973 replies to this topic

[noikeee]

Hello and welcome to the new season of FIA Formula 2! Wait, what's that? You might have known this series by a different name in the recent past. "gee - pee - too". In case you still don't remember, here's a few pictures that might refresh your memory:
 

Whatever the name, it's the series where young, hopeful talented drivers find themselves just one tiny step out of Formula 1, get too excited about it, and then pick up a massive bill on carbon fiber.

The season starts this weekend somewhere in a desert in the middle of nowhere:



And these are the protagonists, as far as we know:
 


The plotlines write themselves. Will Prema renew their championship despite fielding a bunch of Ferrari rookies? What can other rookies like Louis Delétraz and Alex Albon do? Will the experience of the likes of Oli Rowland, Luca Ghiotto, Norman Nato, Noboharu Matsushita, Nyck de Vries prevail instead? What can MARKELOV do for all-caps RUSSIAN TIME? How many victims will Sergio Canamasas, and, wait for it, Johnny Cecotto Jr, claim on race per average? Why is Cecotto back and what the hell is Stefano Coletti doing here too? How many seconds off the pace will Sean Gelael be? Who the hell is Ralph Boschung?

The calendar for this weekend is here (BST time):



And we already have the results of first practice session with Oli Rowland topping it:

 
 

POS DRIVER TEAM TIME GAP LAPS
1 Oliver Rowland DAMS 1m42.221s - 16
2 Artem Markelov RUSSIAN TIME 1m42.313s 0.092s 13
3 Charles Leclerc Prema Racing 1m42.372s 0.151s 15
4 Antonio Fuoco Prema Racing 1m42.381s 0.160s 12
5 Norman Nato Pertamina Arden 1m42.594s 0.373s 13
6 Luca Ghiotto RUSSIAN TIME 1m42.715s 0.494s 14
7 Nyck de Vries Rapax 1m43.052s 0.831s 6
8 Johnny Cecotto Jr. Rapax 1m43.146s 0.925s 16
9 Nobuharu Matsushita ART Grand Prix 1m43.213s 0.992s 15
10 Gustav Malja Racing Engineering 1m43.230s 1.009s 14
11 Sergio Sette Camara MP Motorsport 1m43.260s 1.039s 15
12 Jordan King MP Motorsport 1m43.265s 1.044s 15
13 Nicholas Latifi DAMS 1m43.323s 1.102s 15
14 Sean Gelael Pertamina Arden 1m43.355s 1.134s 13
15 Ralph Boschung Campos Racing 1m43.479s 1.258s 12
16 Stefano Coletti Campos Racing 1m43.632s 1.411s 16
17 Nabil Jeffri Trident 1m43.891s 1.670s 16
18 Sergio Canamasas Trident 1m43.958s 1.737s 15
19 Louis Deletraz Racing Engineering 1m44.016s 1.795s 14
20 Alexander Albon ART Grand Prix 1m44.360s 2.139s 15

 

Let's go racing!

[TheManAlive]

Any idea what channel is showing the race. Been googling but cant find who is showing it in the uk this year.

[noikeee]

Any idea what channel is showing the race. Been googling but cant find who is showing it in the uk this year.

I don't know, but it does appear nobody's showing it here in Portugal again. 

[f1paul]

Any idea what channel is showing the race. Been googling but cant find who is showing it in the uk this year.

Sky Sports F1

[TheManAlive]

Thanks. Not sure how I missed that.

[f1paul]

Here's a bit more info but pretty much everything's been covered in the OP. Nice job noikeee 

 

Basically, it's all about racin' and not the talkin' in this series.

Edited by f1paul, 14 April 2017 - 11:47.

[SonnyViceR]

Hello and welcome to the new season of FIA Formula 2! Wait, what's that?

 

The spec thing that run with WTCC and nobody cared about it?

 

But as meaningless as that reincarnated corpse was, at t least that wasn't just 100% rebranding deal as this GP2 is. You'd think they'd do at least something other than change some stickers.

[noikeee]

The spec thing that run with WTCC and nobody cared about it?

