2012 Auto GP Season Discussion

[Mystery]

I didn't say AQH has done a bad job. He's done almost perfectly and you can only beat the field you're presented with.

However, he WAS beaten by Pizzonia twice. Pizzonia is a strong driver but he's never been world class - better than the vast majority for sure but he isn't one of the best.

You compare with Webber but of course Justin Wilson beat Mark in F3000, and then who else beat Justin. And so on.

Justin is a great international series racer and I believe both AQH could be and Pizzonia has been. None of them could make the step up though and I believe Pizzonia waltzing in and winning makes that abundantly clear.

Good racers. Not great ones. The question what does Adrian do in 2013 is valid. AutoGP is a feeder to nowhere. He'll need to hope for a GP2 or FR3.5 ride and make a splash there. Then he'll have time to shine.

[Good old boy]

Originally Posted by Mystery

I didn't say AQH has done a bad job. He's done almost perfectly and you can only beat the field you're presented with.

However, he WAS beaten by Pizzonia twice. Pizzonia is a strong driver but he's never been world class - better than the vast majority for sure but he isn't one of the best.

You compare with Webber but of course Justin Wilson beat Mark in F3000, and then who else beat Justin. And so on.

Justin is a great international series racer and I believe both AQH could be and Pizzonia has been. None of them could make the step up though and I believe Pizzonia waltzing in and winning makes that abundantly clear.

Good racers. Not great ones. The question what does Adrian do in 2013 is valid. AutoGP is atfeeder to nowhere. He'll need to hope for a GP2 or FR3.5 ride and make a splash there. Then he'll have time to shine.

See there you go again partially writing off a brilliant talent before he has had a chance to prove himselft stating about Pizzonia waltzin in and winning both races.

Pizzonia was P3 in First Practice
He was P3 in Second Practice
He was 3rd in Qualifying
And then got luckcy when Quaife Hobbs made a poor start in the first race and then had a wheel problem in the pit stop where the pit crew had to hold him for 24 seconds or more which gave Pizonia a free pass at a win.

Race two quaife hobbs had around a 36 second lead when they called him in to the pits with 4 laps to go and had ha not made the silly mistake on his in lap he would have won the second race by some 8-10 seconds.
And this is what i mean about knowledge because you are making it sound as if all the Auto GP drivers are not quick enough and some of them clearly were.
Pizzonia was talented good enough to stay in F1 for many years but his head was to fragile to cope with modern F1 demads so any drivers that are up there with him deserve some proper credit for there accievments as the one thing Pizzonia has always been is fast.

[gomick]

Where is 2011 champion Kevin Ceccon in 2012?
Where is 2010 champion Romain Grosjean in 2012?

How does AQ-H compare to those 2...

[Mystery]

I give up. I said Pizzonia was better than the vast majority but that's still me writing a potential brilliant talent. Fine. I tried.

[peebee2]

Good boy won't get it. Why doesn't he just recognise that Pizzonia Turned up cold and won both times, instead of making silly excuses?

Dad's and Uncle's coming on here endlessly promoting their offspring always does them more harm than good!

[Good old boy]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Good boy won't get it. Why doesn't he just recognise that Pizzonia Turned up cold and won both times, instead of making silly excuses?

Dad's and Uncle's coming on here endlessly promoting their offspring always does them more harm than good!

I am not related or even know the driver, but this comment just confirms my first thoughts and comments and go,s to prove my point and at the end of the day i think you are just a wind up merchant because for sure you have no clue about racing.

[bella]

i'd suggest you take the time to learn some other drivers stories inside out and then see how they match up. but be careful who you label "wind up merchants" with 7 posts on the forum purely regarding one driver...

[Mystery]

Anyone watching?? Like squeezing a whole season of rubbish driving errors into half a lap

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Saw it, seen worse. Pizzonia's first corner was a big accident from a pretty minor mistake. Look at how often IndyCar has gotten away with similiar stuff. Dracone was a bit of a chop and Cipriani has been suffering a lot of not being good enough lately. Can't say the place seemed awash with people, though. Pippa Mann was pretty slow as well.

[maximus]

Originally Posted by Good old boy

I am not related or even know the driver, but this comment just confirms my first thoughts and comments and go,s to prove my point and at the end of the day i think you are just a wind up merchant because for sure you have no clue about racing.

That's a very bold statement.......

[skells22]

I think this is her 1st race back in the USA after last year tragic crash so give her time.

[W.A Trichlorostyrene]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Magnusson

Saw it, seen worse. Pizzonia's first corner was a big accident from a pretty minor mistake.

Yep. The track is awfully dusty on the outside here. If you just go out of the racing line it's pretty much game over. Cipriani and Dudukalo(WTCC) both made very similar mistakes later in the afternoon, fortunately with less damage in the end.

But anyway, the first few corners are always very tricky at the start. Even in IndyCar, with the rolling starts, lap 1 pile-ups are quite common.

[Hawkwood]

What's next for someone like Sirotkin?
He's obviously got talent, so doesn he jump up a level or stay and make sure he wins the title next year?

[bella]

am i imagining it or do they have a new car next year? in which case, a year's experience in the current cars won't be much use and he may as well go and do something else. if it's the same car, going for the title seems like a smart move.

[Hawkwood]

Yes they do have a new car, I'd forgotten about that.
It'll test in December apparently http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/102680
It is based on the current car, how much is carried over and how similar it is I'm not sure.

[bella]

difficult one... i guess it depends what money they have available and whether they'd rather put him through a recognised set of series to prove his talent to the f1 bosses. at sirotkins age in particular it doesn't really matter does it? i guess it'd make sense to try and stay, as long as the opposition is decent.

[p-matt]

He's Lukoil backed, isn't he? I'd guess that he'll be in F2 next year. And he really ought to win a championship like that.

[Go_For_Pole]

well he did Auto GP plus Italian F3 this year, combine those in cost and you are not far off a WSR budget

[Peat]

Wow. Pippa Mann was really tugging there. 5+ secs a lap slower than the leaders, every lap looked an adventure. Her neck is also looking very weak.

Come on Pippa. Chop chop!

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Go_For_Pole

well he did Auto GP plus Italian F3 this year, combine those in cost and you are not far off a WSR budget

Yeah if anything he would surely be headed there than F2. The Auto Gp cars are more poweful that the F2's aren't they so it would be like taking a step back?

[racecontrol]

yes, I believe F2 would be a step back... I don't agree in the choice of making both F3 and AutoGP... sometimes he also raced both in the same week-end I think.. I believe he is a strong driver and could have fight for the title in AutoGP

[ivanalesi]

He has had 2.5 years of racing so far, but I guess he will want to be in FR3.5. I'm not sure how much his pace in AutoGP means, in F3 he wasn't as impressive as the top 3 there. I think a move into GP3 is better for him. Titles in AutoGP are hard to be judged, you see Ceccon was equally impressive and in GP3 he wasn't battling for the title. FR3.5 might be a bit too early for him, especially as he's still a teen

[W.A Trichlorostyrene]

Originally Posted by skells22

I think this is her 1st race back in the USA after last year tragic crash so give her time.

In fact, this was her very first time in a racing car, since last year.

The original plan for 2012 was to do more IndyCar outings, but she never managed to gather the budget required, although she said she came close a few times.