2016 GP2 silly season thread - Page 8

fergus_r · 13 Feb 2016, 16:15 (Ref:3614415)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunterer

So far with one or two exceptions it's not looking like a classic year in store driver wise.

Nothing new there, then.

peebee2 · 13 Feb 2016, 17:08 (Ref:3614423)

Quote:

Originally Posted by skells22

De Jong has joined MP for this years championship

Lol it is his team!

10TENTHS · 13 Feb 2016, 18:24 (Ref:3614441)

Sergey Sirotkin
Nobuharu Matsushita
Alex Lynn
Mitch Evans
Raffaele Marciello
Luca Ghiotto
Oliver Rowland
Antonio Giovinazzi
Pierre Gasly

Are the genuine contenders so far, although I'm probably being generous with that list. Evans is just killing time until a switch to WEC. Gasly hasn't won a race in two years and Marciello's sophomore year was a disappointment. I don't expect Rowland to mount an immediate title challenge given the team he is with.

Rf1 Fan · 13 Feb 2016, 20:46 (Ref:3614464)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunterer

Arguably the strongest line up since the early years?! What exactly do you base that generalisation on matt?!

I do not defend any series, I call things as I see it either comparitively or on the overall quality or quantity of talent.

Other than Vandoorne, 3.5 generally had the better talent at the front of the grids than GP2 in the last few years.

Believe me I'd absolutely love GP2 to get back to its peak potential as for me it was the best series going for a few years, globally. Full stop.

But its quite clear that other than Rowland who is probably an ace in the making (but with limiting budget) and a handful of year 2 guys like Lynn, maybe Sirotkin, the field is going to be full of bloody journeymen which is not what the main feeder to F1 should have to cater for driver wise.

3.5 isn't going to be strong this year either but if it can get a fullish grid that's decent enough for its first year in its new guise.

I think it's really difficult to determine what is a crop for a feeder series as in feeder series history since 1967 only Lewis Hamilton went on to win F1 WDC.

I think that we have a decent bunch of guys for good racing , do we have a potential F1 WDC ?

I don't think so.

Let's enjoy racing rather than taking an outlook on F1 IMHO.

Rf1 Fan · 13 Feb 2016, 20:50 (Ref:3614465)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10TENTHS

Sergey Sirotkin
Nobuharu Matsushita
Alex Lynn
Mitch Evans
Raffaele Marciello
Luca Ghiotto
Oliver Rowland
Antonio Giovinazzi
Pierre Gasly

Are the genuine contenders so far, although I'm probably being generous with that list. Evans is just killing time until a switch to WEC. Gasly hasn't won a race in two years and Marciello's sophomore year was a disappointment. I don't expect Rowland to mount an immediate title challenge given the team he is with.

I would add Arthur Pic who will be driving Rapax car which can be very good on its day + Norman Nato if he can iron out his inconsistancies.

Also i think that picture is not that clear on knowing who is the team to be in.

ART Gp had to face a lot of changes in its staff this winter.
Dams has i think Formula E as a main priority.
Prema must mix up its F3 culture with its new staff.

10TENTHS · 14 Feb 2016, 00:08 (Ref:3614484)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rf1 Fan

I would add Arthur Pic who will be driving Rapax car which can be very good on its day + Norman Nato if he can iron out his inconsistencies.

Pic's wins in FR3.5: 1 from 54 starts (full seasons with DAMS, AV Formula and Tech 1)
GP2: 1 from 43 starts.

He seems to have hit his ceiling. Experience is quite valuable in GP2 though, so we'll see.

**chunterer** · 15 Feb 2016, 19:42 (Ref:3614914)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rf1 Fan

I think it's really difficult to determine what is a crop for a feeder series as in feeder series history since 1967 only Lewis Hamilton went on to win F1 WDC.

I think that we have a decent bunch of guys for good racing , do we have a potential F1 WDC ?

I don't think so.

Let's enjoy racing rather than taking an outlook on F1 IMHO.

There's been loads of aces who have gone to F1 from F2/3000 & the early years of GP2 but hardly any of then ever got the right opportunity in F1. If they had, we would have seen several WDC's from those series I am totally sure about that.

In recent years only half a dozen or so aces have progressed from GP2 but many more average journeymen have. That is not acceptable for a championship of such significance.

Formulahistory · 16 Feb 2016, 17:02 (Ref:3615152)

Malja confirmed at Rapax:

ART: Sergey Sirotkin – Nobuharu Matsushita
Racing Engineering: Jordan King – Norman Nato
DAMS: Alex Lynn – Nicholas Latifi
Campos: Mitch Evans – Sean Gelael
Russian Time: Artem Markelov – Raffaele Marciello
Rapax: Arthur Pic – Gustav Malja
Trident: Luca Ghiotto – Philo Paz Armand
Status: Richie Stanaway (?) – Marlon Stöckinger (?)
Carlin: Dean Stoneman (?) – Jann Mardenborough (?)
MP: Oliver Rowland – Daniël de Jong
Arden: Emil Bernstorff (?) – Jimmy Eriksson (?)
Prema Power: Antonio Giovinazzi – Pierre Gasly

**chunterer** · 17 Feb 2016, 08:47 (Ref:3615392)

Malja confirmed at Rapax.

