2013 GP2 Silly Season

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I don't want to harp on about how 'bad' this series has become because one of my roles I try and take pride in as a host is to encourage debate and be positive.

However....

Your list there spells everything out for all to see in simple terms.

Your top 5 guys is pretty much spot on, I would probably take Cecotto out, he's nowhere near as good as those others, but then Vitaly Petrov won the title so who knows!

For me there's Felipe, James, Ericcson, Evans, and then the rest, but Evans won't be a title contender in his first season...

There is a very poor depth in quality.

My two cents:
I really only see Calado as a realistic title winner. Genuinely. Nasr could challenge but I think it's Calado's to lose.
I agree Cecotto isn't as good as the others TR mentioned, but I don't think Ericsson belongs in the top group either. He's just never convinced at all.
I think Evans and Abt will show well this year, best of the rookies, and nicely placed in the championship.

ps, Petrov was GP2 runner-up, not champ

[verde]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I don't want to harp on about how 'bad' this series has become because one of my roles I try and take pride in as a host is to encourage debate and be positive.

However....

Your list there spells everything out for all to see in simple terms.

Your top 5 guys is pretty much spot on, I would probably take Cecotto out, he's nowhere near as good as those others, but then Vitaly Petrov won the title so who knows!

For me there's Felipe, James, Ericcson, Evans, and then the rest, but Evans won't be a title contender in his first season...

There is a very poor depth in quality.

That's surely not the field of our dreams, but yet way better than last year's. I feel more confident about the good level of the rookies (Abt, Evans, Quaife-Hobbs, Giovesi, maybe Frijns and Daly), which means that we can at least ensure a minimal quality until next year. Not even World Series by Renault's got so good a group of newcomers for 2013.

To be honest, I thought by the end of last year that GP2 was running all the way to death and the grid would be even worse. Fortunately, the trend diverted a bit. Considering the awful situation of Europe, not bad.

[Mekola]

Yeah, not bad the situation of GP2 that evolved its lineup for this season.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Ostrogothicus

My two cents:
I really only see Calado as a realistic title winner. Genuinely. Nasr could challenge but I think it's Calado's to lose.
I agree Cecotto isn't as good as the others TR mentioned, but I don't think Ericsson belongs in the top group either. He's just never convinced at all.
I think Evans and Abt will show well this year, best of the rookies, and nicely placed in the championship.

ps, Petrov was GP2 runner-up, not champ

Nasr's challenge depends on Carlin I think?

If Frijns does it he will be one of the top drivers, on the basis of what he's already done (even if he doesn't stand a chance with the team he's rumoured to be signing for!)

ps, you're right re Petrov! I must've overrated him....

[Peat]

Yep. Calado vs Nasr i reckon.

Adrian QF will be worth keeping an eye on, new team though.

And theres always Ma Qing Hua!

[verde]

Luca Filippi is in Malaysia. Officially, he's there to work as a reporter for Italian TV. But he was working out with Daniel de Jöng, as the Dutch driver published it in his Twitter.

Could it mean that he would be back in GP2 at least for the Sepang round?

[TR Motorsport]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I don't want to harp on about how 'bad' this series has become because one of my roles I try and take pride in as a host is to encourage debate and be positive.

However....

Your list there spells everything out for all to see in simple terms.

Your top 5 guys is pretty much spot on, I would probably take Cecotto out, he's nowhere near as good as those others, but then Vitaly Petrov won the title so who knows!

For me there's Felipe, James, Ericcson, Evans, and then the rest, but Evans won't be a title contender in his first season...

There is a very poor depth in quality.

I wouldn't count Cechotto Jnr out, he showed some great flashes of speed (eg. Bahrain, Italy) and made some really great calls (eg. Monaco, Germany), but Barwa Addax were really not the same team they were with Van der Garde and Pic in 2011, and now he has joined Arden, were Luiz Razia came so close to winning the title last year, I think he might deliver

[TR Motorsport]

Luca back in GP2!! That would be fantastic! He's what I call a unlucky talent had the results but not the contacts with F1 Teams. He won the race in Italy last year after almost a year out of racing, never mind GP2, and then had pole position at singapore only to retire

Him and Varhaug at Hilmer?

Has Daly finally accepted that Indy 500 drive with AJ Foyt that he was so heavily linked to?

We shall see, but if Luca Fillipi is back all the other drivers better be scared, because he would be right up there with Ericcson, Calado, Nasr, Dillmann and Cechotto for the championship this year, if not ahead of all of them but maybe Calado/Nasr!

[verde]

A Spanish journalist told on Twitter that Nathanaël Berthon has sorted out some of his financial problems and is also heading to Malaysia. He will be announced by Trident Racing very soon.

[ivanalesi]

Because of the reverse grid races it largely depends on race craft and maturity. Calado showed all of this last season, Nasr improved a lot, Ceccotto won @ Monaco, Leimer was best qualifier, Ericsson is fast as well, Dillmann is on a roll and he might surprise at RT/iSport! I don't see Evans or Abt fighting for the title, they will be only very fast at the end. I think Ceccotto and Dillmann might surprise the most, but Calado will win at the end.
It will be hard for Frijns, he missed most of winter testing. As far as I remember, Trident has never fought for the championship, it's very unlikely to happen.

