Should GP2 follow the path of F2 and F3000

[FIA]

Before 1999 Formula 3000 and Formula Two before it. Had there own seperate race calendar from Formula One. This meant that drivers had to get used to different Grand Prixs in Formula One and Formula Two/3000. Should Gp2 do the same thing, as sometimes rookies blame bad races for not iknowing the track, this would also get the best out of upcoming stars.

eg. before there was the Birmingham Superprix and the Pau Grand Prix.

[V12]

I think it would be good to have it's own standalone events, I think they race at Valencia (the purpose built track, not the upcoming F1 street circuit) as a standalone but that is very much the exception.

I doubt they will though. What kind of grates me about GP2 is that it seems to be treated like it's ONLY reason for existence is to prepare young drivers for F1 (i.e. spec equipment, racing at F1 tracks, etc), which - to be brutally honest - is kinda boring.

Of course F2, and old-style F3000 have always been important for drivers working their way up to F1 - but they were their own formulae in their own right, where drivers, engineers, designers, mechanics and even entire teams and/or constructors could use as a stepping stone to F1. They had their own calendars with their own unique showpiece events (like Pau and Birmingham as you say), with the odd F1 support race but they didn't make up 95% of the calendar like they do now.

What I don't understand is that if F3 is an open formula (despite Dallara and Mercedes dominating numerically), and F1 is an open formula, why can't the one in the middle be so? With the main series, the Asian series, rumours of a series in the Americas, and if Formula Nippon adopted the same regs too, I'm sure a few chassis builders would be able to see a return on their investment (I think thats why it works in F3 - with all the various national series across the globe).

Apologies for going slightly off topic there, but like the calendar it's another area that modern day sanitized GP2 differs from the good old days of F2 and pre-1996 F3000.

Oh yeah, and they should call the bloody thing F2 as well! :)

[Stuartf12007]

there would not be enough spectators to have its own calender, look at how many attend when they are not part of an F1 Grandprix.

Being part of the F1 calender is the best possible place for GP2

[Mekola]

Generally, the most of GP2 weekends are alongside Formula 1, but on all GP2 seasons, the series had it's "stand-alone" rounds. That happens in Sakhir, Bahrein in 2005, and in Valencia circuit in 2006 and 2007.
Now in the GP2 Asia series, the two events at Dubai and the other at Sentul could have been considerede "stand-alone" rounds too.

[Hayley]

I work in GP2 and I think the series works as it is. It has great wheel to wheel racing and the cars are not far off the times of the backmarkers in F1. The races are really competitive and you never really know who's going to win.

F3000 and F2 failed because they didn't have the organisation and back up FOM which GP2 has, so racing alongside F1 is a real bonus for the teams invloved. Its hard running a racing team but to have that link with F1 is a real bonus in terms of investment and marketing which the team really rely on to keep racing.

With GP2 Europe this year being shown live on ITV4 in the UK it will really increase the exposure of what GP2 is.

Most people whether it be drivers or team members in GP2, have aspirations to be in F1 so GP2 is a great platform for that and for spectators to see the young stars of tomorrow before they go stella like Hamilton.

[wedge]

What I don't understand is that if F3 is an open formula (despite Dallara and Mercedes dominating numerically), and F1 is an open formula, why can't the one in the middle be so? With the main series, the Asian series, rumours of a series in the Americas, and if Formula Nippon adopted the same regs too, I'm sure a few chassis builders would be able to see a return on their investment (I think thats why it works in F3 - with all the various national series across the globe).

Apologies for going slightly off topic there, but like the calendar it's another area that modern day sanitized GP2 differs from the good old days of F2 and pre-1996 F3000.

Team budgets has been a problem but it's improved with F1 links with McLaren/Mercedes leading the way - Hamilton would've jumped straight from F3 to F1, IMO.

GP2 would suffer on its own, there's Renault World Series and that's a freebie event (unfortunately you get loadsa chavs in Donington Park), GP2's kudos is its right on the doorstep to F1.

[patnicholls]

I think it works pretty well as it is - from the success the GP2 graduates have had in F1 (particularly compared to some F3000 guys in the past) then something is clearly right.

It's also clear that being under F1's wing helps with the promotional side of things, as has been mentioned. It would be nice if it could stand up on its own and get to run at a few more interesting circuits, but as we've seen in the past F3000-level events on their own unfortunately draw sparse crowds (certainly in recent times). A lot of that can be put down to it being a development series and many people who switch on an F1 race not knowing anything about the drivers (the hot favourite for this year's main GP2 series is a 'rookie' despite winning GP2 Asia), or even that there is GP2.

That said, despite the benefits of GP2 being under F1's wing its embarrassing watching on TV and seeing that the stands have emptied after F1 qualifying, before the weekend's best car racing gets underway.

[Hayley]

Did you see the crowds for the F1 races in Asia?

Not exactly full, Its so hot in those countries that people really don't want to be sat out in the sun all day watching a race.

They love stock cars as they race at night.

So I think in terms of audience in Asia you can't really judge that until they get to Europe. The stand are pretty full, especially with someone like Bruno Senna in a top team.

With ITV4 now covering Gp2 live it should make for interesting viewing. Bernie does hold GP2 back as he doesn't want it taking anything away from his bread and butter which is F1.

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