 

But as meaningless as that reincarnated corpse was, at t least that wasn't just 100% rebranding deal as this GP2 is. You'd think they'd do at least something other than change some stickers.

 

This was Liberty's deal not FIA, because Bernie wanted to retain the GP2 name. On the short time frame they had since Bernie was kicked out, what did you expect them to do?

 

I do have my reservations about whether restructuring the feeder series to F1/F2/F3 is really the right thing to do. There's a lot of issues, sure it's simpler for the fans, but it becomes a monopoly, it kills off other cheaper alternative series which might make it worse for less funded drivers etc. However I'm not sure there's anything wrong with renaming GP2 to F2 per se. The series already existed, the name's simpler, the racing should remain good with the same cars, what's there not to like?

 

I know you don't like spec racing but it is what it is and there's nobody at all wanting to change that, so it's hardly new.

[SonnyViceR]

This was Liberty's deal not FIA, because Bernie wanted to retain the GP2 name. On the short time frame they had since Bernie was kicked out, what did you expect them to do?

 

I do have my reservations about whether restructuring the feeder series to F1/F2/F3 is really the right thing to do. There's a lot of issues, sure it's simpler for the fans, but it becomes a monopoly, it kills off other cheaper alternative series which might make it worse for less funded drivers etc. However I'm not sure there's anything wrong with renaming GP2 to F2 per se. The series already existed, the name's simpler, the racing should remain good with the same cars, what's there not to like?

 

I know you don't like spec racing but it is what it is and there's nobody at all wanting to change that, so it's hardly new.

 

They had grand plans before opting for the sticker deal.

http://www.racecar-e...details-emerge/

 

Anyway I'm just an outsider saying this as I don't even follow F1 anymore, let alone this. So my view is more general than personal

[Kev00]

Wish it was still called GP2

[Fastcake]

Both Canamasas and Cecotto Jr are racing in the same series again!?

F2 definitely will not disappoint fans of GP2 style calamity, nor shareholders of Dallara.

[noikeee]

They had grand plans before opting for the sticker deal.

http://www.racecar-e...details-emerge/

 

Anyway I'm just an outsider saying this as I don't even follow F1 anymore, let alone this. So my view is more general than personal

The sticker deal was far more practical. They'd have to tear apart GP2 to come up with all that, or even worse, set up a competing series because the FIA people in charge of this revolution (led by Domenicali at the time) were not the owners of GP2 and there's competing interests.

 

Mind you that article says the timeframe for the new car and regulations (which seem unclear) was for it to start in 2018. So it's still entirely possible it'll come into force in 2018, and this season is just a transition year in which they might as well rename it already and get that done which is the easy part.

 

Also notice that the current grid has shrunk to just 20 cars and 10 teams and any sudden moves to force everyone to buy or build new cars, could make everything crumble.

[Marklar]

I missed Markelov's team radios 

[SilverArrow31]

Even though these cars are the same as last year or near enough, they now look very strange. Hope when they start using a new chassis they go the route f1 has gone.

[markelov74]

Markelov will win the title this year (I am not Markelov BTW!)

[TomNokoe]

Look at those stupid rear wings.

[FullOppositeLock]

Leclerc will be the man to beat. Really surprised so few people have him down as one of the, if not the main favourite.

[Muppetmad]

Don't worry, Leclerc is my favourite for the title.

[SilverArrow31]

I see Leclerc doing the double even though its now impossible. Winning the GP3 and GP2 now F2 title and bagging himself a Haas seat. Very early to speculate though.

Edited by SilverArrow31, 14 April 2017 - 17:24.

[FullOppositeLock]

Nice lap Charles!

[Francesc]

Pole for Leclerc. I think his time is unbeatable.

[messy]

I think the rookies will do well this season, but have a bit of a feeling that one of the 'veterans' might end up winning the title. And I'm classing Ollie Rowland in that bracket because even though it's only his second season, he was in FR3.5 for a long time before that and he's one of the older drivers. In a way it's a shame Alex Lynn decided to move on, because assuming he'd still be at DAMS he'd probably be a big favourite this season. It worked for Jolyon Palmer, it got him into F1.

