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Formula 2/Formula 3000/GP2 - one & the same?


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#1 Richard Jenkins

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Posted 07 September 2004 - 17:56

Hi all,
Had intended to post this much, much earlier but this year has been one of mass work & illness, so it got forgotten in the cobweb of my brain until I read the race report of the Belgian F3000 race.

The next race, Italy, will be the last ever Formula 3000 race in name. For next year, the GP2 series comes into being. And, so, for me, starts a quandary. As most people know, I already include F3000 in my WATN. Plans, albeit, now postponed for a fair while due to all the personal stuff this year, are afoot for an F2 section, once the Indy 500 section, also much delayed, is finally implemented in full on WATN.
But what about GP2? I don't consider this to be the same series as F3000, so in its infacy, I would both be wrong to include totals of races & new drivers for it in the F3000 section, surely? Equally, I would be wrong to include the GP2 data with the F2 data, yes?
In effect, I should have, should I choose to, one F3000 section (as present) for 1985-2004, a F2 section & then a GP2 section in future years, this would be the correct procedure, I presume. (However a GP2 section would probably be in note form only as the WATN aspect is not applicable in this case for the first few years - also many drivers will automatically come under the GP2 series anyway that are racing now)
In essence, what I'm trying to get at is to clarify, virtually universally, that the three ARE different series & this is not simply the same series with a different name, as has been the case before, so when it comes to the first GP2 race, or even the last F3000 race this weekend, to know who should be in one list & who should be in another.

Thoughts/advice welcome. :)

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#2 Frank de Jong

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Posted 07 September 2004 - 18:58

Richie,

I would consider F2-F3000-GP2 either as one series, or I would brake it into pieces with roughly the same rules. I think the difference between the original F3000 and the current one make/one engine series is huge, far more than the difference between the last F2 and the first F3000 - March even used the same chassis, IIRC.
So either: everything together or F2 1600 (1967-1971), F2 2000 (1972-1984 or even 1972-1975 and 1976-1984), F3000 (1985-1995?) etc.
I would even consider to include Japanese F3000.

#3 petefenelon

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Posted 07 September 2004 - 19:17

With my purist hat on, I'd say there's "continuity" between the start of the 1600cc F2 and the European championship, and the end of multi-chassis F3000. One-make F3000 is Yet Another One Make Series and really should've had another name, so's GP2. Although for convenience's sake, I guess most people will lump "open" and "closed" F3000 in together and mark the split at the end of Euro F2 in '84. (conveniently ignoring Japan ;))

pete

#4 ensign14

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Posted 07 September 2004 - 19:19

More importantly is F2 the true successor of voiturette racing?

#5 fines

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Posted 07 September 2004 - 19:57

Originally posted by ensign14
More importantly is F2 the true successor of voiturette racing?

Maybe of 30s "Voiturette" Racing, but the original Voiturette movement lives on in Formula 3!

[or, rather, did until it became Formula Dallara...]