106 replies to this topic

[OvDrone]

At this rate, Formula 3.whatever is AutoGP's replacement in the most deadend formula feeder series title.

 

Such a bloody shame. Thanks FIA.

[Prost1997T]

AutoGP is apparently still alive, although the last race only had 7 cars. Maybe they should merge with 3.5, try to get a couple extra cars in the latter?

 

Deletraz got his second win of the season in race 2, he's now just 22 points behind Dillmann in the title chase.

[William Hunt]

It's sad to see a series that used to have such nice competitive fields beiing destroyed by the FIA.
Nevertheless the races are still very entertaining, even if the field is smaller and there are still some very good drivers in it.

[HistoryFan]

and now it looks like GP2 is not going to be Formula 2, so there is a possibility to have a third second-class series...

[Prost1997T]

Only 13 entries for Silverstone: https://pbs.twimg.co...nfLWcAA7xO-.jpg

[Disgrace]

Blimey, it really didn't take very long for the series to collapse.

[Prost1997T]

Disgrace, on 22 Jul 2016 - 20:16, said:

Blimey, it really didn't take very long for the series to collapse.

 

Janosz and Isaakyan are busy with GP3 this weekend, but yeah I don't hold out too much hope for 3.5 to recover.

[William Hunt]

It's a shame because the racing is still pretty good

[TyreSmokeDownshift]

Vaxiviere nabs pole ahead of Orudzhev.

[TyreSmokeDownshift]

It's a first victory for Roy Nissany.

[balage06]

TyreSmokeDownshift, on 23 Jul 2016 - 13:19, said:

It's a first victory for Roy Nissany.

 

Tells you a lot about the quality of the series...

[Prost1997T]

balage06, on 23 Jul 2016 - 13:59, said:

Tells you a lot about the quality of the series...

 

Well he got a podium last year when Rowland and co. still inhabited the championship (not to mention 7 or 8 more cars). Not sure what happened to Deletraz...

[geordiecraig101]

Had a trip to Silverstone yesterday and despite only being 13 cars, the racing was good to watch and its always nice to hear a proper racing engine in the back of a single seater. Anyway here my vid if anyone interested:

 

 

[Prost1997T]

Nissany sweeps the weekend, moving him into 2nd in the points standings.

Edited by Prost1997T, 24 July 2016 - 13:57.

[Victor_RO]

A ray of hope for the series: in 2017 it will go on the WEC support bill and become a WEC feeder series, and the top 3 in the championship will get runs in the WEC end-of-season rookie test. Plus flyaway races.

[Prost1997T]

How appropriate, considering a lot of single seater graduates end up there anyway

[messy]

That's potentially great news. It really needed something like that, to hop on another series to survive.

This season, if you ignore the non-existent strength in depth beyond the top eight, it's still been worth watching. It's not dead quite yet.

[Prost1997T]

messy, on 28 Jul 2016 - 13:28, said:

This season, if you ignore the non-existent strength in depth beyond the top eight, it's still been worth watching. It's not dead quite yet.

 

I really don't think Nissany became a good driver overnight, or Binder for that matter. They're being flattered by the Lotus team.

[LiftAndCoast]

I wonder how they do all the flyaway races but still keep the costs down.

I hope it works, it's been a great series over the years and not every great young talent can afford GP2. With a lot of drivers looking at WEC for their long term careers, this could be an absolute boon.

[Anja]

Good news, possibly the last chance of rescue for this series.

[AustinF1]

Joining WEC for Mexico, Bahrain, and Fuji. but not Austin? Interesting. In a bad way for Austin. 

Edited by AustinF1, 28 July 2016 - 17:10.

[stewie]

LiftAndCoast, on 28 Jul 2016 - 14:06, said:

I wonder how they do all the flyaway races but still keep the costs down.

I hope it works, it's been a great series over the years and not every great young talent can afford GP2. With a lot of drivers looking at WEC for their long term careers, this could be an absolute boon.

I suppose combining the freight with the WEC, the amount of stuff going it's probably not much more to add their stuff too.

[Fastcake]

LiftAndCoast, on 28 Jul 2016 - 14:06, said:

I wonder how they do all the flyaway races but still keep the costs down.
 

 

My thoughts exactly. Autosport says the promoters will be covering transport costs, but that's going to be tightly defined to leave much of the bill to the teams, and going from a European series to one with three flyaway races is a huge change for the teams.

 

It'll be interesting if this can actually save the series or not. Becoming part of WEC's package is a plus, and will help reclaim some of the attention that was lost after the end of the World Series, but the added costs from doing so may overwhelm that. And it won't help if the FIA can actually get Formula Two running in 2018 either.

[Prost1997T]

Marco Bonanomi to replace Artur Janosz at RP Motorsport for the next round: http://www.motorspor...-return-816279/

[HistoryFan]

that's very interesting and a very nice move.

I think it's the first consequence of Formula 3.5 being part of the WEC support programme next season. Perhaps Audi, Porsche and Toyota will use the series for their drivers. That would be awesome...

[messy]

That would be brilliant. Imagine an influx of WEC drivers like Lotterer, Hartley, Lieb, Conway, Kobayashi, Bird...it would be like a European Super Formula.

 

If we're looking at ways to save the series from its current dire state.....

[Prost1997T]

What would they gain from doing so? It's still going to be a junior series and the cars aren't similar enough to LMPs. It's not a standalone like Super Formula at all. ELMS, domestic GT series and Blancpain (among others) already exist as good places to establish yourself before WEC.

