GP2: driver market

Guys,

approaching mid-season, do you think are there going to be further changes in driver market in GP2? I mean, following fo the Pantano-Fillipi switch, do you think are there any drivers in risk of losing their seats?

:rotate:

well someone will have to replace lappiere for silverstone afetr his monaco shunt, prob replace him with a red bull junior!

well someone will have to replace lappiere for silverstone afetr his monaco shunt, prob replace him with a red bull junior!

Yeah, it is very possible, but, apart of the shunt, I am sure Nicolas' drive is not under risk.

Interesting question is why Fillipi was dropped in the first place?

My understanding as to why Filippi was dropped was because the team were unhappy with his performance and he was not contributing as much as Jason Tahinci to the coffers.

Also, Neel Jani could be drafted into Nicolas Lapierre's Arden seat for Silverstone according to Crash.net
http://www.crash.net/news_View~t~Lapierre-sub-to-be-revealed-shortly--Jani-tipped-~cid~7~id~131203.htm

My understanding as to why Filippi was dropped was because the team were unhappy with his performance and he was not contributing as much as Jason Tahinci to the coffers.
He wasn't supposed to bring money anyway and he was dropped after shining in Imola. Doesn't really make sense, does it?

Due to Pla's injuries at Monaco, Mike Conway will be taking over one of the DPR seats for Silverstone.

Yeah that's an interesting development?

It'll be interesting to note his progress, but it's usually been quite tough for newcomers to come in off the cuff so to speak?

I'm wondering if this has come about because of the links between his management, the team's sponsor and McLaren?

I'm wondering if this has come about because of the links between his management, the team's sponsor and McLaren?
It would certainly be interesting if that were to be the case. That said, Martin Brundle, Mark Blundell and Dave Price do go back a long way; they were all at Brabham together and DPR were at one stage going to run an Aston Martin for Brundle and Blundell at Le Mans.

Pla to be replaced by Conway

I spoke will Nicolas Lapierre, he's not sure to be back at Monaco ... but it's in a good way ..... he recover well ..... but don't want to take risks for his back, I anderstand it

Glock is back to the front with his new isPort, it's not good for th efrenchman Gomendy who did not a very good job with the same car ....

I spoke will Nicolas Lapierre, he's not sure to be back at Monaco ... but it's in a good way ..... he recover well ..... but don't want to take risks for his back, I anderstand it

Glock is back to the front with his new isPort, it's not good for th efrenchman Gomendy who did not a very good job with the same car ....

Good for Nicolas, he needs to return as soon as he's fit to rebuild his season.

Not sure about your Tristan comment, toma.

He was getting more and more competitive with each race (certainly a front runner at Barca) and the Monaco crash is a real set back to his progress.

I rate him quite highly, as do a lot of other people, so I hope he gets an opportunity to return this season...

Have Italiaracing gone mad or there is a new case of Shanon?
link to site (http://www.italiaracing.net/news.asp?id=5660&cat=FORMULA_3000_INTERNAZIONALE&nome=GP2|SERIES&cart=news_formula|3000|internazionale)

edited to stop the link messing up the forum display!

Grandprix.com (http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns17143.html) has something about Direxiv's possible problems as well.

i think it's worth pointing out at this stage that the whole accusing someone like that of not funding when they said they would and so forth is very... iffy. if we could bear that in mind when discussing, we'd all be saving ourselves a lot of trouble!

Changes afoot at DPR:


As a consequence of the failure of the Direxiv Motorsport company to meet its contractual obligations to DPR, the British team will feature a new driver line up from this weekend's race in Hockenheim until the end of the GP2 season.

Of the two Direxiv-sponsored drivers, Clivio Piccione has made alternative sponsorship arrangements and will remain with the team, but Olivier Pla will be replaced by Russian Vitaly Petrov.
]

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=28777

Italiaracing confirmed it too.
Does this mean the return of Sospiri into GP2 frame?

if you mean with Petrov, I suppose in a roundabout way.

Oh dear oh dear, the return of contractual disputes it seems!

Ah well it was bound to happen at some point? Single seater racing has been rife with such issues over the last 20 years.

Is it a case of ambition (the rock) meeting financial realities (the hard place)?

I'm not trying to court bad publicity but it is always a shame when a major corporation so keen on backing top level motorsport hits some kind of difficulties causing headaches for drivers, team personnel and the sponsor itself.

Pla now joins his old sparring partner Gommendy on the sidelines it seems and quite possibly that's the end of the former's F1 ambitions at least.

Will Maro Engel be forced out of BF3 because he is sponsored by them as well?

I had a funny feeling all this business with Direxiv would end in tears. To have a company I'd not previously heard of (a fact which admittedly means nothing at all) suddenly backing teams/drivers in GP2, Nippon and F3 and having F1 aspirations... well, you couldn't help but think of the Shannon episode.

Will Maro Engel be forced out of BF3 because he is sponsored by them as well?

Engel is not racing the Masters of Zandvoort, is he?

It looks as though Direxiv Motorsport respects contractual agreement with Maro Engel.

http://www.fota.co.uk/img/showimg.php.jpg?countkey=4&key=2615&season=2006&event=6&size=3&rnd=true