[FullOppositeLock]

Malja and Jeffri collide. That's it. Leclerc on pole, Fuoco second and Nyck de Vries third.

Edited by FullOppositeLock, 14 April 2017 - 17:30.

[FullOppositeLock]

Same corner as the Hulkenberg/Hamilton incident earlier in F1 practice

[ckolcz]

Malja and Jeffri. What the hell was that?

[sportyskells]

erm, Where was the red flag on the above​ Maija and Jeffi tangle, Normally a tangle like that during qualfying bring out a red flag not a very late VSC unless that new for F2

[Viryfan]

A shame that Fuoco did not have a second shot at it.

[BRG]

The spec thing that run with WTCC and nobody cared about it?

 

But as meaningless as that reincarnated corpse was, at t least that wasn't just 100% rebranding deal as this GP2 is. You'd think they'd do at least something other than change some stickers.

This is the great thing about this forum.  Even when the powers that be do something as sensible and obvious as renaming GP2 as Formula Two and reinstating the proper ladder of talent in the sport, there is still someone ready to **** on it.

[Prost1997T]

This is the great thing about this forum.  Even when the powers that be do something as sensible and obvious as renaming GP2 as Formula Two and reinstating the proper ladder of talent in the sport, there is still someone ready to **** on it.

 

Renaming GP2 doesn't fix any of the cost problems it has, for starters.

[ensign14]

Malja and Jeffri. What the hell was that?

 

Two **** drivers who are buying someone else's living.

[GeeVeeF1]

Renaming GP2 doesn't fix any of the cost problems it has, for starters.

Hopefully improved costs will come with the introduction of the next generation F2 car.... not much that can be done whilst running the current existing package I guess...

[tormave]

GP^H^HF2 might have it's problems, but the racing has been amazing the last few years. Looking forward to another great season of close racing and midfield brain fades.

[William Hunt]

Malja is not a top driver but not a bad driver either: he performed quite well in the second half of last season

Today he sure robbed us of an exciting end of the qualifying session, de Vries was lucky that he recorded his 2nd flying lap ahead of Malja

[Prost1997T]

Hopefully improved costs will come with the introduction of the next generation F2 car.... not much that can be done whilst running the current existing package I guess...

 

Liberty could throw some money at it. Cover the travel costs for the teams and a set of spare parts.

[noikeee]

Fuoco penalised and down to 5th on the grid. De Vries will line up next to Leclerc tomorrow on the front row.

[LiftAndCoast]

Fuoco penalised and down to 5th on the grid. De Vries will line up next to Leclerc tomorrow on the front row.

What's the penalty for, any idea?

[noikeee]

What's the penalty for, any idea?

Blocking Markelov in qualifying.

[LiftAndCoast]

Cheers

[dutra]

So, how many seasons until they change the name again, back to F3000? 

[Kev00]

If Fuoco can stick it on the front row on debut then Premature are definitely the team to beat.

[Kev00]

Also surprising that Malja only gets a 5 place penalty for some of the most reckless and dangerous driving I can remember.

[balage06]

Also surprising that Malja only gets a 5 place penalty for some of the most reckless and dangerous driving I can remember.

 

What happened? I missed the quali.

[thegamer23]

This happened!
https://youtu.be/USZ0C1XcZ5Q

Edited by thegamer23, 15 April 2017 - 06:55.

[Muppetmad]

That looks like a misunderstanding of where Jeffri was going to go and a panic reaction from Malja; it's unfortunate but I don't think it's malicious.

[aray]

If Fuoco can stick it on the front row on debut then Premature are definitely the team to beat.

Leclerc also claimed pole in debut,so Prema sure is team to beat.

In fact top 3 by time(before penalty) are all rookies,no?

[FullOppositeLock]

Yes they are

[Jvr]

Some new names for the grid: 

 

 

 

[mangeliiito]

Hah, a lot of drivers got demoted I see!

[FullOppositeLock]

Nato takes the lead!

[FullOppositeLock]

Leclerc re-takes the lead