It seems to me that something's currently broken in this Feeder Series, the
final step in the ladder to thy pinnacle 'O motorsport, aka Formula 1, namely
that it isn't graduating its series champions to the B-I-G' Show Not to mention
barely ever being seen on Stateside television...
Although "Peacock-lite's" (NBCSN) lead
announcer Leigh Diffey said it would be on the air Saturday, (July 25) as I
stumbled into I-T listed simply as "Auto Racing" on my NFB Newsline
for The Blind TV Guide. And Eureka! I actually got to watch; Err listen to the
Hungarian Feature race round following F1's Qualie re-airing - Ditto for the
Belgian Feature Race round, albeit once again shown late night, i.e.; 10PM
Pacific...
GP2 Series Champions
2005: Nico Rosberg, Germany
2006: Lewis Hamilton, United Kingdom
2007: Timo Glock, Germany
2008: Giorgio
Pantano, Italy
2009: Nico Hulkenberg, Germany
2010: Pastor Maldonado, Venezuela
2011: Romain Grosjean, France
2012: Davide
Valsecchi, Italy
2013: Fabio
Leimer, Switzerland
2014: Jolyon Palmer, United Kingdom
Although this year's F1 rookie crop is comprised
of more past Formula Renault 3.5 competitors, GP2 is represented by Brazil's
Felipe Nasr, who finished third overall in 2014, albeit behind rookie sensation
Stoffel Vandoorne
who finished runner-up and is leading this year's
championship quite handedly! With Nasr simply taking his "Banco du
Brasilia" dowry to Sauber F1, who've just confirmed him for a sophomore
season with the Swiss team.
Scuderia Toro Rosso's impressive A-L-L Rookie
lineup this season features ex-F3 Hotschue' Max "Dutchboy"
Verstappen, who finished third overall in FIA European F3 in his maiden 2014 campaign
- his debutant single seater season before becoming the youngest ever driver at
thy tender age of 17 racing in F1! Which prompted the FIA to create the
"Verstappen Rule!" Which limits drivers advancing into F1 too quickly
with new Superlicense requirements.
Max's team-mate is NO slouch either, as 20yr
old Spaniard Carlos Sainz, Jr. graduated to Formula 1 after winning the '14
Formula Renault 3.5 series, as both are products of the Red Bull Junior Driver
academy.
and then there's the old fashioned way of
landing a Formula 1 drive, ergo 'Mega Dinero (cash) as the proverbial
Tail-gunner Charlie Manor-Marussia F1 team gladly took FR 3.5 Alum's Great
Britain's Will Stevens cheque, whom reportedly paid a cool half million for his
One-off with Caterham at Abu Dhabi last year.
Meanwhile Manor's second seat is currently
occupied by rejuvenated single seater Pilote' Roberto Merhi - who spent time in
DTM before returning to cars without roofs en route to giving Carlos Sainz a
run for his money before ultimately finishing third overall in FR3.5 last
season.
As the Spanish driver has spent much of the
season pondering if or when he'll be jettisoned for a nebulous "Pay
Driver?" Although he hasn't exactly been setting the World Series by
Renault championship on fire this year, not to mention his NASTY accident he
caused at Spielberg, resulting
in double elimination from both rounds by Steward's decision!
But seriously? NONE
of the last three years GP2 series champions have graduated into Formula 1 rides;
Go figure? Although Merhi could finally be replaced by Manor Marussia F1
reserve driver Fabio Leimer if I've ARSE-sumed correctly? Since its probably
the worst kept secret that Merhi's simply on a race-to-race dealio' until
somebody better funded comes along...
GP2
Will the curse of the Italians befall this
year's champion as it has the past two seasons? When Switzerland's Fabio Leimer
won the title in his third year of competition, scoring three wins out of
63-races, which probably isn't a huge winning percentage, right? As I've got NO
idea if this is partly what caused the young Swiss driver to become the first
Non-Italian to be shunned by Formula 1 teams for a race seat, whilst Britain's
Jolyon Palmer has also befallen the same fate.
Thus, prior to 2013, the only GP2 champions
not to move up to Formula 1 the next season were Italy's Giorgio Pantano
and Davide Valsecchi,
albeit Valsecchi
briefly enjoyed being a Lotus F1 "simulator Jockey,
" while Pantano has faded from my radar screen since his attempts to kick
start his Open Wheel Racing career with a brief return to Indy Cars in 2012.
Pantano,
winner of the GP2 crown in '08 at the ripe 'Ol age of 29, was apparently deemed
too old for Formula 1 and thus was never given a shot - and that's before
teenager's like Russia's Daniil Kvyat and Netherlands "Boy Wonder" Max
Verstappen made their way into the pinnacle 'O motorsports.
