International Formula Master 2009

[chavez169]

quite a healthy looking grid there.

[runshaw]

Thats a better grid than I expected for Formula Master this year. Some decent drivers too. Good to see Tappy and Kennard racing, they should be up there. Kennard hasn't raced since British F3 in 2007, although he did test for Williams last year.

[chunterer]

Missed the first Pau race but young Italian based Russian; Alessandro Kouzkin dominated today's counter for CRAM Competition.

Strong drives from Retera, Varhaug, Rossi and Bamber to round out the top 5?

Some pretty decent pedallers this year i have to agree.

[gomick]

Good to see Rossi get a good result, Earl Bamber too in Race 2...

Hope the 1st round of the season was a success

1. Fabio Leimer - 13
2. Alessandro Kouzkin - 11
3. Pal Varhaug - 10
4. Vladimir Arabadzhiev - 8
5. Dennis Retera - 6
6. Jonathan Kennard - 4
7. Alexander Rossi - 3
8. Harald Schlegelmilch - 3
9. Frankie Provenzano - 2
10. Earl Bamber - 1

[Keyfabe]

loved the battle in race one between Rossi and Schlegelmilch, awesome stuff

[ivanalesi]

Some of the teams have a lot to catch up! Jenzer and JD were too far ahead, but it's a very surprising nice grid this season. Not as big as last year, but may be better quality.

[sauber11]

http://italiaracing.net/notizia.asp?id=23413&cat=32
Trident leaving formula master

[Keyfabe]

Saturdays race doesnt look like its gonna be on Eurosport :-(

[The SpeCTator]

Thought JV was a bit clever in selecting Kennard and Tappy.
A call up with no testing and no Pau experience but great results, shame Jono failed to complete a lap in race 2.
Well done JV, what chance of bringing them both back for the rest of the season?

[Go_For_Pole]

Actually JVA is not on the grid in Valencia, the same is true for Trident with Provenzano moving over to Cram replacing Schlegelmilch, ditto for Puglisi (2nd ADM car). Only 15 cars in total, this series is waving goodbye.

[sauber11]

Alexander Rossi took his first win outside USA in race2 . He was dominant( only Kral could keeping his pace before receiving black-orange and later black flag). All he needed is to change novice Hitech team for ISR , hope he continue winning.

Full result on Brno weekend here: http://italiaracing.net/f3000inter/elenco.asp?cat=32

Championship Standings:
1 Fabio Leimer 38
2 Pal Varhaug 29
3 Vladimir Arabadzhiev 24
4 Josef Kral 18
5 Alexander Rossi 14
6 Sergey Afanasiev 13
7 Kasper Andersen 11
8 Alessandro Kouzkin 11

[gomick]

Thats a good effort by Rossi - there has been some hype surrounding him... Realistically Leimer should win the title seeing he finished 2nd in 08 - Been a good season by Varhaug so far too...

[schitarella]

any idea why bamber did not race in this event?

[sauber11]

Originally Posted by schitarella

any idea why bamber did not race in this event?

http://formulamaster.net/eng/readnews.asp?id=794

FIRST IFM TALENT SUPPORT DRIVERS CONFIRMED
British Alexander Sims, Italy’s Samuele Buttarelli and New Zealander Earl Bamber are to become the first International Formula Master (IFM) drivers to join the Series under a new development scheme known as the IFM Talent Support Programme.

Next two races ( Hungary and Spa , both alongside F1) should be more interesting.

[jondownunder]

The IFM Talent Support Programme aims to give young drivers the opportunity to perform in front of motorsport’s highest representative during the Series’ two race weekend with Formula 1. All three drivers will also race with IFM at the Belgium GP at the end of August.

In other words, an attempt by IFM not to embarrass themselves with low grid numbers in front of F1!

I'm surprised we haven't heard of other drivers doing these races as one-offs.

[sauber11]

Guys, i am really shocked. Look at that http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77218 Kral takes Hungaroring IFM pole

Kral underlined his superiority by setting his fastest time late in the session, a lap of 1m28.216s

And Lucas di Grassi pole today was 1:27.867. Can it be that formula master only 0.5 second slower than Gp2 here at hungaroring or some kind of shorter track was used?

[bella]

well aren't formula master from the not enough power too much grip school, and aren't the gp2 cars from the too much power not enough grip place? in that case, on a mostly slow and medium speed corner awkward circuit it's not really that much of a surprise is it? or am i over simplifying?

[strider]

Originally Posted by bella

well aren't formula master from the not enough power too much grip school, and aren't the gp2 cars from the too much power not enough grip place? in that case, on a mostly slow and medium speed corner awkward circuit it's not really that much of a surprise is it? or am i over simplifying?

You may not be, but I do find that statistic fairly amazing. The time would have put Kral 5th on the GP2 grid, ahead of Hulkenberg. Surely the GP2 cars aren't so lacking in grip?

