2012 FR 3.5 Off Season news etc

[mickey29]

Originally Posted by bella

(and as usual, the facebook status update is full of numpties whining and moaning about being denied their free day out)

These "numpties" actually have a valid point. For a lot of people the Renault World Series is the only time they get to experience high powered single seaters and to see a real F1 car.

RWS provided a rare thing, a cheap family day out and a good way to experience racing for the first time.

No wonder motorsport events are poorly attended when the cogniscenti are aloof.

Sorry, Bella, but it is a real bugbear of mine. Spectators get a raw deal anyway and the casual spectator gets even worse.

[bella]

i'm sorry but i have to disagree with you.

why is it renault's obligation to provide people with free motorsport every year? we're fortunate in the uk that they've stuck with us for so long, despite the unruly spectators (who admittedly, often don't know any better and aren't looked after appropriately by the circuit), the high expense of holding an event here and the huge new markets elsewhere.

funnily enough the manufacturers aren't full of cash, or willing management wanting to back motorsport. renault are the only ones out there truly supporting the sport at the moment on a long term basis.

it's only in the uk where we have this entitlement culture. i don't have a problem with the fact they're losing a family day out that many couldn't afford otherwise, i understand that completely. but i DO have a problem with the way people are expressing it. it's not a right, or a public service. it's a corporate event.

i'm sorry but if you saw it from the organisers perspective you'd see negative behaviours and feedback that says that people simply aren't interacting with the event on the level they need to sustain the wsr in the uk. again, it's a marketing strategy and motorsport business, not a public service.

your point reflects the lack of *other* motorsport events priced competitively and afforable for families and spectators. if people had a choice they'd vote with their feet. they don't have that choice. so why and how is that renault's problem and how and why is shouting at them going to help them want to bring *their* event back to the uk for 2013?

surely somebody needs to point out that the wsr event not happening this year highlights the lack of engagement with potential spectators and customers?

[mickey29]

At the risk of going of topic: I agree that there is no reason why Renault should stage this event. However they have done so for a number of years.

A lot of people greatly looked forward to this event, much as 6 hours of Silverstone is a highlight of mine.

Accordingly many are disappointed when something they have got used to is taken away from them.

I agree that many of the opinions expressed on the facebook page are obnoxious, bordering on the downright rude.

I applaud Renault for staging a corporate event that provides great entertainment for a family at no charge.

Motorsport in general could learn that Good Product + Good Advertising - discounted prices = more bums on seats.

Our sport is insular and self serving. This, more than environmental concerns, will be the death of it.

RWS bucked the trend and will be missed.

I think Silverstone served the series and the public well. No where else could ever stage an event of such magnitude. I suspect no other RWS venue acheived the numbers of the British round.

[bella]

ahhh, thank you for not taking that rant the wrong way, it wasn't directed at you specifically

fwiw, the hungarian round is as well attended as the uk round (though not in 2011, it was cold and horrible even for us travelling brits), there's no entitlement culture despite the fact the people are having a much harder time than we are at the moment, and the locals are an absolute joy. they're well-behaved, enthusiastic, and not at all... well, they're thankful. for everything. for the event, for the interest in their country, the lot. i think it's in that context i find the "we want our free stuff, why won't you give it to us" attitude jarring and unpleasant.

the fact that people complain in the manner they do, using the words they do and with the attitude they do suggests they're not interested in seeing motorsport.

but for everyone who is, i totally agree with you. it's a pity cause it's a great event, a great day out and a great way to get the kids hooked on cars.

it's really the ideal time for someone to cobble together a business plan and stage a replacement event isn't it? but who could do that - have the time, money and resources to make it work? i think the sad answer is "nobody".

[mickey29]

Nice to end on a mutual agreement! Many thanks

[bella]

another feather in the hat of fr3.5 - rossi confirmed as caterham test driver (and finally, properly, at caterham/arden). how many f1 test drivers are we up to now?

http://tentenths.com/news/showentry.php?e=2845

[dank]

Originally Posted by bella

another feather in the hat of fr3.5 - rossi confirmed as caterham test driver (and finally, properly, at caterham/arden). how many f1 test drivers are we up to now?

http://tentenths.com/news/showentry.php?e=2845

Wasn't this announced last month, or am I imagining it?

[bella]

it was accidentally revealed on the caterham f1 website, so close enough. a definite contender for the worst kept secret of the year

[remdev]

Giovanni Venturini with BVM Target.

Twitter WSR : "Last announcement Giovanni Venturini will drive for BVM Target alongside N.Martsenko. Official and complete entry list on monday !"

[Daisy]

Venturini wasn't bad in Auto GP, but shame Zampieri is out.

[p-matt]

Is Zampieri a huge loss? He didn't fulfil his potential last year IMO. Venturini wasn't bad at all.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by p-matt

Is Zampieri a huge loss? He didn't fulfil his potential last year IMO. Venturini wasn't bad at all.

He looked better in 2010, and wasn't bad in the early part of last season, after that not much to report was there?