Although obviously
I've forgotten watching the Italian whom Nico Rosberg grew up with a poster of
him on his wall and called him probably the best Karter ever, while Fernando Alonso said he was
Invincible! Did race briefly in Formula 1.
As how could I
forget actually watching him race for Jordan Grand Prix the majority of the '04
season, especially since I was elated over Timo Glock's debutant points scoring
finish at Il Notre Dam as Pantano's replacement...
Giorgio got his first crack at Indy Cars in
2005 for Chip Ganassi as a third entry for the Indy Racing League's Road Course
events that season before Cheep' scaled back to a two car effort the following
year. Then Pantano
substituted for the injured Justin Wilson at Dreyer & Reinbold in 2011
before one final IndyCar splurge again with Ganassi in '12 and has since
focused his efforts upon becoming a
Sports Car driver in Europe, as his previous ride, an McLaren MP4-12C
GT3 car isn't all bad, right? As don't know what he's racing this year.
Meanwhile, Davide Valsecchi who became a Lotus F1 reserve driver in
2013, apparently didn't do himself any favours after being overly critical of
being passed over as Kimi Raikkonen's replacement when the Finn left Lotus for
back surgery. As the team opted for the experienced Heikki Kovalainen instead
in hopes of moving up in the F1 Constructors table, which Heikki failed to help
the team accomplish with his two 14th place finishes.
Subsequently,
Valsecchi found himself out of "Simulator Jockey" employment with the
Enstone squad, whom he claimed hadn't paid him! (Hmm?
Sound familiar... Like can Y'all say, Charles Pic, Bailiffs & Spa!) As apparently the Italian has since
been plying his trade in Sports Cars, along with a Pre-season IndyCar test,
albeit presumably lacked the necessary Dinero to garner the ride.
Obviously Fabio Leimer, like
champion predecessor Valsecchi
was hoping to join the list of past GP2
champions graduating to F1 drives, but apparently stumbled over funding issues?
As although I'm
purely speculating here, as noted above, perhaps Fabio will finally get his
chance in F1, albeit with the Minnowesqe Manor Marussia squad - although that
door seems to have closed again, with Merhi apparently now set to see out the
season...
Ditto for the reigning champion Jolyon
Palmer, who's patiently waiting in the wings as a Lotus F1 test driver,
although Pastor Maldonado hasn't exactly co-operated with the team's plan to
run Palmer in Friday morning Free Practice-1 sessions whilst claiming his
massive PDVSA Oil money backing entitles him to 100% track-time!
As it was a tad
bit strange listening to "Joly" as the colour commentator during the
Hungarian GP2 Feature race on NBC Sports - while he grew upon Mwah during the
Belgian Feature Race rebroadcast...
And whilst this year's runaway GP2 points
leader Belgium's Stoffel
Vandoorne, a McLaren F1 reserve driver is hotly tipped
for a potential Formula 1 drive as BLOODY 'JENSE'S replacement next year? He'll
have to usurp Kevin "Bacon" Magnussen, the 2013 FR 3.5 Champion and
2014 McLaren F1 race driver for the seat...
thus, if GP2 is still the preferred final
stepping stone to F1, it's no longer guaranteed its championship winner in arguably
the top European single seater series will automatically ensure making their
living racing in Formula 1, a la the remaining past GP2 champions: Nico
Rosberg; 2005, Lewis Hamilton; 2006, Nico Hulkenberg; 2009, Pastor Maldonado;
2010 and Romain Grosjean; 2011.
For example, Mitch Evans, the GP2 racer and
NOT the past Hydroplane driver; Hooah! Has exclaimed how he's now focusing upon
Sports Cars over a potential shot in Formula 1, although he's still campaigning
in GP2 this season with Russiantime Racing, it appears the doors to F1 are
closed for the promising Kiwi at the moment, a la Brendon Hartley, now a
Porsche Factory Driver in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) series - like
his past team-mate, the 2014 series runner-up Sam Bird.
While its NO secret that the best way to
ensure your advancement into Formula 1 is to have a Shit-load of money, it
never hurts having the clout of an automobile manufacturer backing your every
step up the ladder, which is what the relatively unknown Pascal Wehrlein to
Mwah is currently doing with Stuttgart's help.
As the current 20yr
old German DTM Hot-Shue' Wehrlein is now rumoured to be in the frame for a Manor drive next year when the team switches to three pointed
star power, aka Mercedes, which would suit their current F1 Team's reserve
driver nicely...
Germany's Wehrlein not denying Manor rumours
Alas, will GP2 continue being Formula 1's preferred
final grooming step or will the continued trend of selecting drivers from other
single seater categories, most notably Formula Renault 3.5 become the new norm?
Only time will tell - as hopefully Renault won't pull the pin on its Feeder
Series ladder system, which would be a Huge Blow to aspiring single seater
racers...