GP2 2011 silly season. - Page 2

medler · 19 Sep 2010, 10:30 (Ref:2761475)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

I just hope the Asia calender is short, this is so unfair to have the new car in both series and basically catapulting the budget to over 2 mln EU!

Why would it change the budget?
it's still the same 2 series. you don't have to do both.

Although I think the Asia series has become a joke, it seems to get shorter every year, an asian series only in the fact that the Middle East is on the Asian Continent. Rumour has it that this year will only be 3 rounds.

Except for a few teams who manage to sign drivers for both series, drivers seem to seat hop more like a big testing session than a race series. And again rumour has it that many teams struggle to fill seats, offer reduced prices or one race deals or Asia and Main Series deals.
And now they've been locked into doing the Asia series for another 3 years if they want to do the main series. Which to me sounds like those who run GP2 thought a lot of teams would drop the Asia series is they got the chance as it was more trouble for them than it was worth.

p-matt · 19 Sep 2010, 11:10 (Ref:2761484)

You do have to do both Asia and Main Series now.

I would be surprised if the teams are struggling to fill the Asia Series this year because it is essentially testing for the new car. If a test has already signed a driver for the Main Series next year, they ought to run the Asia Series to get the maximum amount of time in the car.

And 3 rounds is too few for a championship. I was hoping for 5 or 6 rounds realistically.

I hear that the new teams will be announced tomorrow so hopefully they will also announce a Asia and Main Series calendar too.

medler · 19 Sep 2010, 13:09 (Ref:2761517)

Quote:

Originally Posted by p-matt

You do have to do both Asia and Main Series now.

I would be surprised if the teams are struggling to fill the Asia Series this year because it is essentially testing for the new car. If a test has already signed a driver for the Main Series next year, they ought to run the Asia Series to get the maximum amount of time in the car.

And 3 rounds is too few for a championship. I was hoping for 5 or 6 rounds realistically.

I hear that the new teams will be announced tomorrow so hopefully they will also announce a Asia and Main Series calendar too.

I believe only the teams have to run both series, not the drivers. So a driver doesn't have to find a budget to do both series.
And as all except one team already run both series that hasn't changed.

Okay a driver might be at a disadvantage now if they don't do the Asia series, but I bet many drivers and teams will use it as a test series, with drivers swapping teams between meetings or only doing one race deals.

Especially as there is very little winter testing this year for teams to try different drivers, 6 days in previous years, (Normally Paul Ricard and Jerez) to 2 or 3 days in Abu Dhabi

N.A-D.R · 20 Sep 2010, 03:28 (Ref:2761739)

I think Arden will have Daniel Ricciardo for 2011 as there is no redbull f1 seat open yet, and i assume Charles Pic will also stay onboard unless he moves teams.

ivanalesi · 20 Sep 2010, 11:40 (Ref:2761851)

Medler, GP2 Asia season until now wasn't advantage that one could buy until now. It's like some very expensive form of testing and only few drivers will have the funds to take this advantage.
Also, does anyone have any info about what's going on? Abu Dhabi is getting closer & closer, yet there's nothing confirmed about the teams.

the sniper · 20 Sep 2010, 19:20 (Ref:2762097)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

Abu Dhabi is getting closer & closer, yet there's nothing confirmed about the teams.

I reckon the calender and 2011 teams will be announced just before Abu Dhabi. Don't forget (it's easy to do) that this GP2 season isn't over yet, there are two months yet to go until it's concluded.

I'm hoping that the late arrival of the Asia series calender means that we're going to get something a bit more interesting then last seasons uninspiring Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Bahrain calender... I'd love to see them back at Sentul in Indonesia, that place was fun!

medler · 20 Sep 2010, 19:29 (Ref:2762102)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

Medler, GP2 Asia season until now wasn't advantage that one could buy until now. It's like some very expensive form of testing and only few drivers will have the funds to take this advantage.
Also, does anyone have any info about what's going on? Abu Dhabi is getting closer & closer, yet there's nothing confirmed about the teams.

But as most of the top drivers also did the Asia series and will continue to do so, so nothing much has changed.

medler · 20 Sep 2010, 19:42 (Ref:2762114)

Quote:

Originally Posted by the sniper

I reckon the calender and 2011 teams will be announced just before Abu Dhabi. Don't forget (it's easy to do) that this GP2 season isn't over yet, there are two months yet to go until it's concluded.

But they have promised to deliver the new car before the Abu Dhabi race so the teams can get them built, so they can get to a shakedown test at Paul Ricard in the week after the Abu Dhabi race. They also said that they'd announce the new teams at Monza, So somebody needs to pull their finger out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by the sniper

I'm hoping that the late arrival of the Asia series calender means that we're going to get something a bit more interesting then last seasons uninspiring Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Bahrain calender... I'd love to see them back at Sentul in Indonesia, that place was fun!

The Original Asia series involved air freighting the kit, which cost a fortune and therefore bigger budgets needed for drivers to race in a series that nobody was really interested in.
And Indonesia FUN, yea great fun if you like seeing cars getting destroyed by loose chippings.