[bella]

he was fairly quick on his day, which iirc was once, at motorland, in 2010. seemed to be very stressed about driving most of the time, but that's just from body language.

venturini will certainly do no worse, and he did produce the goods when the opportunity was there in autogp. it's certainly not a wasted seat!

[bella]

meanwhile, we have a full entry list from wsr:

N°	Team (Home country)	Drivers (Nation)	Rookie
1	CARLIN (GBR)	Kevin MAGNUSSEN (DEN)	R
2	CARLIN (GBR)	Will STEVENS (GBR)	R
3	FORTEC MOTORSPORTS (GBR)	Carlos HUERTAS (COL)	R
4	FORTEC MOTORSPORTS (GBR)	Robin FRIJNS (NED)	R
5	ISR (CZE)	Sam BIRD (GBR)
6	ISR (CZE)	Jake ROSENZWEIG (USA)
7	TECH 1 RACING (FRA)	Kevin KORJUS (EST)
8	TECH 1 RACING (FRA)	Jules BIANCHI (FRA)
9	P1 MOTORSPORT (GBR)	Walter GRUBMULLER (AUT)
10	P1 MOTORSPORT (GBR)	Daniil MOVE (RUS)
11	LOTUS (CZE)	Richie STANAWAY (NZL)	R
12	LOTUS (CZE)	Marco SORENSEN (DEN)	R
15	BVM TARGET (ITA)	Giovanni VENTURINI (ITA)	R
16	BVM TARGET (ITA)	Nicolay MARTSENKO (RUS)	R
17	TEAM RFR (RUS)	Mikhail ALESHIN (RUS)
18	TEAM RFR (RUS)	Anton NEBYLITSKIY (RUS)
19	PONS RACING (ESP)	Zoel AMBERG (SUI)	R
20	PONS RACING (ESP)	Yann CUNHA (BRA)	R
21	INTERNATIONAL DRACO RACING (ITA)	Nico MULLER (SUI)	R
22	INTERNATIONAL DRACO RACING (ITA)	Andrè NEGRAO (BRA)
23	COMTEC RACING (GBR)	Vittorio GHIRELLI (ITA)	R
24	COMTEC RACING (GBR)	Nick YELLOLY (GBR)
25	ARDEN CATERHAM (GBR)	Alexander ROSSI (USA)
26	ARDEN CATERHAM (GBR)	Lewis WILLIAMSON (GBR)
27	DAMS (FRA)	Lucas FORESTI (BRA)	R
28	DAMS (FRA)	Arthur PIC (FRA)

i wonder if any teams who signed drivers early on at the end of last year are regretting their decision?

[chunterer]

Yes that maybe the case with one or two....

Carlin won't be one of them though I suspect.

Wow though we can close this thread soon and start up individual race weekend threads. Fab!!

[bella]

two months to go yet, steady with the old trigger finger chunty!

completely incidental times from the first session this morning courtesy of dams racing below:

https://twitter.com/#!/damsracing/st...39175182307329

[ptclaus98]

Who that guy is that rates "Danny" Move will be chuffed I suspect.

[ptclaus98]

Also interesting that Bird and Bianchi aren't getting rookie tags.

[bella]

bianchi's done a couple of fr3.5 rounds in the past but i'm not sure about bird? there's been drivers in the past with gp2 races but who have still been rookies so maybe they've changed how they decide it.

[ptclaus98]

Going over the list, it appears that Brendon Hartley is missing. Did he go to GP2 or is he without a ride?

[bella]

haven't heard of him being confirmed anywhere, and he hasn't tested gp2 or gp3 this winter. sportscars maybe? wouldn't be the first we've lost from the 2011 field to the noisy stuff that takes a long time...

[WSR Fan]

Whilst we're on the subject of the noisy stuff that takes a long time, Mikhail Aleshin is going to be doing a dual program in 2012, racing in the FIA GT1 World Championship alongside his FR3.5 campaign. After all his well documented budget problems, perhaps that's the way forward for him in the future?

[bella]

is it just me who feels a little uncomfortable with someone pleading budget problems one year, then doing 2 series at the same time the following year? i know it's the fickle nature of motorsport sponsorship, and that the moscow circuit is being completed this year so it's a good year and all that but...

good luck to him, does that include the spa 24 hours?

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by bella

haven't heard of him being confirmed anywhere, and he hasn't tested gp2 or gp3 this winter. sportscars maybe? wouldn't be the first we've lost from the 2011 field to the noisy stuff that takes a long time...

Actually he's been testing prototypes. Found that out literally minutes after my post. Patience is a virtue.

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by bella

is it just me who feels a little uncomfortable with someone pleading budget problems one year, then doing 2 series at the same time the following year? i know it's the fickle nature of motorsport sponsorship, and that the moscow circuit is being completed this year so it's a good year and all that but...

good luck to him, does that include the spa 24 hours?

Well, to be fair his budget problems were in GP2, and a GP2 with new cars. Of course, FR 3.5 has that this year.