GP2 drivers 2007 Options

[santori]

Nelson Piquet is going to test for Renault and Lewis Hamilton will test or race for McLaren but has anyone heard any rumours of what the other drivers will be doing? Who will is in line for a top seat in GP2, who is going to another series and which new drivers will be joining GP2?

Also, I thought this comment from Alex Premat was interesting:

'For sure it was not really my ambition at the start of the year [to finish third], because I wanted to win this championship, but it was a lot higher this year with Lewis and Nelsinho Piquet.'

gp2series Premat

[paranoik0]

I hope Parente finally makes the jump to these series, he's leading FRenault right now I believe. I haven't really been following his career that well, but the impression I get is that he's probably a better talent than Monteiro.. maybe it's time for us (portuguese) to finally have a great racing driver. Wishfull thinking I know..

[Cittànuova]

Senna, Vettel ?

[squirrell]

I'd say Alx Danielsson should get a seat in GP2, despite bad luck and the big shunts at Spa he is fourth in the championship with a team new to the series (WSR 3,5).

[Haddock]

Mike Conway?

Andy Soucek?

Perhaps Paul Di Resta and Giedo Van Der Gaarde. Certainly if potential and talent were the main criteria those 4 would be about. More interesting in some ways is whether some of the guys who have failed to win the series so far might come back for a 3rd go. Is there any point in Premat, Carroll or Lapierre hanging around much longer - and more to the point, do their backers have any remaining faith that they are really f1 material?

[Slow_Hands]

well regarding carroll, his 'backers' dont really exist. he would be gp2 champ otherwise.

lapierre got injured this year disrupting his season and premat as everyone knows, is a bunny.

and god help mike conway and bruno senna if they go for gp2. they are not up to it.

[santori]

Did someone mention Prémat going to the DTM? Or just that he'd be well suited to it? I think he's very good, just lacking that touch of inspiration of Rosberg or Hamilton.

It has been rumoured that Timo Glock might test for Williams. I'd like to see Simon Pageraud in GP2 but I think he, like Graham Rahal, is going to Champcar.

[xflow7]

What ever happened to Hayanari Shimoda? I gather was supposed to run GP2 in 2005 but was replaced by Adam Carroll at the last minute. I guess he ended up running LMES for Zytek (saw him at MidOhio in '05). I know he was running some of the A1 GP races last year but now I don't know where he is.

[Haddock]

Originally posted by xflow7
What ever happened to Hayanari Shimoda? I gather was supposed to run GP2 in 2005 but was replaced by Adam Carroll at the last minute. I guess he ended up running LMES for Zytek (saw him at MidOhio in '05). I know he was running some of the A1 GP races last year but now I don't know where he is.

Shimoda? he looked quick, if rather wild in the Zytek Sportscar thing when he drove it (although only in comparison with, uhm, team mate Tom Chilton) but he's never really convinced in single seaters.

Not seen Senna or Conway since their junior formulae days but while Senna looked nothing special in FBMW, Conway was rather impressive in FRenault (although again, against rather questionable opposition).

[gerry nassar]

Originally posted by Cittànuova
Senna, Vettel ?

That would be fantastic!

[Spunout]

It´s too bad Carroll has no proper backing. He may be little bit rough on the edges, but the boy has talent.

[jb_128]

Vettel is the most likely to be in the top seat as he is already driving for the team (ASM/ART) in F3. But that doesn't have to mean he will walk the championship, just like he hasn't been able to walk F3 this year. Other strong drivers from F3 will hopefully be in good teams to challenge him. Not that I don't want him to win but I like to watch close racing.

[Youichi]

Originally posted by Haddock


Shimoda? he looked quick, if rather wild in the Zytek Sportscar thing when he drove it (although only in comparison with, uhm, team mate Tom Chilton) but he's never really convinced in single seaters.

Not seen Senna or Conway since their junior formulae days but while Senna looked nothing special in FBMW, Conway was rather impressive in FRenault (although again, against rather questionable opposition).

If Shimoda looked wild in comparison to Chilton he must have been a Lunatic !!

FBMW was Senna first racecar I believe, and he started mid-season, so he may be better than he initially appeared. Conway on the other hand, was in his third FRen season I believe, and is in his second F3 season, and isn't all that immpresive.

I suspect that Vettel will skip GP2 and go straight to the BMW F1 test drive, which is a shame, I'd have like to see how he stacked up racing something a bit quicker than an F3 car.

Wasn't Carroll one of the Honda test drivers, although they appear to have had loads of test drivers, I always think that if a driver is actually going to be any good, you can always tell after a couple of F1 tests, and I don't think Carrol is.

