Drivers @ F3000 Prost Junior Team

[DanFlag]

Rumor goes that Zsolt Baumgartner is to replace Nicolas Filiberti at F3000 PROST JUNIOR TEAM.

Rumor goes that Gabrielle Varano is out for the reat of the season with F3000 PROST JUNIOR TEAM, and that there is still no replacement for him.

More details ASAP @
http://www.f3000.com/

[James Bond]

Never heard of this Baumgartner. Do not see why he would be better then Varano or worse. Most be for the money then. But there is another rumour, Marc Goossens might be back in the Astromega car very soon. Astromega is one of the few or even only team that didn't score points till now. And they have star-driver Pantano. something to watchout for in Germany.

[DanFlag]

Welcome aboard James Bond, and thax for the tip about Goossens

[Happy Hippo]

Well, according to Crash.net it's confirmed that Zsolt Baumgartner replaces Nicolas Filiberti @ prost Jnr.
He will both compete in German F3 and Formula 3000.
A guy with a lot of free time on his hands.

[The Fan]

What did Baumgartner do this year. Is he quick?

[formula-3000net]

Originally posted by The Fan
What did Baumgartner do this year. Is he quick?

There's a profile of Baumgartner and news about his move to Prost at www.formula-3000.net - click on NEWS when you get there.

[FantomFrank]

Since I speak Hungarian and regularly watch Hungarian TV, I know a thing or two about Zsolt Baumgartner. He began in karts, then raced in French Formula Renault. He has been in German F3 since last season. I don't know if he will be quick enough for F3000 but very smart and has a deep insight into racing. He hired a 1991 AGS F1 car a couple of years ago and beat Tarquini's qualifying time for the 1991 French GP. Not that it means anything, does it?

Frank

[DanFlag]

Welcome aboard Frank, it's good to have someone like you to contribute as you just did, it helps!

[DanFlag]

Yesterday morning, F3000.com was the first to announced there was a rumor about Gabriele Varano being out of a seat F3000 PROST JUNIOR TEAM, and also about Zsolt Baumgartner replacing Nicolas Filiberti, sadly, both rumors have now been confirmed.

Cochet gets drive as all change at Prost Junior French team goes for 'out with the old and in with the new' (source: http://www.autosport.com)

[FEUsmart]

According to Autosport, Varano is tipped to replace ship-jumping Kiesa at RC Benetton in Brit F3!

[FantomFrank]

Well, Cochet has already tested the Prost F1 car, it had to happen sooner or later?

[Speedworx]

Prost F3000 team: Varano out, Cochet in

Prost F3 team: Kiesa out, Varano in?

[NetTom]

Well, I'am a hungarian. I heard about Baumgartner's entering to F3000.
I think it happened too early in his carrier. He is a very good driver but hasn't got enough experience to this class. Maybe in 2003-4 he could show more potentiat, or maybe I'm wrong and he will be a surprise (than i will be a happy man). So only time will tell this and i think we should give him a chance...

Bye and Greetings to All from Hungary.

[FantomFrank]

Yes, indeed, there are drivers who step up too early and then disappear (like Takagi or Tuero for example). But there are other thing we have to consider too:
1. Being 8th in German F3, Zsolt would have had very little chance of getting a F3000 drive in the future, we have to be honest on that one.
2. There are drivers who are better in higher categories than in lower ones - very rare indeed but it can happen (Wendlinger and Frentzen were both faster than MS in German F3, for example)

Of course, now we know Zsolt finished last-but-one in the race after an early spin but at least he collected some experience and I think that is what his first (half) season will be about. I really dont see the point in keeping on doing German F3 though. What do you think?

[NetTom]

I think if it won't hurt his performance in either championship it is good to do it paralell, he get more experience (almost same cars) and strenghten his mental and phisical fitness. That is my opinion...
And I heard that Prost is expecting to finish the races in this season, from him, and he did it for now.

[Deba]

Zsolt Baumgartner can't be that bad. He had to do a very extensive test before switching to the team. He was invited to a one or two day test session where he proved he was able to drive the car quite well. After just a couple of laps he was just 0.5 seconds off to Sarazzin's lap times (just consider how amazing it could be to switch from 210-220 hp (F3) to 500 hp(F3000)). During the test the mechanics generated all sorts of problems to the car (balance, tyres, wings, etc.), and he had to tell what he'd felt during testing and what he'd thought caused these problems. All the results were sent to Alain Prost, and when he saw these results he said it was all right, so they gave them a seat. They told him that in the first year he has to do nothing more just finishing races, the improvements will come race by race. We'll see.

[nekrofil]

hi! i'm from hungary, and i know baumgartner quite good, so ask

(i think, he isn't a good driver, there are many more talented drivers in hungary)

[Karcsi]

The first thing I have to say about this driver is that his father owns (at least runs, I'm not sure which) the largest Renault dealership in Hungary. So this may account for his leg up through the ranks - ok, and Montoya's father shines shoes for a living.

I very much doubt that he's that special considering his overall results so far in all classes (after a quick glance at his history). The fact that he is already 21 implies that he's no one special; he should be knocking on the doors of a F1 team by now.

Yes, F3000 is a hop, skip and a jump from F3. But if he has talent, he shouldn't really need to "learn" to drive the car. It should come naturally. OK, maybe it's a fitness thing rather than a skills thing.

Hopefully in the next couple of races he will show what he's made of. If not, I'm afraid he will be out on his ear. There are plenty of capable drivers out there (with richer parents) ready to take his place.

Ah, Hungarians. Ever the optimists!