FIA Formula Two / FIA F2 - 2012 Season

[DS"]

18 cars at the F2 test is definitely a positive surprise, given the low entry numbers in most F3 series. Maybe F2 will be the #3 (and low-cost alternative) to GP2 and FR3.5.

Re. Pommer's sponsor: That particular site has already sponsored dozen cars at VLN and the Nürburgring 24h. Still it's kinda odd, but as long as a young talent can compete in motorsport, it's okay.

[Valker]

Originally Posted by Ostrogothicus

Where have Khani and Jefferies been racing?

Jefferies was in FBMW Asia-Pacific couple of years ago.

[edenrace]

How many have paid more than £250,000?

[Thundersports]

Originally Posted by edenrace

How many have paid more than £250,000?

Only the mugs I suspect

[strider]

Originally Posted by bella

(no disrespect to promotions girls, you ladies do an awkward job well and the vast majority of you are stunners)

/off topic

I know of one who is an absolute stunner and better than any of the others I have seen, but sadly (or maybe not ) she's only interested in bikes and bikers.

[RF_Racer]

Originally Posted by MikeHoyer

Khani has been doing BARC Formula Renault among other things for the last few years.

Kourosh ended up doing BARC for too long as well as being with a team for the first three years that did not provide him with a half decent car, but last year having switched to Scorpio he did a good job and finished 4th in BARC with a win and 5 podiums. He has been working very hard on his fitness over the winter and I am very confident that Kourosh will be competitive in F2.

[RF_Racer]

http://www.formulatwo.com/news/kouro...-up-to-f2.aspx

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by RF_Racer

http://www.formulatwo.com/news/kouro...-up-to-f2.aspx

RF_Racer, I don't mind links to news items, but in future can you post something to go with it as well please this is a discussion forum after all?!

[barnettracing]

I've just seen that Mathéo Tuscher (never heard of him before, though he looks like he has reasonable karting pedigree and he won that Chinese Formula Pilota thing) is doing F2 this year. Fine, some of you may say. But he's 15. And he won't be 16 until Decemeber 2012. I can't see how this is possible as I thought only certain series had dispensation by ASNs/FIA to run under-16s?

He's certainly extremely young to be driving a 500bhp (when boost is on) single-seater. Good luck to him...

Here is the Autosport.com report.

[bella]

if you look at f2 this season from an expectant observer point of view then there's not much to get excited about, but for all the drivers involved it's a very good career move. particularly if they're not blessed in the budget department.

if tuscher won, could he even take the prize f1 test? (i don't know why he wouldn't be able to, it just seems mad that someone so young could be allowed to!)

[BackmarkerUK]

Originally Posted by barnettracing

I've just seen that Mathéo Tuscher (never heard of him before, though he looks like he has reasonable karting pedigree and he won that Chinese Formula Pilota thing) is doing F2 this year. Fine, some of you may say. But he's 15. And he won't be 16 until Decemeber 2012. I can't see how this is possible as I thought only certain series had dispensation by ASNs/FIA to run under-16s?

He's certainly extremely young to be driving a 500bhp (when boost is on) single-seater. Good luck to him...

Here is the Autosport.com report.

I don't quite understand autosport calling this a "last-minute deal", as he's been on the list of entrants on Formula Two's website for quite a while now - they seem to be announcing one driver per day in order to give each driver similar prominence.

Tuscher is shockingly young, so it will be interesting to see how quickly he adapts to Formula Two. I don't think he will win - too many more experienced drivers - so the question about the F1 test won't be an issue, but he has already beaten one of the drivers (David Zhu) in Formula Pilota China.

[Flavio Galtieri]

Originally Posted by BackmarkerUK

I don't quite understand autosport calling this a "last-minute deal", as he's been on the list of entrants on Formula Two's website for quite a while now - they seem to be announcing one driver per day in order to give each driver similar prominence.

Tuscher is shockingly young, so it will be interesting to see how quickly he adapts to Formula Two. I don't think he will win - too many more experienced drivers - so the question about the F1 test won't be an issue, but he has already beaten one of the drivers (David Zhu) in Formula Pilota China.

I am really not in favour of children driving 500bhp racing cars. It's ridiculous imho and I'm surprised nobody has taken a look at it from a duty of care point of view.

