GP2 2006 - Who goes Where?

[EuroF3]

Originally Posted by Russfeld

I dont see how its fair? Otherwise the Campos F3 drivers should be getting runs in the test car. If you want test, pony up with a team like any other driver.

I think the problem is that he doest have the money of every other driver testing at the momont. Hes always struggles for money every year and it good to see the lad getting a chance.

[Jackman]

Direxiv have yet another driver looking to be in GP2 - the 20 year old Monaco born German Maro Engel will be testing this week at DPR next to Olivier Pla. They might as well sponsor the series and be done with it at this rate.

[Russfeld]

Felix Porteiro out with Campos

[chunterer]

Porteiro's useful, so is Valles, Garcia's ok.

So who's the quickest guy from Spain outside of F1 at the moment?

There's a good chance one of them could be in the title race next year?

Personally i think Valles has improved this year, but i confess i don't know about him?

Can a World Series front runner then become a true front runner in GP2?

[Alfonso de Orleans]

Yes, look at Kovalainen. But in the end he was beaten by a Euro F3 driver to the GP2 title. Wonder what the GP2 championship would have been like with the Euro F3 winner.

[Russfeld]

With drivers having a year's worth of experience, 2006 GP2 will be very very tough for a rookie.

[DanFlag]

Originally Posted by Russfeld

With drivers having a year's worth of experience, 2006 GP2 will be very very tough for a rookie.

Good point, I forgot about that

Lapierre for 2006 GP2 champion?
Speed if he comes back
Piquet ?
Carroll ?
Premat ?

[kipper]

Originally Posted by DanFlag

Good point, I forgot about that

Lapierre for 2006 GP2 champion?
Speed if he comes back
Piquet ?
Carroll ?
Premat ?

I think it is more likely that Scott Speed will be driving for Toro Rosso next year. I think there is the possibilty that Adam Carroll will be in the third BAR next year, especially if Davidson gets an Aguri seat. My money at this stage would be on Premat or Piquet

[DanFlag]

Will viso finally be back on top regularly?
Neel Jani?
Lopez?


Pantano = IRL ?
Kovalainen = a 3rd seat in F1

[kipper]

I reckon Kovaleinen will be the third Renault driver given that Montagny has been relieved of his duties, Jani will be the third Red Bull driver. I hope that Pantano can keep his IRL Ganassi seat on a regular basis

[Russfeld]

Viso needs to get to the top to be back on top...

[Jackman]

The guys most likely to come back for a year are:

Lapierre (Arden)
Piquet (Piquet)
Carroll (Super Nova)
Pla (DPR)
Premat
Viso
Yoshimoto
Piccione
Garcia
Lopez
Negrao (Piquet)
Bruni (Durango)
Artam
Fauzy

I'd put Piquet and Carroll as favourites of those already signed, mainly because Lapierre didn't actually get a win this year despite running with Arden. Premat could be strong but it depends who he drives for, while Yoshimoto is likely to be a dark horse if he gets a decent ride.

Having a year's knowledge in GP2 will be like gold dust - it's going to be really hard for someone to come into the series and perform strongly unless they've already got experience at that level or above. Hamilton should be strong, but I suspect GP2 is going to become a two year programme, just as Formula 3000 was.

[flexible-flyer]

whoever is driving for ART will have to be title favorite. if premat can beat carroll, piquet, pantano etc driving ART and rosberg beat everyone, then lewis hamilton driving for that team can walk into bruno michaels office tomorrow and ask him for that title trophy on the basis of of the laws of probability.....

premat is a big talent as is rosberg but ART are the guys that impressed most.

premat however may be show up for another season so he has got to be a favorite if so. ive seen lopez testing for them. he too will be a contender. in 2005, carroll and piquet had no problem leaving premat in the dust on the rare occasions when their cars were working so they should be up there if they are back.

we know piquet will be back and providing carroll isnt given an f1 ride or chucked into the IRL ryan briscoe style then carroll should be another gp2 vet on the grid next year. watch out for viso too. i was surprised he didnt do that well last year but he started performing at the end of the year. lapierre also. i had him down to cause heikki some problems but apart from taking pole at the start of the year he was awful frankly. but being A1's poster boy has got to lift him up for 2006. and what about rossiter? aint no way he will be given f1 3rd driver next year, especially after his laughable f3euroseries season. ******** to that grandprix.com. but we all know 2005 wasnt james rossiters fault. put him in gp2 and he wil perform.

[Nutty Racer]

Is there any news on which drivers may end up at ART? Lopez, Kostka and Perera featured in the October tests. Crash.net reports that Zuber and Parente are due to test this week. How many more out of season tests are there?

[Jackman]

There's a test today and tomorrow in Jerez, and December 1-2 in Ricard. It seems that ART are doing what Arden always used to do, and are using testing as a profit centre.

Garcia @ BCN fastest this morning, from Filippi @ Coloni.

[Kicking-back]

Lewis Hamilton says it is "very likely" he'll drive for ART next season

[Nutty Racer]

Then why isn't Lewis testing for ART? He's got a tall order to beat last year's returnees and could surely use the seat time to make him GP2 competitive from day one.

I can see that ART etc get ££ from other drivers testing with no intent of a race drive; but for the driver surely the ££ could be more wisely spent if they are looking for a seat elsewhere.

[Kicking-back]

Lewis will be testing tomorrow, as it happens

[flexible-flyer]

can we now consider it unlikely that carroll will be back now that he has been dormant since bahrain while the likes of rossiter, fauzy etc etc have been out in the super novas? or is he doing the usual and not bothering with testing?!?!

cant wait to see what lewis can do with the white car.

[Jackman]

Carroll will almost certainly be back with Super Nova next year - the only thing that will stop him being there is a BAR third drive. Super Nova make money by testing other drivers (Rossiter and Jouanny this week), and Carroll saves money by not testing, which explains his absence.

[chunterer]

Why is it so certain that Carroll woill drive again for David Sears? is it because he's helping him with the money issue (or lack of it)?

in response to Flexible Flyer, bit harsh on poor Lapierre as he had a ridiculous amount of misfortune both in terms of reliability and getting caught up in other people's accidents (ie, Nurburgring 'pile driver' at turn one!) when he was actually running for any length of time in a race he looked pretty decent to me, and you're right the A1 performances are clearyl illustrating how good he really is (or are ART running the French car and not DAMS as originally thought?!!!)

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Why is it so certain that Carroll woill drive again for David Sears?

Because Sears said so months ago.

[chunterer]

Cheers, KB, sorry i'd missed that one!

[flexible-flyer]

i think ART are doing the brazil team in A1.....and i meant no disrespect to nicolas, or indeed rossiter by saying they were awful in 2005......they just had awful seasons....

and sears said carroll will only be back if he doesnt get an f1 role........but if he isnt getting an f1 drive then he is once again being disadvantaged by missing tests. last year he missed alot of testing but i guess talent shines through no matter what......

[Jackman]

What missed tests are you talking about? GP2 didn't have much testing, and he did a reasonable amount for BAR.