National F3000 Championship?

[Jimmy Magnusson]

If I remember things correctly this is the last year of the current-gen GP2 cars. Right now we have the following GP2/F3000 series: Italian F3000 (99-spec), Euroseries (02-spec) and GP2 (05-spec) - correct? Now I suppose it would make sense to just push each car down a notch, so that Italian F3000 gets the 2002 cars and so on. Now, I wonder, would a national F3000 championship using the 99 cars be of any use or have any chance of being successful in countries that right now lack good single seater categories - countries like Denmark, Sweden or any other?

[Mekola]

Even you could ask what happened with the 35 Lola T96/50s, most of them unused and some used in European hillclimb events.
Lola T96/50 cars were used at Italian (later European) F3000 during 1999-2001 and were intended to an Italian F2 in 2002, but the project never materialised.
I wonder if these cars could be delivered to Australia, in order to update F. Holden cars, or to South America, to give an opportunity to rebirth national formulae in Argentina like we had in the 1970s.

[Valker]

And where are the old FNippons...

[Mekola]

Some of them (up to 1998 models) are in Australian F3000 V6 (ex-F. Holden).
And a G-Force GF03 (raced at F. Nippon during 1999-2001) was seen in the F. EuroBOSS.

[Woolley]

While it would be nice, I can't see that it could do any better than the last few attempts. There's already at least 4 series catering for this level and others trying to squeeze in. And in the absence of career drivers, I can't imagine enough well-financed club drivers to make it worthwhile at national level anywhere.

[Jackman]

The current GP2 cars will be shipped to Asia at the end of the season to be used in the new GP2 Asia series.

[Mekola]

Is F Asian V6 by Renault the ground for the next GP2 Asia series?

[Mathias]

I can't see a national market for them, but you could see the 99-spec F3000 cars going to make a sub-continental level series in some part of the world that isn't well-served by the GP2/WSR and wants a relatively low-cost / relatively high-spec series.

Somewhere like Asia (which usually means SE Asia), the Indian sub-continent or Eastern Europe/Russia perhaps?

[Jackman]

Originally Posted by Mekola

Is F Asian V6 by Renault the ground for the next GP2 Asia series?

No, GP2 Asia is the ground for GP2 Asia. Winter series throughout the middle east and southern Asia in properly powerful cars so as to bring more Asian drivers into the frame for F1 is the intention.

And if it just happens to destroy A1GP while it's about it then I can't see Bernie losing any sleep.

[roachy101]

i suppose a winter series in S. America could be practical considering it's summer over there during our winter but there's only a few decent tracks capable of holding a major championship

[duke_toaster]

Maybe a US based winter series - even though it's winter, I feel sure that in California and Florida you can run run races in winter ...

Maybe a GP2 "Grand Championship" race, GP2 Europe versus GP2 Asia versus GP2 North America

IMO the best option though would be a GP3 Series that goes to some non-F1 tracks to test the water for F1.