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How could GP2 get stronger again


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#1 HistoryFan

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 19:54

  1. No races outside Europe to cut cost
  2. The races must be published in free TV in all important countries, at least in Western Europe. With that sponsors could get more attention to GP2.
  3. A reglement similar to LMP2: More different chassis and engine builder who also spend money to teams or in the series (like VW and Mercedes in F3) with a budget cap.
  4. F1 money for GP2 teams/drivers, because if the first thoughts of the budget cap are right then it will be in a five year strategy reduce to 87m Euros in 2019 and that is less than some teams like Ferrari and Red Bull now gain on prize money. This money could be spend in GP2 as the F1 has the duty to help young drivers in my opinion. The budget cap in F1 also could help GP2 in that way, that the F1 teams get wealthier and have no need for pay drivers. And in that way that there could be a full grid with 26 cars and so more possibilities are left for young drivers.
  5. Prize money for drivers in the week after the race. So teams could run talent drivers, not payed driver to have success and earn the money, as Russian Time did it in 2013. With the money given every week after the race a driver could race as long as he is successfull without having a contract the whole year.

What I would not do:

  1. To let the series drive with two years old F1 cars. That would be too expansive and is not realistic.
  2. To reduce the years drivers could drive in GP2 for a maximum. Experience is not bad, it is good and with just 22 cars on the grid it is quite normal that only a few drivers could climb up to F1 every year and so the drivers must drive longer in other Formula Series.


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#2 olliek88

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 20:49

Less non European races, no more reverse grid races, have drivers 2nd best Q time set the race 2 grid and less emphasis on high deg tyres.



#3 Szoelloe

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 21:03

Make it a non-spec series with restrictions. No WT, No sims, for starters. Some freedom in engineering. Food for thought.



#4 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 21:04

Get the costs back down, in some cases to about 50% of where they are now. I barely have any theories why it is so high, the travel can't be *that* big a factor.



#5 Fastcake

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 21:15

Get the costs back down, in some cases to about 50% of where they are now. I barely have any theories why it is so high, the travel can't be *that* big a factor.

 

The teams can only use parts brought from the series, which charges ridiculously high prices for them. It's basically another money-spinner for Bernie.



#6 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 21:29

That should have been true from the start, so why the huge budget inflation?



#7 SonnyViceR

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 21:48

LMP2 isn't a feeder series category for LMP1 (except in some rare cases) so making any comparisons to GP2 is out of the question. The only objective of GP2 is to act as the stepping stone for F1. Nobody gives a crap about records or history or teams in GP2. Teams are there to make money and drivers to get out of there as soon as possible (=if it means graduating). So making it a non-spec series would be sorta pointless. As weird as that may sound coming from me who always mocks the spec nature of F1, and pretty much all single seater racing.

 

HRT Dallara clone was pretty much the reason GP2 started sucking few years ago. And the other artificial crap transferred from F1



#8 rjsports

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 21:59

It's a money thing for starters. It's ridiculous how much a GP2 seat costs compared to a 3.5 seat.

 

A few things on the format which would make it more appealing. Do 2 qualifying sessions and get rid of the reversed grid. Give the 2 races the same amount of laps and if pit stops are a problem they can choose to do one with and one without. I know pretty much the 3.5 format, but let's face it the better driver usely wins.


Edited by rjsports, 23 December 2013 - 22:17.


#9 Fastcake

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 22:03

That should have been true from the start, so why the huge budget inflation?

 

I have heard with each new car iteration, the series increases the mark-up on parts. Allegedly, they've been cashing in the crash-happy nature of the series by charging far more for the cars than they did at the start. It is most likely why the new car was cancelled, the teams just couldn't afford any further costs.



#10 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 22:16

I don't think the series itself has changed much since the first race? Still reversed grid races, pitstops, etc. No DRS, no KERS, minor tweaks to fast lap points and etc. 



#11 SonnyViceR

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 23:28

I don't think the series itself has changed much since the first race? Still reversed grid races, pitstops, etc. No DRS, no KERS, minor tweaks to fast lap points and etc. 

 

Show tires + Mandatory use of multiple compounds

 

But the main lacking area is the boring 'extremely hard to make pass' HRT Dallara which is the exact opposite of the previous models... which I suppose at least reminds more of F1...


Edited by SonnyViceR, 23 December 2013 - 23:30.


#12 OvDrone

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Posted 23 December 2013 - 23:35

The answer to every of our motorsport problems (duh!) - No more Abu Dhabi.


Edited by OvDrone, 23 December 2013 - 23:35.


#13 FerrariV12

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Posted 24 December 2013 - 00:14

 

  1. No races outside Europe to cut cost
  2. The races must be published in free TV in all important countries, at least in Western Europe. With that sponsors could get more attention to GP2.
  3. A reglement similar to LMP2: More different chassis and engine builder who also spend money to teams or in the series (like VW and Mercedes in F3) with a budget cap.
  4. F1 money for GP2 teams/drivers, because if the first thoughts of the budget cap are right then it will be in a five year strategy reduce to 87m Euros in 2019 and that is less than some teams like Ferrari and Red Bull now gain on prize money. This money could be spend in GP2 as the F1 has the duty to help young drivers in my opinion. The budget cap in F1 also could help GP2 in that way, that the F1 teams get wealthier and have no need for pay drivers. And in that way that there could be a full grid with 26 cars and so more possibilities are left for young drivers.
  5. Prize money for drivers in the week after the race. So teams could run talent drivers, not payed driver to have success and earn the money, as Russian Time did it in 2013. With the money given every week after the race a driver could race as long as he is successfull without having a contract the whole year.

