planetf1.com

Last couple of years F1 teams are recruiting new talents mostly from GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5. Look at the (possible) newcomers for 2013

Gutierrez to Sauber (3d in GP2)
Chilton to Marussia (4th in GP2)
Bianchi probably to Force India (2nd in Formula Renault)
Razia probably to Marussia (2nd in GP2)
Giedo Van der Garde probably to Caterham (6th in GP2), which I would find a waste given that he will be 28 in April while much younger compatriot Robin Frijns won the Formula Renault and only being considered for testing
Davide Valsecchi, the current GP2 champ has to be content with a role as third driver for Lotus, it's tough to be Italian if u want to make it to F1, but he is a few years older than most of the guys who finished behind him so I guess that plays a part too.

What brings me to the question of the thread. Formula 2 was reintroduced in 2009 after it was cancelled in 1984. It used to be the last series before a driver could make the move to F1. I think all previous F2 champs from the old series eventually made it to F1. The champions of the new F2 however only seem to get a few days of testing and than they are never heard of. If you don't believe it look up the F2 champs on Wiki: Andy Soucek, Dean Stoneman, Mirko Bortolotti, Luciano Bacheta. After their F2 championship there is nothing any more on their racing CV. It seems like the series doesn't seem to have a purpose since F1 teams only bother with the the other 2 series mentioned above.

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F1 fan since 1989

I've always thought that the GP2 and Formula 2 champions should get an automatic F1 contract. Its just weird that we've got at least 3 GP2 graduates coming into F1 race seats this year, and the champion isn't one of them.

Chilton, Gutierrez, and presumably Razia, potentialy Ven Der Garde aswell (I don't know the spelling of his name sorry!), yet the champ has to be content with a test role, and F2 drivers barely get a look in.

I've heard of Andy Soucek, but thats about it unfortunately.

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"You are the universe expressing itself as a Human for a little while..."

Which is probably why it's been cancelled this year ...

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"Where are all the good men dead, in the heart or in the head?"

Give 'em hell Dani!

British Driver Supporter (and Daniel Ricciardo)

It does seem stupid that winning F2/GP2 is pointless. If its not going to get you up into the next formula then theres little motivation to bother. Clearly its all about who has the biggest pockets. Skill means fuck all these days.

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Yeah Martin Brundle will have to stop calling them the greatest drivers in the world I think. Change it to a few of the best and some well backed ok ones instead maybe.

Robert Wickens landed himself a Marussia test driver seat, and probably would have won 2009 if he hadn't binned it everytime he didn't podium. From that same year, Julien Jousse had a few drives at LeMans, and Tristan Vautier is Simon Pagenaud's new team mate in Indycar. Dean Stoneman was diagnosed with cancer, but was going to be Daniel Ricciardo's team mate in WSR in 2011.
That's pretty much all there was in terms of success, but a lot of drivers either went sideways to F3/Gp3 or downwards. GP3 forming the year after F2 did killed it as well, because it was a much more direct route into GP2 and then F1.

GP2 got there first. Even that is having to compete with FR3.5 which last season had Sam Bird, Antonio Felix da Costa, Jules Bianchi, Robin Frijns, Kevin Magnussen and Alexander Rossi. GP2 would be much stronger with those names in.

F2 had no chance. I never paid any attention to it and won't miss it now.

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Official Kamui Kobayashi Fanboy