He is a driver with good potential but I can't help but think Ellinas his teammate last year at Strakka would offer better results. Hope he gets a drive somewhere.

gert · 17 Feb 2016, 17:28 (Ref:3615506)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunterer

Malja confirmed at Rapax.

He is a driver with good potential but I can't help but think Ellinas his teammate last year at Strakka would offer better results. Hope he gets a drive somewhere.

Agreed 100% !

**chunterer** · 18 Feb 2016, 07:56 (Ref:3615650)

I don't think Malja is ready for GP2 either. Another year of 3.5 would be more sensible as he would stand a good chance based on his flashes of form last year.

Oh well money talks. ...

**gomick** · 24 Feb 2016, 06:54 (Ref:3617251)

Is there a calender yet? Website shows nothing...

skells22 · 24 Feb 2016, 15:41 (Ref:3617381)

no race dates announced yet Gomick. but with testing about to start on march 9 i thing GP2 will say the race dates before the cars start testing

old man · 2 Mar 2016, 23:08 (Ref:3619437)

I hear of a GP2 team being bought out, anybody got info?

FeederSeriesFan · 2 Mar 2016, 23:36 (Ref:3619444)

Hilmer ,probably ?

Formulahistory · 3 Mar 2016, 17:25 (Ref:3619585)

who is the buyer=?

Mekola · 3 Mar 2016, 19:40 (Ref:3619619)

ppc ?

Formulahistory · 3 Mar 2016, 20:42 (Ref:3619658)

who is ppc?

**bella** · 4 Mar 2016, 12:17 (Ref:3619866)

gp2 have made public the confirmed calendar for this season, and it's pretty much as expected. it's a shame for the russian fans (yes, they exist) for their race to be dropped in favour of baku.

May 13-15: Barcelona
May 26-28: Monte Carlo
June 17-19: Baku
July 1-3: Red Bull Ring
July 8-10: Silverstone
July 22-24: Hungaroring
July 29-31: Hockenheim
August 26-28: Spa-Francorchamps
September 2-4: Monza
September 31-October 2: Sepang
November 25-27: Yas Marina

meanwhile, since autosport have a drivers confirmed so far list, i've taken the liberty of copying and pasting it below for those of us who can't be doing with question marks. it's not a full grid, but it is a good one.

ART Grand Prix: Sergey Sirotkin, Nobuharu Matsushita
Racing Engineering: Jordan King, Norman Nato
DAMS: Alex Lynn, Nicholas Latifi
Campos: Mitch Evans, Sean Gelael
Russian Time: Raffaele Marciello, Artem Markelov
Rapax: Arthur Pic, Gustav Malja
Trident: Luca Ghiotto, Philo Paz Armand
Status Grand Prix: TBA
Carlin: TBA
MP Motorsport: Oliver Rowland, Daniel de Jong
Arden: TBA
Prema Powerteam: Antonio Giovinazzi, Pierre Gasly

Mekola · 6 Mar 2016, 17:07 (Ref:3620577)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Formulahistory

who is ppc?

Pablo Pérez Companc. But don't matter. He's more interested to buy luxury sportscars for him, like the Pagani Zonda or Huayra than to create a racing team. Alas, PECOM Racing alas has presence in sporstcars from time to time.

Luis, Jorge and Pablo Pérez Companc are from the Pérez Companc family trust, one of the richest of Argentina, and all had raced in sportscars and rallying (Munchi's WRT that was in WRC in 2007-11 was funded by them). Pablo was the only one destined to formula racing, with one F3 Sudam victory in 2005 before his harsh crash at IndyLights in 2007 that skewed him off from active racing in formula cars.

I still moan because the Pérez Compancs, despite their wealth, generally destined their motorsport venues to themselves and never did properly a promotion programme like the Lincoln SportsGroup did in 2001 with JM López, Guerrieri and Altuna in their early formula racing.

Rf1 Fan · 8 Mar 2016, 09:16 (Ref:3621149)

Kirchofer with Carlin.

peebee2 · 8 Mar 2016, 19:19 (Ref:3621284)

Buller at Carlin.

Jeffri at Arden.

Hilmer and Status nothing?

el_cat · 9 Mar 2016, 06:54 (Ref:3621434)

Quote:

Originally Posted by peebee2

Buller at Carlin.

Jeffri at Arden.

Hilmer and Status nothing?

I thought Buller was doing another season of Super Formula?

peebee2 · 9 Mar 2016, 07:09 (Ref:3621438)

Cheap budget talks

Formulahistory · 9 Mar 2016, 10:37 (Ref:3621493)

Quote:

Originally Posted by peebee2

Buller at Carlin.

Jeffri at Arden.

Hilmer and Status nothing?

Thought that Jeffri is confirmed in GP3...

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