What I would not do:

  1. To let the series drive with two years old F1 cars. That would be too expansive and is not realistic.
  2. To reduce the years drivers could drive in GP2 for a maximum. Experience is not bad, it is good and with just 22 cars on the grid it is quite normal that only a few drivers could climb up to F1 every year and so the drivers must drive longer in other Formula Series.

 

 

Agree with pretty much most of this, although as some have mentioned it appears the monopoly on cars/parts is basically acting as a moneyspinner for Bernie and co, so the change might be hard to come from within.

 

Attempting a start up series like this might not work, but for Max's F2 idea a few years back, attempting this sort of framework would have been far more worthwhile than the spec, centrally-run, souped-up Formula Palmer Audi that died a death anyway.

 

LMP2 isn't a feeder series category for LMP1 (except in some rare cases) so making any comparisons to GP2 is out of the question. The only objective of GP2 is to act as the stepping stone for F1. Nobody gives a crap about records or history or teams in GP2. Teams are there to make money and drivers to get out of there as soon as possible (=if it means graduating). So making it a non-spec series would be sorta pointless. As weird as that may sound coming from me who always mocks the spec nature of F1, and pretty much all single seater racing.

 

HRT Dallara clone was pretty much the reason GP2 started sucking few years ago. And the other artificial crap transferred from F1

 

You're right but it's kind of become a self-fulfilling prophecy over the past decade or so. The old F2, while reason for its existence was for developing drivers, it wasn't the only reason. Teams, constructors, whole engine manufacturers used it as a stepping stone, and established F1 drivers also occasionally took part, in fact it formed the basis of the world championship for two years in the 50s. GP2 and most other feeder categories (with the honourable exception of F3) are only all about the driver because they've been moulded that way.



#14 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 24 December 2013 - 00:14

Show tires + Mandatory use of multiple compounds

 

 

That must have been 2011 when they switched to Pirelli



#15 PayasYouRace

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Posted 24 December 2013 - 09:41

Make it a non-spec series with restrictions. No WT, No sims, for starters. Some freedom in engineering. Food for thought.

 

Erm?  :confused:

 

So freedom in engineering by restricting engineering? Yeah, makes sense.  :rolleyes:



#16 lustigson

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Posted 24 December 2013 - 12:41

Use two-year-old-spec Formula One chassis' and dito, downgraded/rev-limited engines on spec tyres.



#17 HistoryFan

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Posted 24 December 2013 - 12:56

but that will be too expensive.



#18 SonnyViceR

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Posted 24 December 2013 - 13:28

Use two-year-old-spec Formula One chassis' and dito, downgraded/rev-limited engines on spec tyres.

 

And how exactly would you determine which team gets outdated Ferrari and which outdated Marussia... other than by money

 

Would be cool if there was an exhibition race where they run GP2 and GP3 together in multi class format



#19 HistoryFan

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Posted 25 December 2013 - 10:52

Why, there is a lot of difference between GP2 und GP3...



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#20 SonnyViceR

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Posted 25 December 2013 - 11:36

Point being?



#21 mlsnoopy

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Posted 25 December 2013 - 11:40

1. Change the name to F1 European championship

2. Make it an independent racing series.

3. Allow custom cars

4. Limit the amount of downforce cars can produce, so that a custom and the spec car have the same amount of downforce

5. Use F1 engines

6. Exploit the stupidity of the f1 calendar and correctly position the races

7. Use tracks that F1 is not currently using. Like Portimao, Jerez, Aragon, Valencia, Le Mans, Magny Course, Imola, Mugello, Donington, Hockenheim,.........

8. Make the main prize for the WDC winning team promotion to F1 world championship.



#22 rhukkas

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Posted 25 December 2013 - 11:54

If an series has heralded as the stepping stone into F1 then it will 100000% be massively overly priced. There is NOTHING anyone can do.



#23 Ross Stonefeld

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Posted 25 December 2013 - 11:55

Point being?

 

Well, why combine them? You'd have a bigger grid, but two separate races. If GP3 ran the full GP2 feature race distance, you might get a straggler or two lapped, but otherwise it'd be like having different races on different channels.



#24 billm99uk

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Posted 25 December 2013 - 19:09

Cut costs. A lot. And losing the flyaways was actually quite a good move in that direction - the effect on this years field was noticeable at the start of the season. Nothing else will work

#25 4MEN

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Posted 25 December 2013 - 23:28

Get more horsepower than a F1!



#26 scheivlak

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Posted 25 December 2013 - 23:49

Get more horsepower than a F1!

You know who runs GP2?    ;)