[el_cat]

I find out pretty incredible that the second "tier" championship still has 5 seats available a few days before a long haul round. I sense a lot of one-offs and part seasons coming on.

Presumably if deals aren't fixed up, there is a chance that people who are there in other capacities might be able to get a ride. I'm thinking the Razia example cited above.

I'll go with Frijns and Berthon at Trident, Varhaug at Hilmer but as for the second Hilmer and Russian Time seats, aside from the names already mentioned are there any other drivers who could possibly secure a ride?

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by el_cat

I'll go with Frijns and Berthon at Trident, Varhaug at Hilmer but as for the second Hilmer and Russian Time seats, aside from the names already mentioned are there any other drivers who could possibly secure a ride?

Well there's a list of drivers as long as your arm that should/would do it, but I know you're asking are there many that actually have the money to do it?

Not very many at all...

[el_cat]

I suppose in a way I'm hoping it will be like Indy 500s of days gone by - where any driver with the relevant license and kitbag in tow can just loiter around track and get himself a seat!

[jondownunder]

Originally Posted by verde

Luca Filippi is in Malaysia. Officially, he's there to work as a reporter for Italian TV. But he was working out with Daniel de Jöng, as the Dutch driver published it in his Twitter.

Could it mean that he would be back in GP2 at least for the Sepang round?

I would imagine he's probably doing driver coaching for de Jong? I saw him acting as a driver coach in F.Renault 3.5 at Silverstone last year. I think he was working with IRP - Andy Soucek was also there.

[Francis Albert]

Looks like Conor Daly got a seat, at least for Malaysia.

[verde]

Uh, oh...

Shawn Cross ‏@F1Cross
Apparently Mitch Evans has told to NZ media that he hasn't got enough funding to do the full season. (cont) #GP2

So it looks like not only GP2 is struggling to fill the remaining seats but also other guys are threatened.

[TR Motorsport]

Bird confirmed at Russian Time, massive blow for Frjins, does frjins go to Trident now?

[p-matt]

Wow, that's a statement of intent from Russian Time - Bird and Dillman. You have to consider Sam as a serious championship contender.

[bella]

Originally Posted by verde

Uh, oh...

Shawn Cross ‏@F1Cross
Apparently Mitch Evans has told to NZ media that he hasn't got enough funding to do the full season. (cont) #GP2

So it looks like not only GP2 is struggling to fill the remaining seats but also other guys are threatened.

mmm, but presumably he'd have had the full budget to do 3.5 in that case...

sorry, that was a low blow, open goal, etc.

that's not good is it? i can understand why he can't find the money but isn't it a bit cruel to be putting him in gp2, where he has to be on it immediately, and will basically have to lead the championship immediately to raise more dough?

VERY impressed with russian time's first driver line-up. presumably they've got the engineers to match?

[p-matt]

But isn't Mitch getting some money from Pirelli as a reward for winning GP3 to be put to a GP2 budget? In that case he probably doesn't have the budget for 3.5 either.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by bella

mmm, but presumably he'd have had the full budget to do 3.5 in that case...

sorry, that was a low blow, open goal, etc.

that's not good is it? i can understand why he can't find the money but isn't it a bit cruel to be putting him in gp2, where he has to be on it immediately, and will basically have to lead the championship immediately to raise more dough?

VERY impressed with russian time's first driver line-up. presumably they've got the engineers to match?

I can't see how he could get to that point in the first place, Gp2 cars are a bit weird for newcomers no matter how good they are?

Yes agreed re RT, and as matt says Bird must be one of the 3 main contenders for the crown now? Nothing else will do for him this season....

Originally Posted by p-matt

But isn't Mitch getting some money from Pirelli as a reward for winning GP3 to be put to a GP2 budget? In that case he probably doesn't have the budget for 3.5 either.

How much is the Pirelli money though?

[ivanalesi]

200k EU only if you go to GP2, it doesn't apply for anything else. Hopefully Red Bull will support him more.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

200k EU only if you go to GP2, it doesn't apply for anything else. Hopefully Red Bull will support him more.

Err..........

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

200k EU only if you go to GP2, it doesn't apply for anything else. Hopefully Red Bull will support him more.

Is Evans a Red Bull driver, or an Arden driver? They already support Da Costa, and they have Frijns in the fold as well.

[p-matt]

Originally Posted by ptclaus98

Is Evans a Red Bull driver, or an Arden driver? They already support Da Costa, and they have Frijns in the fold as well.

Evans is only an Arden driver. He has the links with Horner and Webber rather than Red Bull.

RB don't have Frijns - he only tested for them as a prize for winning 3.5. Speaking of whom, he's confirmed he doesn't have the cash for a GP2 seat this year. Very sad.