I suspect as Haddock said, the front runners will come from the top Euro F3 drivers, but its a shame Graham Rahal isn't comming to GP2, he, like Marco Andretti, will never make it to F1, if they don't come to Europe.

I'd quite like to see Oliver Jarvis graduate to GP2, he's been the star rookie in British F3, but he'll probably stay for a second season.

[scheivlak]

Originally posted by Youichi
I suspect that Vettel will skip GP2 and go straight to the BMW F1 test drive, which is a shame, I'd have like to see how he stacked up racing something a bit quicker than an F3 car.

According to http://www.f1total.com/news/06091213.shtml Vettel could well be both a BMW test driver and driving GP2 for iSport. Apart from BMW Red Bull are deeply interested in him as well, and they might turn their support from Arden to iSport.

[Slow_Hands]

i think vettel is a dead cert for ART but unlike hamilton and rosberg, his tenure in the series best team may be spread over two seasons.

i want to see senna do more f3 in 2007. the poor guy has been made to rush into his racing career. he has had the best team in f3 this year but still got beaten by conway who, im sorry i just dont rate.

for gp2 i hope to see rossiter. other than carroll and hamilton, james is probably the best up and coming brit. he tested gp2 last season for super nova and a few other teams but nobody wanted him. i think for 2007 though, he will be wanted. maybe paul di resta will also do gp2.

carroll, unlike glock, piquet and hamilton seems to be the only member of the 'big 4' not to find himself an f1 role next year, but we all know that thats because the other 3 have sponsors and backers big enough for it alongside their talent. carroll would have been in contention for the title last year and this year had it not been for his unreliable car and some idiotic driving from others.

lopez and viso are two guys who deserve a bit better aswell despite being in gp2 for 2 seasons.

di grassi should have a good 2007 in gp2.

and i hope and pray that premat will finally be booted out of ART. the guy is the longest running waste of a seat in motorsport history! every year he is given the best car and every year he fails to win a title. both f3 and gp2. and we all know thet france wouldnt have won a1 if it wasnt for dams and lapierre.....

[917k]

Allmendinger, Rahal and Marco Andretti should all be there.

Allmendinger, though, says he doesn't want to do F1 , Rahal wants F1 but will go to CART, which has proved a purgatory for almost all that go there and Andretti thinks he can jump straight into a good seat when he asks.

Seriously, you think there would be enough money or interest to get some of these guys in a GP2 raceseat. Rahal was all set and then the funding fell through.

[molive]

Originally posted by Slow_Hands
and god help mike conway and bruno senna if they go for gp2. they are not up to it.

I dunno about conway, but regarding senna, maybe you're right. I'll be very surprised if he does well in GP2, given the steep learning curve.

I'd like to see Bourdais in GP2, but I guess that would be a step back from Champcardom

[CWeil]

I can understand Rahal, Andretti, and even Allmendinger doing GP2, because none of them have done any racing proper in Europe, but Bourdais was the F3000 champion. I don't see that. An F1 test gig, sure, but not GP2.

[osborn]

Originally posted by Slow_Hands
and god help mike conway and bruno senna if they go for gp2. they are not up to it.

Not sure about Senna but Conway is a very good driver, he will go all the way to the top. He was regularly quicker than Hamilton when they were racing together back in the day. It would be nice to see him step up to GP2 for next season, he's spanked everyone in F3 this year.

[Youichi]

Originally posted by Slow_Hands
and i hope and pray that premat will finally be booted out of ART. the guy is the longest running waste of a seat in motorsport history!

I agree that Premat should go, but I'm going to have to call you on the rest, Coulthard was at McLaren for nine years ! count them, NINE !!

[Haddock]

Originally posted by Youichi


I agree that Premat should go, but I'm going to have to call you on the rest, Coulthard was at McLaren for nine years ! count them, NINE !!

Coulthard just had the misfortune to be paired with very good team mates. Premat is clearly not up to the job - twice he's been beaten by his team mate. A career in sportscars or IRL surely beckons

[Dudley]

Originally posted by Haddock


Coulthard just had the misfortune to be paired with very good team mates. Premat is clearly not up to the job - twice he's been beaten by his team mate. A career in sportscars or IRL surely beckons

You don't consider Rosberg and Hamilton very good teammates?

[kamix]

This is a bit out there but I'd like to see Klien land a seat in GP2 if Spyker doesn't work out.

[Haddock]

Originally posted by Dudley


You don't consider Rosberg and Hamilton very good teammates?

