FIA Formula 2 round 2 Spain

[skells22]

time for the F2 cars to hit the Barcelona track and there rumors of musical chairs.

who will get pole this time?

Will we get a SC?

[chunterer]

Merhi in for Coletti. That's the only change announced so far.

[MissClarrpz]

Come on Markelov! Can I have to get pole, both wins and both fastest laps?

Seriously though Leclerc is going to be hard to beat.

[chunterer]

Some quality racing this weekend. And some big gaffes!

Both races provided several points of interest.

[Razzzor]

Indeed, however very disappointing to see Latifi end up throwing his maiden win away. He deserved a victory.

Instead we get wins from Japanese pay drivers Fukuzumi and Matsushita, uuugh.

I was looking over the field and actually there's a fair few average drivers this year.

Jeffri, Gelael, Câmara, Boschung, Canamasas, Cecotto Jr.
Merhi and Coletti back although they do have some talent... what exactly are they back in F2/GP2 for?

Also Antonio Fuoco, gosh what are you doing? In the fastest car and he's looking like a fool out there.

Ghiotto looking like a right Jensen Button out there just letting everyone pass him without any defense. Markelov seems to be the only one using up every bit of track he can, I wonder if he learned that from Mitch.

Jordan King did well again in that car.

[Beryl]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

Indeed, however very disappointing to see Latifi end up throwing his maiden win away. He deserved a victory.

He didn't deserve anything. He threw it away and got what he deserved.

Originally Posted by Razzzor

Instead we get wins from Japanese pay drivers Fukuzumi and Matsushita, uuugh.

What a clueless remark. Neither are pay drivers, both are manufacturer supported drivers. Do you refer to LeClerc as a pay driver as well?

And since Fukuzumi is still very young, starting his 4th year racing cars, his 2nd year in Europe and currently leading GP3 after having won the first feature race, I'd say it's early for forming any conclusions on what he is or what he will become. And though Matsushita is nothing special (potentially a solid GT500/SF driver in the future), what has Latifi done to merit "deserving" a win over him? Matsushita has won during every GP2/F2 season he has participated in. When was the last time Latifi ever won anything?

[Razzzor]

Latifi's not F1 material obviously, having been consistently beaten by team mates over most of his career. He put in some okay performances last year though, just for some reason never got the finishes he should have. Silly mistakes like Spain perhaps. He's been pretty close to Rowland so far this year though, the guy that everyone was raving about 3 years ago. I like to see a different guy win occasionally and I don't support Matsushita or like Rowland much (he's fast but very dirty tactics).

Matsushita, he was dominated by Vandoorne then dominated by Sirotkin. By the end of the year I'm sure Albon will be faster than him as well. In fact he already is, he beat him in the previous 3 races. If I remember correctly, he passed Matsushita in his debut race. Albon just is having difficulty saving those tyres at the moment. The point is Matsushita isn't on his way to F1, and that's probably the second best team in F2. Leclerc a pay driver? No he's there because he's Gp3 champion and obviously talented. He didn't get destroyed by teammates the last 2 years and banned from a round for ridiculous restarts.

Fukuzumi; his 3 teammates shared 9 wins last year and 20 podiums. Fukuzumi... just 3 podiums. He won the first race but Aitken seemed faster than him, and in the second race he couldn't catch Russell or Hubert. He got close for a bit but only because of their battling with other drivers. 4th year racing cars isn't a big deal, most of the other drivers in the field are on to their 5th years. Leclerc is on his 4th season as well! Do you remember how many seasons Verstappen had before he went to F1? One.

[10TENTHS]

Fukuzumi didn't spend a month+ testing on European tracks like Verstappen though. His Japanese racing experience will not necessarily translate.

Leclerc, talented as he may be, paid and pays for his own seat just like 99% of the drivers in these categories. The Ferrari association is about getting preference for an F1 seat, not money. Plenty of these deals involve the driver paying the F1 team (Latifi, Calderon, Mazepin, Stroll, Celis and others).

[cameronpoe]

Originally Posted by 10TENTHS

Fukuzumi didn't spend a month+ testing on European tracks like Verstappen though. His Japanese racing experience will not necessarily translate.

Leclerc, talented as he may be, paid and pays for his own seat just like 99% of the drivers in these categories. The Ferrari association is about getting preference for an F1 seat, not money. Plenty of these deals involve the driver paying the F1 team (Latifi, Calderon, Mazepin, Stroll, Celis and others).

Is the Pay Driver tag relevant anymore I dont think so we need to move on..

[Beryl]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

The point is Matsushita isn't on his way to F1

You're missing the point. Nobody was specifically talking about F1. Matsushita isn't on his way to F1 and Fukuzumi probably isn't either, but both are young drivers on the path to being solid pros, so why are you singling them out with the derisive term "pay drivers" (and bemoaning their success) when all F2 and GP3 drivers have backing and funding to be where they are.

And it really reeks of an agenda or biases when you reach into falsehoods to belittle the Japanese drivers:

Originally Posted by Razzzor

he beat him in the previous 3 races.

Originally Posted by Razzzor

and in the second race he couldn't catch Russell or Hubert. He got close for a bit but only because of their battling with other drivers.

1. Matsushita beat Albon in both Barcelona races.
2. Fukuzumi was close to Russell for the entire GP3 sprint race. Hubert started further up the grid and was battling near the front while Russell and Fukuzumi were slowly making their way through the field, but Fukuzumi was close to Russell all race (not "for a bit") and challenged his position at times. Even when Russell cleared Hyman, Fukuzumi passed the South African on the very next lap and stayed close.

[Neppatsrev Xam]

Originally Posted by 10TENTHS

Fukuzumi didn't spend a month+ testing on European tracks like Verstappen though.

Max tested a few times in Formula Renault 2.0 and had only one test in F3(with Motopark at Valencia) before he started the F3 season.

nothing like "an month+"

[10TENTHS]

Originally Posted by Neppatsrev Xam

Max tested a few times in Formula Renault 2.0 and had only one test in F3(with Motopark at Valencia) before he started the F3 season.

nothing like "an month+"

You're ignoring his winter series running in Florida for starters.

[Neppatsrev Xam]

Originally Posted by 10TENTHS

You're ignoring his winter series running in Florida for starters.

those where races, not tests

you mentioned "testing all over Europe"

racing in Florida is not testing in Europe

and Max is not the only driver to test before starting a season, but he was impressive enough during the season(not driving for a team like Prema but still winning more races than anyone else) to get a F1 contract.

at the FWS there were more drivers than only Max: Fuocco, Latiffi and Stroll where also there and it were only 4 race weekends