19.526 31
17 Alvaro Parente Super Nova International 1:19.615 40
18 Ernesto Viso DPR 1:19.629 22
19 Luiz Razia Racing Engineering 1:19.633 39
20 Xandi Negrao Piquet Sports 1:19.889 35
21 Pastor Maldonado Trident Racing 1:19.943 35
22 Jason Tahinci Petrol Ofisi FMS International 1:20.147 22
23 Andreas Zuber iSport International 1:20.239 19
24 Ricardo Risatti Campos Racing 1:20.389 24
25 Christian Bakkerud DPR 1:20.721 29
26 Adrian Zaugg Arden International 1:20.828 13
27 Sam Bird Super Nova International 1:21.170 21


It's difficult to know who was interested by a quick time or long relay ? who uses new tyres with low carburant ???

But one thing is sure : like each other tests in GP2, Bruno up well in the hierarchy with time. More and more competitif after he observe track and configuration.

It's remember a famous driver that often "scotch" everybody on the track in the five last minutes

[hotwheels]

Originally Posted by GoBruno

It's difficult to know who was interested by a quick time or long relay ? who uses new tyres with low carburant ???

But one thing is sure : like each other tests in GP2, Bruno up well in the hierarchy with time. More and more competitif after he observe track and configuration.

It's remember a famous driver that often "scotch" everybody on the track in the five last minutes

Ok, very good performance from Senna so far, but now is almost a veteran in GP2 field... he bought all testing dates available!!! I think the same for Conway. He's fast, but he's not a debutant anymore...

[hotwheels]

Who will get the second ARt seat after today?