In GP2 terms, of course they are. In F1 terms, I'd say the jury is out on whether they are really on the level of Raikkonen and Hakkinen. The point is, to my mind, that if you can't beat the best juniors in any given year, especially while driving for the best team, the odds on your ever being a really first-rate F1 driver lengthen significantly.

Don;t get me wrong, Premat is not bad - you don't win GP2 races without being pretty quick, nor do you dominate A1GP, but there's a lot of good youngsters out there, and frankly he's probably only the third or fourth best French prospect at the moment.

[jokuvaan]

I'd like to see Klien land a seat in GP2

And if he fails there, it would be all over, very very risky choise.

[Defkes]

Will Lopez still be testing for Renault next year?

[kamix]

Originally posted by jokuvaan


And if he fails there, it would be all over, very very risky choise.

Not as risky as Champ car.

[santori]

Originally posted by Defkes
Will Lopez still be testing for Renault next year?

Zonta and Piquet will be the official test-drivers, but I'm not sure if Lopez and others might have the odd outing.

Prémat and Viso will drive the third Spyker and Valles has already done so (crash.net); Piquet has started his Renault testing; Hamilton has semi-started his McLaren testing; Glock has been linked to Williams and BMW.

Why is GP2 being so much more successful at getting drivers to F1 than F3000 was? Is it just the series' higher profile?

[Juan Kerr]

Originally posted by molive


I dunno about conway, but regarding senna, maybe you're right. I'll be very surprised if he does well in GP2, given the steep learning curve.

I'd like to see Bourdais in GP2, but I guess that would be a step back from Champcardom

I think we should consider how quickly Senna has risen to the top end of F3, he's hardly done anything, a bit of BMW and a season of F3 and he was then winning races and getting poles in F3. It rained in Mugello and he duly won having lost his way in the dry which I think sort of says a lot, I've a feeling his car control is awesome but he lacks some setup engineering through inexperience.
I think he needs some setup engineering support, his learning curve has been very good. GP2 could show more of whether he has got a natural talent or not.

[Keffo]

Ho-Pin Tung, German F3 Champion, has said that he has 'some contacts' with GP2 teams.

[cheesy poofs]

Originally posted by santori


Zonta and Piquet will be the official test-drivers, but I'm not sure if Lopez and others might have the odd outing.

Prémat and Viso will drive the third Spyker and Valles has already done so (crash.net); Piquet has started his Renault testing; Hamilton has semi-started his McLaren testing; Glock has been linked to Williams and BMW.

Why is GP2 being so much more successful at getting drivers to F1 than F3000 was? Is it just the series' higher profile?

The cars are much closer to F1 than their old F3000 counterparts.

[Dudley]

Originally posted by Haddock


In GP2 terms, of course they are. In F1 terms, I'd say the jury is out on whether they are really on the level of Raikkonen and Hakkinen. The point is, to my mind, that if you can't beat the best juniors in any given year, especially while driving for the best team, the odds on your ever being a really first-rate F1 driver lengthen significantly.

Don;t get me wrong, Premat is not bad - you don't win GP2 races without being pretty quick, nor do you dominate A1GP, but there's a lot of good youngsters out there, and frankly he's probably only the third or fourth best French prospect at the moment.

Agreed.

[polaris]

Originally posted by kamix
This is a bit out there but I'd like to see Klien land a seat in GP2 if Spyker doesn't work out.

I think it would be a step back for him so I cant see him wanting that. I say that as I believe he is alot better than the unfortunate results he had this season. I really dont understand the Red Bull call with him as I think he has done well considering his youth. If they think he sucks then they should turf Coultard who has years more experience and did not do that much better given alot more luck

[Haddock]

Originally posted by polaris


I think it would be a step back for him so I cant see him wanting that.

True, but with sportscar racing a shadow of its former self, its hard to see where out of work F1 drivers go these days. He's already turned down a Champ Car ride (a shame as I think that series may begin to turn itself around over the next year or two), and surely he doesn't want to race touring cars.....

He'd be a good bet for Spyker, but I wonder if he's really any better than Premat - or even Viso, both of whom are being tried out by the team.

[santori]

italiaracing.net gives these drivers for a test at Paul Ricard on the 3rd and 4th of October:

ART
Kohei Hirate - Kazuki Nakajima - Vitaly Petrov - Guillaume Moreau
Piquet Sports
Alexandre Negrao - Alberto Valerio - Tuka Rocha
Dams
Kohei Hirate - Kazuki Nakajima - Gavin Cronje
iSport
Alx Danielsson - Christian Bakkerud - Andreas Zuber - Charlie Kimball
Trident
Andreas Zuber - Charlie Kimball - Ernesto Viso - Adam Carroll
Super Nova
Luca Filippi - Lucas Di Grassi - Andy Soucek - Vitaly Petrov
BCN
Luca Filippi - José Maria Lopez
DPR
Bruno Senna - Michael Patrizi
Durango
Marco Bonanomi - Fairuz Fauzy
Campos
Roldan Rodriguez - TBA
FMSI
Jason Tahinci - TBA
Racing Engineering
Javier Villa - TBA
Arden
TBA - TBA

[Haddock]

Interesting - most of the main names are there - but a little disappointed that neither Di Resta nor Conway are at the test. And I'd have thought Parente deserves a run in GP2 now.