Edited by Prost1997T, 07 September 2016 - 14:04.

[Myrvold]

Prost1997T, on 07 Sept 2016 - 14:03, said:

What would they gain from doing so? It's still going to be a junior series and the cars aren't similar enough to LMPs. It's not a standalone like Super Formula at all. ELMS, domestic GT series and Blancpain (among others) already exist as good places to establish yourself before WEC.

SuperLicense points and a dream of F1?

No matter how I look at it, I kinda miss the days when people ran all kind of different things, and got an F1 seat out of it. (Yes, we would need 2 more teams to make it a bigger chance of such things happening)

[Prost1997T]

Myrvold, on 07 Sept 2016 - 14:21, said:

SuperLicense points and a dream of F1?

 

Isn't it becoming a feeder series to WEC? Bird and co. already gave up on F1 a long time ago so SL points are useless to them. Bonanomi showing up for 2 races in a 15 car (or less) field isn't heralding anything yet...

[Myrvold]

Prost1997T, on 07 Sept 2016 - 15:48, said:

Isn't it becoming a feeder series to WEC? Bird and co. already gave up on F1 a long time ago so SL points are useless to them. Bonanomi showing up for 2 races in a 15 car (or less) field isn't heralding anything yet...

Yup, but don't you go and ruin my dreams now!

[Lee Nicolle]

geordiecraig101, on 24 Jul 2016 - 07:05, said:

Had a trip to Silverstone yesterday and despite only being 13 cars, the racing was good to watch and its always nice to hear a proper racing engine in the back of a single seater. Anyway here my vid if anyone interested:

 

 

Clearly a category that looks and sounds like a racing car could never be supported. Lets have hi tech Prius racing or fast milk carts!

Is it me or has motorsport disapeared up its own backside? so many categories, so much money but as boring as watching grass grow

[Prost1997T]

Binder fastest in initial practice, 15 cars entered as usual. Bonanomi was second-slowest naturally   http://www.formulav8.com/3422-2/

[Prost1997T]

Vaxiviere wins race 1, closely followed by the polesitter Deletraz. Dillmann maintains his championship lead with a third place result.

 

Panis takes the race 2 win with an alternate strategy, Dillmann finishes second. Matevos Isaakyan somehow qualified up front and finished third, despite looking horribly inept in the series up till now. http://www.formulav8.com/3422-2/

Edited by Prost1997T, 30 September 2016 - 15:09.

[Prost1997T]

Rene Binder fastest in Monza practice, 14 drivers entered: http://www.cronococa...tform=hootsuite

 

Nissany wins race 1 in dominant fashion, Dillmann fails to score points.

 

Orudzhev takes race 2, Deletraz closes the gap to Dillmann in the championship.

Edited by Prost1997T, 18 October 2016 - 13:05.

[Prost1997T]

Thomas Randle and Jack Aitken will be joining the field at Jerez: http://www.britishf3...v8-35-test.aspx ; http://www.italiaracing.net/newsint.aspx?id=198479&cat=5

[Mekola]

Knew about Aitken, now Randle. Hope the grid for the two last races will be at least of 16 cars.

If Comtec and Durango could sign another driver (Why not Siebert for the Durango car?), they could be 18 drivers.

[TyreSmokeDownshift]

First victory of the season for Matevos Isaakyan. Aitken P10 on debut.

Edited by TyreSmokeDownshift, 30 October 2016 - 08:52.

[TyreSmokeDownshift]

Race 2 underway. Deletraz on pole.

[TyreSmokeDownshift]

Victory number 4 for Egor Orudzhev. Deletraz now leads the championship with just three points separating him and Dillmann going into the final round (viewed the Twitter feed).

Edited by TyreSmokeDownshift, 30 October 2016 - 13:18.

[ezequiel]

Orudzhev wins from Deletraz, Vaxiviere, Aitken and Visser

[Prost1997T]

Despite a fifth win for Orudzhev, he's eliminated from title contention.

[Prost1997T]

Dillmann wins the final race of the year and the championship.

[ezequiel]

Thrilling finale. I thought Deletraz had it in the bag after qualify.

[Prost1997T]

ezequiel, on 06 Nov 2016 - 15:32, said:

Thrilling finale. I thought Deletraz had it in the bag after qualify.

 

It was? All the key overtakes took place in the pit lane.

[Viryfan]

Prost1997T, on 06 Nov 2016 - 15:39, said:

It was? All the key overtakes took place in the pit lane.

 

It was thrilling in a sense that we did not know wheter the undercut would work or if Tom's tyre would stay alive until the end.

 

The thrill of a  race is not only measured by overtakings.

[Prost1997T]

Viryfan, on 06 Nov 2016 - 15:44, said:

It was thrilling in a sense that we did not know wheter the undercut would work or if Tom's tyre would stay alive until the end.

 

The thrill of a  race is not only measured by overtakings.

 

It was pretty obvious, from watching the timing screen, that he was faster than Deletraz by a significant margin after the pitstops.

[krioru]

Perfect driving by Tom Dillman. Deserved championship win.

[TyreSmokeDownshift]

So now that he has the championship title, where next for Tom Dillmann?

[Prost1997T]

TyreSmokeDownshift, on 06 Nov 2016 - 16:55, said:

So now that he has the championship title, where next for Tom Dillmann?

 

Back to Blancpain or WEC.

[billm99uk]

Prost1997T, on 06 Nov 2016 - 17:05, said:

Back to Blancpain or WEC.

 

Cynic!