Valker · 21 Sep 2010, 14:35 (Ref:2762536)

Teams 2011-13

Arden International NED
ART Grand Prix FRA
Barwa Addax Team ESP
Carlin GBR
Dams FRA
iSport International GBR
Ocean Racing Technology POR
Racing Engineering ESP
Rapax ITA
Scuderia Coloni ITA
Super Nova Racing GBR
Team Air Asia MAS
Trident Racing ITA

Any idea who will run the Air Asia cars? Mofaz?

**bella** · 21 Sep 2010, 14:54 (Ref:2762546)

it's owned by tony fernandes, so perhaps not...

WSR Fan · 21 Sep 2010, 17:08 (Ref:2762615)

The addition of Carlin is an interesting one. They already have teams in British F3, FR3.5 and GP3, so now they are in GP2 will they have to drop one of the other series, or do they have enough resources/funding to operate in all four?

If they do have to drop one program I would have thought it would be the FR3.5 team. It's obviously logical to keep the GP3 team so that their drivers from that series can potentially graduate to the GP2 team, and I'd be incredibly surprised if they disbanded their ultra-successful British F3 outfit.

With the addition of BVM Target to FR3.5 next year the grid will be at the 26 car limit, but there are rumours of Auto GP outfit Team Lazarus wanting to join the series, which would mean one of the current squads having to leave for Lazarus to enter. Could that be a possible opportunity for Carlin to opt out and concentrate on F3, GP3 and GP2?

JohnMiller · 21 Sep 2010, 17:42 (Ref:2762631)

No DPR?

skells22 · 21 Sep 2010, 18:47 (Ref:2762658)

yes, it is bye bye DPR after the last race of GP2 Main this year after checking the results GP2 say bye bye to them. who does that cause a headache to?

**chunterer** · 21 Sep 2010, 20:16 (Ref:2762697)

Will Carlin or any of the existing teams be linking up with F1 outfits after all then?

duke_toaster · 21 Sep 2010, 20:20 (Ref:2762699)

Quote:

Originally Posted by medler

The Original Asia series involved air freighting the kit, which cost a fortune and therefore bigger budgets needed for drivers to race in a series that nobody was really interested in.
And Indonesia FUN, yea great fun if you like seeing cars getting destroyed by loose chippings.

More than just that, weren't drivers told to stay in the car if they got beached because of snakes in the gravel traps?

kipper · 21 Sep 2010, 20:31 (Ref:2762703)

Quote:

Originally Posted by WSR Fan

The addition of Carlin is an interesting one. They already have teams in British F3, FR3.5 and GP3, so now they are in GP2 will they have to drop one of the other series, or do they have enough resources/funding to operate in all four?

With the investment gained from Capsicum last winter, I guess there is the possibility that the team has the capability to run an additional programme. As an aside, it wouldn't therefore surprise me if Max Chilton ended up at Carlin for next year's GP2 championship.

ivanalesi · 21 Sep 2010, 21:33 (Ref:2762741)

And just to add some confusion as there was very little of it, Lotus Cars have just announced a technical partnership with ART in GP2 & GP3

So, we've got Air Asia which is more or less Lotus F1(or whatever they want to be called now) & then ART which is Lotus Cars both competing in GP2.
Recently Lotus Cars hired a lot of Ferrari stuff from all departments, incl. the road cars. Which actually was kind of a protest against someone's policies

That's how they suddenly have technical expertise to help ART.

schitarella · 22 Sep 2010, 03:40 (Ref:2762828)

will Meritus have anything to do with the Air Asia team as everyone thought they had pole position on the new slot (plus they are same country)?

Mekola · 22 Sep 2010, 04:52 (Ref:2762838)

Shame that Meritus didn't get the slot.
But very pleased to see Carlin in GP2.

p-matt · 22 Sep 2010, 06:07 (Ref:2762844)

Bruno Michel has confirmed that the Asia Series will just be three rounds ending with support for the Bahrain GP. I'm guessing that the other two rounds will link up with V8 Supercars in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain respectively.

Jamesy-18 · 22 Sep 2010, 18:28 (Ref:2763169)

The REAL Lotus announces tie up with ART in GP2 and GP3. Gonna be confusing with 4 cars in Lotus liveries (2 Air Asia, 2 actual Lotus) out there.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86859

**chunterer** · 23 Sep 2010, 08:38 (Ref:2763418)

Not sure whether this is simply amusing or ridiculous?

If both teams are actually branded Lotus, they won't both be green.

I suspect Fernandes operation which is set to be called Team Air Asia rather than Lotus will be the same look as the F1 team, but ART will continue with their own livery identity.

Alex K · 23 Sep 2010, 10:11 (Ref:2763444)

Team Air Asia may well use AirAsia.com red livery. I read somewhere, that ART Lotus Grand Prix will use green and yellow historic Lotus livery.

Rf1 Fan · 27 Oct 2010, 08:47 (Ref:2781056)

Pic will race in GP2 asia and GP2 main series for the 2011 season.

**chunterer** · 27 Oct 2010, 08:57 (Ref:2781059)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rf1 Fan

Pic will race in GP2 asia and GP2 main series for the 2011 season.

Still with Arden or another team?

Valtteri Bottas is testing for ART at Abu Dhabi after the final race.

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