GP2 2006 - Who goes Where?

[chunterer]

I've mentioned Robert Kubica on the WSR silly season thread but i would imagine he'll be seeking a GP2 drive next season and could be a good bet for honours?

Olivier Pla has already resigned for DPR according to Eurosport commentator...i would've thought Olivier would be chasing a drive with one of the regular top teams as a last effort to keep his talent in the shop windows?

Commentator also said that some young Spanish F3 guy would be stepping up to Racing Engineering, is that Javier Villa?

I suppose almost anyone from International F3 series, F1 testing, WSR and even IRL could be thinking GP2 would be a sensible series to enter next year!

Does anyone have any other ideas on who might step up and with whom?

[DanFlag]

Almost certainly Lewis Hamilton will drive GP2, or at least test

[chunterer]

Yeah, i reckon they'll be falling over each other to sign him, there was another thread about a Hamilton-ART link up i think.

I'm also wondering about JM Lopez, in that he had a very inconsitent season in a good team and will Renault/Flavio pick pay for him again next year? I still think he's got the ability but this year was incredibly strong on talent and he was found wanting on a number of occassions...

I'm guessing he's be the most senior junior driver in GP2 though, with Kovalainen moving on. Di Grassi will probably move up to be the 2nd RDD guy and Maldonado will stay in WSR if they keep him?

[DanFlag]

How about Prost, could we see him in GP2 as early as 2006 ?

[chunterer]

I would've thought that a season of WSR 3.5 is on the cards - he tried it out at Estoril last weekend.

I don't know much about his achievements to date though Dan?

[flexible-flyer]

hamilton in ART is title over before turkey.......shame there has to be one team dominating....hopefully the other teams will 'find something' too next year.

pantano looks set for full time IRL and carroll might be a full time BAR driver menaing maybe rossiter getting a super nova drive maybe alongside van der merwe or dirani?

[Go_For_Pole]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Commentator also said that some young Spanish F3 guy would be stepping up to Racing Engineering, is that Javier Villa?

Yeap

[jondownunder]

Some things I've read:

-Gianmaria Bruni looks definite for the new team Trident Racing, which could be run by either Durango, Prema Powerteam or Racing Box according to italiaracing.net

-Teams fighting to be the 13th team allowed in next year are Carlin Motorsport, Epsilon Euskadi, Prema Powerteam and Team Rosberg.

-Clivio Piccione and Hiroki Yoshimoto are due to test for Arden this month; Javier Villa Garcia to test for Racing Engineering; Marco Andretti and Robert Kubica to test for unknown teams.

-Nicolas Lapierre has an option to stay with Arden for 2006.

[Mekola]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I'm also wondering about JM Lopez, in that he had a very inconsitent season in a good team and will Renault/Flavio pick pay for him again next year? I still think he's got the ability but this year was incredibly strong on talent and he was found wanting on a number of occassions...

Good team? DAMS had problems with budget during the year and many times engineers can't help López enough to make his car better, and then, even if they had Kovalainen at the team, they couldn't reach the level of Arden or ART; looking at DAMS performances at both GP2 and World Series teams, I seriously think Pechito did a respectable season with the machinery he had (one win, three podiums), and the last event at Bahrein is a good prove of it when he finished 4th at both races.
But in favour of the French team I admit López received better attention from team principals than he received at Coloni last year. GianmarÃ*a Bruni could agree with that.

What's more, at Argentinian press BCN principal Enrique Scalabroni announced that he want to have a countryman driver in his GP2 team next year. Even he dreamed to pair José MarÃ*a López and Esteban Guerrieri on the cars, but he knows that the relations between these drivers aren't the best.

[Mekola]

More about DAMS: keep in eye the income of Nicolas Prost at their World Series team. A possible another illustre surname in GP2 next year?

[jondownunder]

Some more from italiaracing.net -

-Ferdinando Monfardini and Franck Perera due to test for DAMS (11-12th October).
-Alexandre Premat to be confirmed (?), Fairuz Fauzy and Tomas Kostka to test for ART.
-Lewis Hamilton and Lucas Di Grassi to test for Arden, along with Piccione and Yoshimoto.
-Andreas Zuber and Alvaro Parente to test for iSport.
-Adam Carroll to be confirmed (?), James Rossiter to test for Super Nova.

And didn't I read something about how Piquet's planning to stay with Piquet Sports in 2006 too?

Originally Posted by DanFlag

How about Prost, could we see him in GP2 as early as 2006 ?

It would be good to have his name in the series, but (correct me if I'm wrong) I think he could be another Matthias Lauda, as opposed to a Nico Rosberg/Nelsinho Piquet/Tomas Scheckter/Bruno Senna...

Imagine if Senna and Prost stepped up (which would be way too soon IMO) - then we could have a Piquet, Senna, Prost, Lauda and Andretti in the championship!

[Boro]

and that means little if they all drive like a bag of ****

[chunterer]

Firstly Mekola, i'd forgotten Lopez had won a round (Barca R2)! I think he is fast, but still needs experience - he is particularly good in the opening laps, several times this year he's made up a load of places on laps 1 and 2.

But i really do think whom he drives for depends on Renault keeping him on their books for 2006. But i rate him and his driving style reminds me a little of the late 'Gonzo'

JDU - you're titbits on who will be testing is interesting, Marco Andretti?! i'll be keen to see how he goes as he appears to be pretty good, and i wonder oif Red Bull will pay for Fleming to step 'across' from WSR, or whether they think he's got a serious titlt at the WSR title first?

You mentioned Dirani, but i think he's looking at WSR, along with Carbone..

I had wondered about extra teams being allowed in, all those you mention are worthy or receiving entries, but Carlin is a top team in anything and Epsilon coming in would probably mean we's know Kubica's likely destination?

