GP2 Asia, Dubai - Weekend Thread

[Mekola]

More rumours about musical chairs at Dubai:

- Dalle Stelle for the second Durango car
- Crestani called in for the second Ocean car (first one filled by Buurman).

[chunterer]

Thanks Mekola!

Out of interest what's happening with Eurosport's TV coverage this weekend.

MARTIN??????

No live coverage listed and some obsure reruns late on Friday and then early and later on Saturday?

Come on??!!!

[sauber11]

http://italiaracing.net/notizia.asp?id=21563&cat=4
ART
Sakon Yamamoto - Pastor Maldonado
Arden
Luiz Razia - Renger Van der Zande
Campos
Vitaly Petrov - Sergio Perez
Dams
Jerome D'Ambrosio - Kamui Kobayashi
iSport
Giedo Van der Garde - Hamad Al Fardan
Super Nova
Javier Villa - James Jakes
FMSI
Andreas Zuber - Kevin Nai Chia Chen
Durango
Davide Valsecchi - Michael Dalle Stelle
Meritus
Alex Yoong - Earl Bamber
Piquet GP
Roldan Rodriguez - Diego Nunes
Ocean
Yelmer Buurman - Fabrizio Crestani
Trident
Alberto Valerio - Chris Van der Drift

[chunterer]

Eh?

Maldonado's coming into GP2 Asia series?!!!

I guess that'll help him to get to know the team. Sensible....

[Mekola]

DPR: Michael Herck - Giacomo Ricci for this round.

[sauber11]

Practice
1. Earl Bamber MY Qi-Meritus.Mahara 1:44.048 14
2. Kamui Kobayashi Dams 1:44.049 14
3. Davide Valsecchi Durango 1:44.148 13
4. Jérôme d’Ambrosio Dams 1:44.488 15
5. Pastor Maldonado ART Grand Prix 1:44.565 13
6. Sakon Yamamoto ART Grand Prix 1:44.711 14
7. Sergio Perez Barwa Int. Campos Team 1:44.776 14
8. Yelmer Buurman Ocean Racing Team 1:44.782 13
9. Roldan Rodriguez Piquet GP 1:44.905 13
10. Vitaly Petrov Barwa Int. Campos Team 1:44.936 13
11. Javier Villa Super Nova Racing 1:45.300 14
12. Giedo Van der Garde iSport International 1:45.332 15
13. James Jakes Super Nova Racing 1:45.688 14
14. Andreas Zuber Fisichella Motor Sport Int. 1:45.815 14
15. Hamad Al Fardan iSport International 1:45.909 12
16. Michael Herck DPR 1:46.191 15
17. Luiz Razia Trust Team Arden 1:46.314 15
18. Giacomo Ricci DPR 1:46.315 14
19. Diego Nunes Piquet GP 1:46.342 14
20 Fabrizzio Crestani Ocean Racing Technology 1:46.975 14
21. Renger van der Zande Trust Team Arden 1:46.993 14
22. Alberto Valerio Trident Racing 1:47.856 14
23. Kevin Nai Chia Chen Fisichella Motor Sport Int. 1:50.600 12
24. Michael Dalle Selle Durango 1:50.821 13
25 Alex Yoong MY Qi-Meritus.Mahara 1:51.699 3
26 Chris van Der Drift Trident Racing 1:53.607 2

[chunterer]

Weekend is already underway then!

Kobayashi took pole from Yamamoto and Petrov.

Maldonado, bit disappointing down the field, as for my money is Van Der Drift one from the back on the grid.

[bella]

remember the weekend is friday-saturday in dubai not saturday-sunday

[N.A-D.R]

stream for feature race??? :O

[Mekola]

Text stream on official GP2 website, as usual.

Kobayashi won race one today, Valsecchi and RodrÃ*guez on the podium. Completed top 8 van der Garde, Petrov, Pérez, D'Ambrosio and Yamamoto.
Diego Nunes suffered a rocambolesque accident after a clash with Buurman, but both are fine.