[tre]

Isn't Vettel under some long term contract with Red Bull, with BMW just sort of "borrowing" him?

[VoLGio]

Originally posted by Haddock
Interesting - most of the main names are there - but a little disappointed that neither Di Resta nor Conway are at the test. And I'd have thought Parente deserves a run in GP2 now.

I think it's impossible that the best (or maybe the second one) driver in F3 EuroSeries won't be next year in GP2. If he isn't in a testing, I expect that it's because he has a seat without demonstrating nothing else.

[tidytracks]

Parente tested with Arden in the mid-season test as a replacement for Lapierre who was injured at the time. Arden said they actually wanted to get him into the seat for the races instead of Jani as they'd been so impressed with him over the winter... I think he's a fairly good bet for a seat somewhere next year.

I'm also with Keffo, I'd like to see what Ho Ping Tung could do in a GP2 car.

[kawen]

Testing today times

1 Giorgio Pantano Campos Racing 1:14.390 25
2 Andreas Zuber Trident Racing 1:14.624 35
3 Fairuz Fauzy Durango 1:14.931 32
4 Kaziki Nakajima DAMS 1:15.066 28
5 Lucas Di Grassi Super Nova International 1:15.081 21
6 Alexandre Negrao Piquet Sports 1:15.169 20
7 Sergio Hernandez Racing Engineering 1:15.249 16
8 Javier Villa Racing Engineering 1:15.327 31
9 Mike Conway Arden International 1:15.514 26
10 Ernesto Viso BCN Competicion 1:15.540 21
11 Kohei Hirate ART Grand Prix 1:15.641 21
12 Marco Bonanomi Durango 1:15.647 29
13 Antonio Pizzonia FMS International 1:15.688 20
14 Luca Filippi Super Nova International 1:15.724 27
15 Charlie Kimball Arden International 1:16.092 26
16 Jason Tahinci FMS International 1:16.092 30
17 Roldan Rodriguez Campos Racing 1:16.101 30
18 Chris Van der Drift Trident Racing 1:16.653 32
19 Bruno Senna DPR 1:16.654 36
20 Alberto Valerio Piquet Sports 1:16.758 41
21 Gavin Cronje DAMS 1:16.763 27
22 Vitaly Petrov ART Grand Prix 1:16.829 21
23 Christian Bakkerud iSport International 1:16.977 27
24 Jose Maria Lopez BCN Competicion 1:17.526 12
25 Michael Patrizi DPR 1:17.565 34


and morning

1 Franck Perera FMS International 1:15.039 34
2 Alexandre Negrao Piquet Sports 1:15.465 31
3 Jose Maria Lopez BCN Competicion 1:15.737 22
4 Lucas Di Grassi Super Nova International 1:15.748 22
5 Fairuz Fauzy Durango 1:15.768 30
6 Luca Filippi Super Nova International 1:15.821 23
7 Javier Villa Racing Engineering 1:15.965 29
8 Andreas Zuber Trident Racing 1:16.116 33
9 Antonio Pizzonia FMS International 1:16.121 32
10 Giorgio Pantano Campos Racing 1:16.205 16
11 Ernesto Viso BCN Competicion 1:16.226 28
12 Sergio Hernandez Racing Engineering 1:16.518 28
13 Mike Conway Arden International 1:16.664 35
14 Kohei Hirate ART Grand Prix 1:16.909 31
15 Kaziki Nakajima DAMS 1:16.960 39
16 Marco Bonanomi Durango 1:17.161 39
17 Roldan Rodriguez Campos Racing 1:17.619 42
18 Vitaly Petrov ART Grand Prix 1:17.778 32
19 Bruno Senna DPR 1:17.794 27
20 Christian Bakkerud iSport International 1:18.064 38
21 Chris Van der Drift Trident Racing 1:18.070 40
22 Alberto Valerio Piquet Sports 1:18.246 46
23 Gavin Cronje DAMS 1:18.271 39
24 Charlie Kimball Arden International 1:18.488 43
25 Michael Patrizi DPR 1:18.769 31