[barnettracing]

Originally Posted by Flavio Galtieri

I am really not in favour of children driving 500bhp racing cars. It's ridiculous imho and I'm surprised nobody has taken a look at it from a duty of care point of view.

At 15 he is still too young to race a 28bhp Senior Rotax Max kart!!!

[Flavio Galtieri]

Originally Posted by barnettracing

At 15 he is still too young to race a 28bhp Senior Rotax Max kart!!!

Well if that's the case the Social Services should be informed if he wants to race that car in this country.

Prima facie it looks thoroughly irresponsible to me. I don't care how quick he peddles a go-kart this is a different matter entirely.

I also wonder what sort of mental pressure he must be under as a child from his minders.

Needs looking at imho

[candy-tyrrell]

Is F2 on Motors TV this year? I can't find it on any listings.

[peebee2]

Think so. It is generally supporting the GT Open / F3 Open again this year

[HaydenFan]

Mathéo Tuscher

Look at drivers running GP3? A bunch of young guys with little experiene. I though we got over the young age period of single seaters a few years ago. You have the 18-19-20 year olds running F1, and the 18 year old's running GP2 (Razia comes to mind). Is the sponsors urge to get their driver's to F1 that high that they'll put an unexperienced drivers in fast cars.

Same can be said about Sergey Sirotkin. Only 16, yet has shown to be one of the fastest on the grid in that series. Yet racing experience is down to one year in Formula Abarth (albeit a pretty dang impressive year).

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by HaydenFan

Mathéo Tuscher

Look at drivers running GP3? A bunch of young guys with little experiene. I though we got over the young age period of single seaters a few years ago. You have the 18-19-20 year olds running F1, and the 18 year old's running GP2 (Razia comes to mind). Is the sponsors urge to get their driver's to F1 that high that they'll put an unexperienced drivers in fast cars.

Same can be said about Sergey Sirotkin. Only 16, yet has shown to be one of the fastest on the grid in that series. Yet racing experience is down to one year in Formula Abarth (albeit a pretty dang impressive year).

Uh, yes.

[Frosty11]

i think that this year's championship is going to be very good. I can see Zanella and Marinescu filling the top 2 but behind them is anyone's guess.

[pauln]

If I was a betting type I'd have a flutter on Dino Zamparelli

[Flavio Galtieri]

Originally Posted by HaydenFan

Mathéo Tuscher

Look at drivers running GP3? A bunch of young guys with little experiene. I though we got over the young age period of single seaters a few years ago. You have the 18-19-20 year olds running F1, and the 18 year old's running GP2 (Razia comes to mind). Is the sponsors urge to get their driver's to F1 that high that they'll put an unexperienced drivers in fast cars.

Same can be said about Sergey Sirotkin. Only 16, yet has shown to be one of the fastest on the grid in that series. Yet racing experience is down to one year in Formula Abarth (albeit a pretty dang impressive year).

I don't care how fast a 15 year old child can drive.

The fact is he is a child and as such should not be exploited for profit by those who would have him put his life in danger. F2 should be for adullts, there are plenty of series designed for children. That's why we don't have child labour in this country. It's what makes us civilised.

Of course he will love it, and may be very good at driving. That's not the point. Where do you draw the line? A 14 year old next year? A 13 year old the year after.

This should be a child protection issue in the UK if he's racing in front of a paying audience at Silverstone.

What with Pommer's live pornographic sponsorship and now a child having his life put at risk I wonder really how low this series can sink just to fill the seats?

I just hope the Daily Wail doesn't get hold of this story. You'll never hear the end of it.

[bella]

i think the point haydenfan made about sergey sirotkin is a valid one - the guy is only a few months older, but it's more acceptable because he's past an age that's considered significant in the uk?

it is interesting though. it wasn't so long ago that max chilton had to wait until his 16th birthday before he was able to compete in british f3, yet here we have a fia series allowing a 15 year old to join in.

i guess it just highlights the inconsistencies in the sport. can't blame f2 really - if the guy is allowed to drive as per the fia regs, and he's got the money and a bit of experience, who's to turn that down? if we're not careful then we'll end up looking at whether it's appropriate for anyone under the legal age for buying alcohol in a country to be waving it around on the podium for example.

