Auto GP 2010 (was Euroseries 3000)

[jondownunder]

Nothing on the main site yet, but italiaracing is reporting that Euroseries 3000 is to be renamed "Auto GP". Meetings will be run with International GT Open and European F3 Open, as predicted. Budgets will be 380,000 euros, with prize money available at each round for drivers doing the full season - 200,000 euros per event, with 80,000 to the winner.

2010 Calendar:

14/4 - Imola
23/5 - Portimao
27/6 - Spa
11/7 - Magny Cours
5/9 - Brands Hatch or Donington
3/10 - Monza

Sounds like there are some big changes in the structure of the series, regarding teams running the cars but I can't read Italian.

http://italiaracing.net/notizia.asp?id=25324&cat=33

Edit: looks like the Imola date must be wrong, as that day's a Wednesday...

[runshaw]

Will they still be using the Lola B05/52? I think its good they changed the name because '3000' doesn't mean anything with this car. That is a good calender too, and 80,000 euros to the winner of each event will surely pull some more drivers in than it did this year? Quite hard to tell though where drivers will be going with GP3 etc now. Does the champion get a GP2 Asia drive like Will Bratt?

[jondownunder]

Yes, still using the Lola B05/52... a year late changing the series name though! As you say the '3000' became meaningless as soon as they changed to the ex-A1GP car. The true F3000 formula was finally laid to rest at the end of '08. "Auto GP" is surely inspired by/ripped off from Moto GP!

The calendar is awesome (more so IMO if Brands is chosen over Donington, but only if that's a GP circuit date). Nothing mentioned about a GP2 Asia drive... I guess the prize money has replaced it? Wonder if it will convince more than a handful to enter this time?

[mountainstar]

Looks like an interesting series with some good prize money. I always liked the first A1 GP cars as they were pretty nice to watch on track.

However I can't keep track of all the under F1 series anymore. GP2, Auto GP, GP3, F3 Euro, World Series by Renault, Masters, etc. I'm sure I'm leaving something out.

[gomick]

Auto GP dont sound to bad at all... Hope there is plenty of interest...

[Go_For_Pole]

the interesting bit is that drivers will pay the 380k directly to (series organizer) Coloni and not the teams. The teams will actually be hired by Coloni and the drivers will be allocated by Coloni to the teams (it says that Coloni will try to accomodate the preferences of the drivers as well as possible).

[sauber11]

When i first read about this my thought was "wow , so cheap. Prize money? The decent driver can driver a season for almost free." But then i understand\have read something more about it

1) Organization - u have to sign contract with Auto gp to prove you stay here till end of the season. They choose which team you drive. I think it will be hard to prove your sponsors to choose this way ( you cant go away if something goes wrong).

2) 380.000 euro for 6 meeting? Thats not cheap at all. WSR costs 700.000 euro for 9 meetings, thats mean about 467.000 euro for 6 ones. And this is original price, lets say KTR offered drive for 600.000 dollars !! before start of 2009 season , and i believe this wasnt only team that cutted the costs in crisis.

So my overall thought is F3000 will stay the same like this or last season with 8-14 drivers on the grid. The rich guys like Gonzales will move away to WSR, and only poor ones will stay.
Like for example Bamber or Hanley will say to their sponsors :"pay me a drive and i will won most of your money back".

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by gomick

Auto GP dont sound to bad at all...

It does to me.

Originally Posted by jondownunder

14/4 - Imola
23/5 - Portimao
27/6 - Spa
11/7 - Magny Cours
5/9 - Brands Hatch or Donington
3/10 - Monza

That's a short schedule! It's strange that there isn't any Spanish date, given the link with the European F3 Open and the Int'l GT Open.

[kerrmanningjarv]

Hmm... where have I seen a series called A(something)GP using Lola Zyteks before? ...

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

It does to me.


That's a short schedule! It's strange that there isn't any Spanish date, given the link with the European F3 Open and the Int'l GT Open.

Also it's a bit odd they aren't going to support Superleague Formula, I thought that would have been a better arrangement ..

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

looks like the Imola date must be wrong, as that day's a Wednesday...

It will be held on April 11. This is the 2010 Int'l GT Open schedule:

April 9-11 - Imola (shared with Auto GP)
April 30-May 2 - Nürburgring
May 21-23 - Portimao (shared with Auto GP)
June 25-27 - Spa (shared with Auto GP)
July 9-11 - Magny-Cours (shared with Auto GP)
Sept 3-5 - Donington (shared with Auto GP; venue to be confirmed)
Oct 1-3 - Monza (shared with Auto GP)
Oct 29-31 - Montmeló

The Euro F3 Open will surely share most of those races as well.

[jondownunder]

The series now has a website:

http://www.autogp.org/

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

Also it's a bit odd they aren't going to support Superleague Formula, I thought that would have been a better arrangement ..

Would be strange though because the Euroseries cars lapped faster than the Superleague's at Monza this year. So it would hardly be a 'support'.

[duke_toaster]

The same could be said about the BTCC and the Porsche Cup though ...

[runshaw]

Very true I was meaning more though that Auto GP would surely want to be headlining at a race meeting, as would Superleague. So would they fit together?

[jondownunder]

I agree, I'm sure Auto GP want to present themselves as a serious feeder series and the main event of the weekend.

[jondownunder]

BTW, Autosport (last week?) said DAMS and Team Ghinzani were possible teams that might be involved.

I would guess a lot of the ex-A1GP teams will see this as a good opportunity to be reunited with some familiar machinery.

[JohnMiller]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

I agree, I'm sure Auto GP want to present themselves as a serious feeder series and the main event of the weekend.

That won't be happening on the GT/F3 Open package.

[jondownunder]

So they'll all have equal billing in the package then? Or Auto GP seen as a support? As a speccy I'd find it hard to see 550bhp single-seaters as anything but the main event.

[Alex K]

According to some they meant to be main series on GT Open schedule for some time, but it's tough to be main main with twelve entries...

[jondownunder]

Quite true.

italiaracing are reporting that:

-Ombra Racing have signed up for 2010.
-20 or so drivers will test at Magione next week, including Bruno Mendez, Nicola De Marco, Stefano Bizzarri and Michael Dalle Stelle.

[Go_For_Pole]

test being a relative term, i believe they were offering 10 or 15 laps sessions.

[runshaw]

The test is for 20 laps at Magione, costing 2,500 Euros.

[Go_For_Pole]

and don't think that Magione is Spa-like 7km of driving joy

[ASRoma]

Magione i a go kart track... it's like 2.7 km and the laptime is around 1 min