10 replies to this topic

[Port-A-Loo]

Anyone here like to follow the junior formula series?  I'm always interested in the next talents and I think they're a lot of fun with the drivers having similar cars and such.  Been a lot of testing going on this winter and a few drivers confirmed and such.  And a new car for GP2 in 2011 and new teams too!  So I figure if anyone else cares, we ought to have a thread to keep up.

GP2 testing from Abu Dhabi these last two days.  James Jakes went quickest on day one over GP3 champion Esteban Gutierrez, who is confirmed with ART (Lotus) for the season.  Another rookie from GP3, Robert Wickens, made the top five with iSport, which was pretty impressive to me.  Oh, and, Camilo Zurcher of DPR ran one lap at 2:33.817, nearly a minute behind Jakes!  Sign him up for HRT!   Day two we see Fabio Leimer lead Josef Kral.  Gutierrez fifth this time, impressive again.  And Zurcher of DPR ran another lap, this one a 2:10.469.  23 second pickup makes him the most improved of the test.  So much potential!   Good to see that a lot of GP3 guys are testing here in GP2 now.  That ladder's working well and GP3's definitely made F2 a bit of overkill being affordable yet actually a good series to launch a career from.

[Port-A-Loo]

Ah, typo in the thread title.  "Gongrats" to me for being so daft.

[Rainmaster]

I'd like to watch a lot of the junior championships but unfortunately it falls under the category of "things I'd watch if I had more time".

[monza gorilla]

Port-A-Loo, on 24 November 2010 - 05:06 PM, said:

Ah, typo in the thread title.  "Gongrats" to me for being so daft.

S'ok. Thought it may be a Scouse discussion group for bairns.

I used to watch F3 & F2 but that was 30 years ago.

Edited by monza gorilla, 24 November 2010 - 05:52 PM.

[JHS]

I'm interested in the junior formulae too.

Generally I don't see too much action as I don't get TV channels that show them, but I rely on YouTube and read the race reports. It seems like the GP2 and GP3 races are sometimes more exciting than the Grand Prix!

I think it's a very exciting time in terms of the young driver talent progressing through the ranks though. The likes of Vergne, Ricciardo, Mehri, Gutierrez, Perez, Sainz Jnr, Rigon, Haryanto will hopefully keep progressing, and maybe we'll see them in F1 one day.

[HandyNZL]

Young driver talent has always been there...how else do you think they got to F1?  This period is no better or no less than it ever was.  Just more TV and this thing called the intercoursenet.


Edit: 'coz I wanted to.  OK.

Edited by HandyNZL, 25 November 2010 - 05:55 AM.

[JHS]

HandyNZL, on 25 November 2010 - 05:54 AM, said:

Young driver talent has always been there...how else do you think they got to F1?  This period is no better or no less than it ever was.  Just more TV and this thing called the intercoursenet.


Edit: 'coz I wanted to.  OK.

I disagree.

I think the depth of talent on the grid in Formula One is MUCH higher than it was at the start of the decade.

[Port-A-Loo]

HandyNZL, on 25 November 2010 - 05:54 AM, said:

Young driver talent has always been there...how else do you think they got to F1?  This period is no better or no less than it ever was.  Just more TV and this thing called the intercoursenet.


Edit: 'coz I wanted to.  OK.

No, no, the young driver talent is much better now we have Canadian Formula 3 for next year.

Really I agree.  Internet's made it a bit easier to keep track of the top talents, and the bottom ones, too (just look at the F2 web page and you'll know who you'll never see in F1 ).

[Port-A-Loo]

Well GP2 testing rapped up for 2010 with Herck on top.  Leimer, Kral, Rossi, and Gonzalez the rest of the top five.  These four tests have shown me that the GP2 field doesn't seem to be so strong, really.  I just hope that with the new car in 2011 we'll see a shake-up of sorts.

[HandyNZL]

I think you'll find the word is "wrapped", not "rapped"....unless of course they had their bling on, their trucker hat on backwards, their pants around their ankles and holding up the front with one hand whilst trying to make a rhyme with Purple, Orange and Silver...

[Port-A-Loo]

HandyNZL, on 29 November 2010 - 07:34 AM, said:

I think you'll find the word is "wrapped", not "rapped"....unless of course they had their bling on, their trucker hat on backwards, their pants around their ankles and holding up the front with one hand whilst trying to make a rhyme with Purple, Orange and Silver...

Sorry for the typo, meant to say the GP2 testing raped up for 2010 with Herck on top.  Oh golly no, I didn't mean that.  Eurgh.   The NZL rap scene must be lagging.  Backwards trucker hats?  So 2004, really.  When you drop your next rhymes, avoid those colors and try something about getting drank, something about a skank, something about making bank.  Make references to a lot of letter and number combos that you have to Google to understand.  808s, G6s, 8-675-309, various sections of tax codes, that sort.