[F3 Rocks]

"GP2 Series organisers have confirmed that the Dubai sprint race has been cancelled due to poor weather overnight."

The organisers didn't learn any lessons from last year (No drainage). The track was flooded last year when the teams arrived, the local's played Jetski's on the track.

[Dan Friel]

Last night it rained.. it rained a lot. When storms hit this part of the world they're pretty intense.

[F3 Rocks]

Originally Posted by Dan Friel

Last night it rained.. it rained a lot. When storms hit this part of the world they're pretty intense.

Thats no excuse. When they built the track why did they not take that into account, the track has no drainage, Last year they had large trucks pumping the water off the track, and Jetskis racing on the track. so they knew of the possibility of flooding. To have an international race meeting cancelled because of flooding is unthinkable. Imagine Sepang with no drainage the storms there are also intense.

[chunterer]

Right, so will the race be rescheduled (does the series go back later in the season?)

[duke_toaster]

I think so. If they have to do a third sprint, when?

Sidepoint : Proper GP2 is scheduled to have the races on different days because it's an F1 support. If GP2 Asia is top of the bill along with Speedcar, why hasn't in been thought of to do both races on one day.

[F3 Rocks]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Right, so will the race be rescheduled (does the series go back later in the season?)

Gp2 Asia are scheduled to race again in Dubai, last week of Febuary 09, surely they will run the sprint race then, if it doesn't rain.

If they don't Yamamoto Pole and d'Ambrosio 2nd should feel aggrieved

"The GP2 Series Organisation will decide on a later date how this cancelation will affect the Championship in the near future."

[JohnMiller]

Difficult to see how they can reschedule when the driver line-up is so changeable.

[chunterer]

Ha ha, yes very good point John!!

[Dan Friel]

Originally Posted by F3 Rocks

Thats no excuse. When they built the track why did they not take that into account, the track has no drainage, Last year they had large trucks pumping the water off the track, and Jetskis racing on the track. so they knew of the possibility of flooding. To have an international race meeting cancelled because of flooding is unthinkable. Imagine Sepang with no drainage the storms there are also intense.

I think you're right, something that needs to be looked at. However, the weather in the UAE has been exceptional over the last couple of days. Apparently the circuit was all but cut off and drainage across a whole area of the city failed..



Think heavy snow in the UK, and heavy rain in the UAE has the same level of impact.

No doubt an additional round can be added in Feb, but it will be a different circuit config.

[Mekola]

Originally Posted by F3 Rocks

"GP2 Series organisers have confirmed that the Dubai sprint race has been cancelled due to poor weather overnight."

The organisers didn't learn any lessons from last year (No drainage). The track was flooded last year when the teams arrived, the local's played Jetski's on the track.

With this they make me difficult to cope with the prediction competition, this week I was forced to accelerate the deadline for this round because it was wrong informed in the official website. I think I need a good informer to cope it better, for the good of the comp and for the users.

They should have been rescheduled the race for tomorrow IMHO.

[F3 Rocks]

[quote=Mekola]With this they make me difficult to cope with the prediction competition,

Mekola, I think your prediction competition is the last thing on the GP2 Asia organisers minds,
They must be wondering how to keep this forgotten series on the track at all.

[Mekola]

Surely they do (about wondering). But I insist that Sprint Race should have been rescheduled for today (or tomorrow).

[Dan Friel]

Originally Posted by Mekola

Surely they do (about wondering). But I insist that Sprint Race should have been rescheduled for today (or tomorrow).

There's several reasons why that's not possible..

1. FIA licensing.
2. Three day religious holiday in the UAE
3. All the senior officials were flown in from the UK - and they'll all be home tucking into sunday roasts about now....

Easiest solution is to run an additional race when they revisit.

[Lam Pak]

gp2 middle-east series hav a bad start.