[HaydenFan]

Originally Posted by Flavio Galtieri

I don't care how fast a 15 year old child can drive.

The fact is he is a child and as such should not be exploited for profit by those who would have him put his life in danger. F2 should be for adullts, there are plenty of series designed for children. That's why we don't have child labour in this country. It's what makes us civilised.

Of course he will love it, and may be very good at driving. That's not the point. Where do you draw the line? A 14 year old next year? A 13 year old the year after.

This should be a child protection issue in the UK if he's racing in front of a paying audience at Silverstone.

What with Pommer's live pornographic sponsorship and now a child having his life put at risk I wonder really how low this series can sink just to fill the seats?

I just hope the Daily Wail doesn't get hold of this story. You'll never hear the end of it.

I understand where you are coming from, but that is sports today. Does it make it right? No! But it is unlikely to change. I, to a point agree with your comment, but this has been happening for years. Many drivers under 18 (I'm from the US, so I'm basing this off of our laws, and 18 year old's are legal adults here) race in big series in the world.

What about the 16 year old's making their Premier League debuts? I'd be ManU or Barcelona, or whoever would gladly put in a 15 year old if they were good enough of a player. What about the young player development programs? They take kids from a young age to turn (hopefully, not many really turn pro) into the players of the future. Little outcry over that.

What about the skateboarders? The dirt bike racers?The kids in the X-Games who are not 18 and getting paid beyond belief to perform in front of paying customers? Travis Pastrana was 15 when he won his X-Games old in Freestyle motocross. Nothing really said about that being wrong.

I know this is more about the fact that this kid brings money, and the cars a bit higher than Formula Renault or Formula Ford, but what about the 15-16 year old's who have been running in Grand Prix bike racing for years? And these kids are not just spending 3, 4, 5 years on the 125's. They are moving up before they're 18 to Moto2. Nothing has been said about that. And bike racing is just as dangerous as single seaters.

Originally Posted by bella

i think the point haydenfan made about sergey sirotkin is a valid one - the guy is only a few months older, but it's more acceptable because he's past an age that's considered significant in the uk?

That's what I was thinking. Also, is it because the series is UK based? What is it was elsewhere (Auto GP is Italian based).

[Flavio Galtieri]

Originally Posted by HaydenFan

I understand where you are coming from, but that is sports today. What about the 16 year old's making their Premier League debuts? I'd be ManU or Barcelona, or whoever would gladly put in a 15 year old if they were good enough of a player. What about the young player development programs? They take kids from a young age to turn (hopefully, not many really turn pro) into the players of the future. Little outcry over that.

I know this is more about the fact that this kid brings money, and the cars a bit higher than Formula Renault or Formula Ford, but what about the 15-16 year old's who have been running in Grand Prix bike racing for years? And these kids are not just spending 3, 4, 5 years on the 125's. They are moving up before they're 18 to Moto2. Nothing has been said about that. And bike racing is just as dangerous as single seaters.

Good points.

Yes I thought about the 14 year old Melandri when he first burst on the 125 scene. What a revelation he was.

I don't know, somehow bikes are different. Dangerous yes, but a 125 just doesn't go as fast as an F2 car. Maybe it's just me, I remember watching when poor Henry died on live TV, it sent shivers down my spine. It was obvious the poor kid was dead, and he was just 17.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm just being over sensitive to a changing world. It just doesn't feel right to me.....it's just an opinion.

[bella]

Originally Posted by HaydenFan

I know this is more about the fact that this kid brings money, and the cars a bit higher than Formula Renault or Formula Ford, but what about the 15-16 year old's who have been running in Grand Prix bike racing for years? And these kids are not just spending 3, 4, 5 years on the 125's. They are moving up before they're 18 to Moto2. Nothing has been said about that. And bike racing is just as dangerous as single seaters.

being fair, i think a lot is said about the younger guys on bikes. they are given the chance to prove they're respectable, competant, mature riders though much like anyone of a more advanced age. they're on a shorter leash than the older more experienced guys though.

i think as spectators we have to give the driver himself the benefit of the doubt. should he start demonstrating he's a liability and unable to judge risk correctly then it's my opinion that action should be taken, but that goes for the older participants too.