[sauber11]

Yes, mistake on autosport.com
actually Kral time was 1.38.216 , 11 seconds off the gp2 pace => i am breathing ok now http://www.formulamaster.net/eng/upl...sification.pdf
By the way Bamber third in qualify, Rossi fourth, Sims 7th and 16 cars on the grid, not much but better than it was last time (12)

[strider]

Originally Posted by sauber11

Yes, mistake on autosport.com
actually Kral time was 1.38.216 , 11 seconds off the gp2 pace => i am breathing ok now http://www.formulamaster.net/eng/upl...sification.pdf
By the way Bamber third in qualify, Rossi fourth, Sims 7th and 16 cars on the grid, not much but better than it was last time (12)

Phew! Sanity has returned.

[sauber11]

http://formulamaster.net/eng/readnews.asp?id=797
Alexander Rossi took a podium finish in race1 at hungaroring . I really starting to think this guy is a great talent, mb in Vettel league or even better. The only thing that can stop him from reaching formula1 and winning races there is funding, but i hope he will be ok . Remember, this guy is only 17 years old and stepped from f-bmw to f-master which is a big gap ( 12 seconds difference at hungaroring, same as between f-master and gp2) and he is doing ok considering he drivers for ISR, not Jenzer or JD motorsport ( this two teams remind me ART and Addax in gp2 now). Fresh photo with Dr.Mario Theissen
http://xpb.cc/thumbnails/2009/fbmw-2...6NSVI9_450.jpg

International Formula Master – Hungaroring
Round 09
1. Josef Kral (CZH), JD Motorsport (#3)
2. Fabio Leimer (SUI), Jenzer Motorsport (#6)
3. Alexander Rossi (USA), ISR (#16)
4. Alexander Sims (GBR), TSP (#40)
5. Earl Bamber (NZL), TSP (#42)
6. Paul Meijer (NED), AR Motorsport (#33)
7. Sergey Afanasiev (RUS), JD Motorsport (#2)
8. Erik Janis (CZH), ISR (#20)
9. Patrick Reiterer (ITA), Iris Project (#9)
10. Samuele Buttarelli (ITA), TSP (#41)
11. Pål Varhaug (NOR), Jenzer Motorsport (#7)
12. Tiago Petiz (POR), Cram Competition (#4)
13. Simon Trummer (SUI), Iris Project (#8)
14. Kelvin Snoeks (NED), AR Motorsport (#31)
15. Vladimir Arabadzhiev (BUL), JD Motorsport (#1)
Not classified
Alessandro Kouzkin (RUS), Cram Competition (#47)

IFM drivers’ classification - top eight
1. Fabio Leimer (SUI), Jenzer Motorsport (#6), 59 points
2. Josef Kral (CZH), JD Motorsport (#3), 40 points
3. Pål Varhaug (NOR), Jenzer Motorsport (#7), 36 points
4. Alexander Rossi (USA), ISR (#16), 27 points
5. Sergey Afanasiev (RUS), JD Motorsport (#2), 27 points
4. Vladimir Arabadzhiev (BUL), JD Motorsport (#1), 24 points
7. Alessandro Kouzkin (RUS), Cram Competition (#47), 18 points
8. Erik Janis (CZH), ISR (#20), 17 points

[gomick]

Have been waiting for Josef Kral to turn it on & get some race wins, seems years ago he was a talent in Formula BMW....

[WSR Fan]

Formula Master have their second run-out alongside F1 and GP2 this weekend at Spa, and in the month since the Hungaroring round there have been a few driver changes.

http://www.formulamaster.net/eng/readnews.asp?id=799

Britain's Edwin Jowsey and Italian Andrea Roda have both been added to the IFM Talent Support Programme for the weekend. Roda has been racing mainly in Italian Formula Renault 2.0 this year whilst Jowsey is probably best known for his abortive WSR program with Comtec back in 2006.

Also, Frankie Provenzano is due to replace Alessandro Kouzkin, who has run into budget problems at Cram Competition.

Just like sauber11 with Alexander Rossi, I've been keeping my eye on Fabio Leimer all year and I must say he has really impressed me. He finished as series runner-up last year so he could have easily graduated to something higher, but he decided to take the risk and comeback for a title attempt this year and you have to say that the gamble is paying off brilliantly so far. If he does wrap up the title, I'd like to see him in either GP2 or WSR next year.

[sauber11]

http://italiaracing.net/notizia.asp?id=24567&cat=32

Using translator

In occasion of the Belgian stage, they would have to be revealed the innovationes for championship 2010. Politics of the contained costs will be primary and second the first indiscretions, the Master would have to offer to a package truly competitive offer-price.

So formula master will stay alive for at least one more season.

[Go_For_Pole]

... or rather hopes to stay alive