I confess i'm not that bothered about an influx of more 'famous sons/relatives' only Rosberg and Piquet appear to be anywhere near the abilities of their dad's out of that lot - Bruno Senna, looks quick but is he a future big cheese? i dunno..

Respective thoughts will be appreciated.

Moving on a bit what's the difference in costs of a season of WSR and GP2, WSR's quite reasonable for such a big car and professional series isn't it? so if you can't afford a drive in GP2 then a crack at WSR isn#t a bad alternative?

Will BMW pay for Vettel in GP2 and what about people like Asmer, was it Williams or Bmw who gave him the test last year? I reckon he'd be good a bigger, more powerful car too.

[chunterer]

I think i've also read that Borja Garcia's staying on with RE, sensible to retain him if they want to keep 2 Spainiards in that team when they sign Villa

[mac]

Mario Thiessen has already stated that he expects Vettel to challenge for the F3 Euroseries next season - so GP2 will probably have to wait.

Will Power is actively pursuing a GP2 drive for next year and is looking at doing some testing shortly - Arden International and iSport have been mentioned.

[chunterer]

Difficult to gauge Power's talent isn't it?

On one hand he is really fast but then at other races he pales into insignificance? Paul Stoddart think he's good enough to have offered him a few tests last year.

I would hazard a guess that (in case of his WSR season) that's been down to lack of circuit knowledge? Perhaps a properly funded seat would allow him to flourish.

[jondownunder]

More from italiaracing.net - Luca Filippi and Stefano Gattuso will be testing for Coloni at Paul Ricard, as their prize for winning the F3000 Italia and F3000 Italia Light championships respectively.

[chunterer]

Jon, thanks for filtering news bits through, doesn't Gattuso play for AC Milan?! Crikey we mustn't overlook him when we're talking about all rounders these days, Freddie Flintoff eat your heart out!

I had a peer in a motor sport publication over the weekend and saw something about testing schedules, but not much in the way of anything exciting just yet....

[Kidzer]

Its Gennaro (not sure of spelling) Ivan Gattuso that plays for AC Milan

(I think)

[chunterer]

[jondownunder]

A few more tidbits from italiaracing.net (great site, well worth a daily visit in conjunction with a translator like http://babelfish.altavista.com/ ) -

-DAMS to test Alvaro Parente, James Rossiter, Lucas di Grassi and Giedo van der Garde at Paul Ricard this week (today & tomorrow). Presumably that means di Grassi, Rossiter and Parente won't be testing for the teams mentioned previously, unless they switch teams between the two days. The site says Perera WON'T be testing for DAMS now; I'm not sure if Monfardini will...

-Ernesto Viso will test for Coloni (along with Filippi and Gattuso)

-Robert Kubica will test for Durango

[jondownunder]

Testing times (morning session) from gp2series.com -

Driver Team Best Lap Laps
1 N. Piquet Hitech Piquet Sports 01:17.139 47
2 E. Viso Coloni Motorsport 01:17.175 42
3 O. Pla DPR 01:17.314 32
4 A. Parente DAMS 01:17.610 41
5 A. Zuber iSport International 01:17.643 43
6 H. Yoshimoto DPR 01:17.667 36
7 C. Piccione Arden International 01:17.674 40
8 J. Rossiter DAMS 01:17.829 42
9 T. Kostka ART Grand Prix 01:17.847 26
10 G. Mondini Durango 01:18.029 41
11 M. Ammermuller Arden International 01:18.127 40
12 A. Valles BCN Competicion 01:18.163 37
13 H. Shimoda iSport International 01:18.311 35
14 J. Villa Racing Engineering 01:18.315 54
15 A. Garcia Campos Racing 01:18.437 45
16 A. Negrao Hitech Piquet Sports 01:18.649 42
17 J.M. Lopez ART Grand Prix 01:18.777 27
18 G. Bruni Durango 01:18.817 10
19 L. Filippi Coloni Motorsport 01:18.890 24
20 F. Fauzy Super Nova International 01:19.197 26
21 R. Rodriguez Campos Racing 01:19.290 52

[Mekola]

After Day 1, testing times are these
(from gp2series.com):

1 J. M. Lopez ART Grand Prix 1:16.047 31
2 N. Piquet Hitech Piquet Sports 1:16.616 22
3 A. Zuber iSport International 1:16.899 36
4 R. Kubika Durango 1:16.937 39
5 H. Yoshimoto DPR 1:17.045 42
6 A. Valles BCN Competicion 1:17.066 21
7 N. Lapierre / M. Ammermuller Arden International 1:17.132 40
8 A. Parente DAMS 1:17.211 45
9 O. Pla DPR 1:17.299 37
10 H. Shimoda iSport International 1:17.299 34
11 T. Kostka ART Grand Prix 1:17.358 26
12 J. Rossiter DAMS 1:17.390 35
13 J. Villa Racing Engineering 1:17.473 50
14 A. Negrao Hitech Piquet Sports 1:17.530 28
15 C. Piccione Arden International 1:17.626 19
16 F. Fauzy Super Nova International 1:17.740 26
17 L. Filippi Coloni Motorsport 1:17.752 32
18 G. Mondini Durango 1:17.791 25
19 A. Garcia Campos Racing 1:18.013 44
20 E. Viso Coloni Motorsport 1:18.175 11
21 R. Rodriguez Campos Racing 1:18.432 53

[flexible-flyer]

lopez bossed the second session driving the reason rosberg and premat came 1st and 4th.

why are super nova not testing james? rossiter said he isnt testing at all tomorrow....but fauzy is driving a super nova......? surely sears would rather have james in his car than him...?

[bella]

not if he wasn't paying as much, no...