GP3 series 2010 silly season.

[Rf1 Fan]

Pål Varhaug has signed a contract with Jenzer for GP3.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pal-Varhau…92024007?ref=ts

[gomick]

I have missed most of the GP3 talk - these cars are equivalent to what category? ie: in between frenault & f3...

[jab]

F3 but by the Michels

Entry List (3 cars each)
Addax Team (Esp)
ART Grand Prix (Fra)
Carlin Motorsport (GB)
Hitech Racing (GB)
Jenzer Motorsport (Swz)
Manor Motorsport (GB)
Mucke Motorsport (Ger)
MW Arden (Aus/GB)
Status Grand Prix (Ire)
Tech 1 Racing (Fra)

Provisional Calendar
1) Catalunya (Esp)
2) Valencia (Esp)
3) Silverstone (GB)
4) Hockenheim (Ger)
5) Hungaroring (Hun)
6) Spa-Francorchamps (Bel)
7) Monza (Ita)
8) (GP2 stand-alone race – Algarve (Por)?)

[Mekola]

Originally Posted by jab

F3 but by the Michels

By the Michels? I only knew Bruno.

[jab]

Originally Posted by Mekola

By the Michels? I only knew Bruno.

Hasn't he got a brother?

[Rf1 Fan]

Originally Posted by jab

Hasn't he got a brother?

Yes Mathieu however Mathieu is a driver agent.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by jab

F3 but by the Michels

Actually, these cars are quite a bit more powerful (280PS) than F3s and have more downforce. So they should drive a little faster than the Int'l Formula Masters (250PS).

[ivanalesi]

I think the final spec for both IFM and GP3 should be at 250 bhp, because there was some FIA rule that was limiting drivers under 17 to drive such cars, though in reality both series will be/are more powerful.

[F3 Fan]

Plenty of publicity for Gp3 but still nothing significative from drivers' interest point of view IMO:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80137

"Ex-Formula 1 designer Gary Anderson will lead the technical side of Status Grand Prix's GP3 team.
The Northern Irishman's extensive F1 career included stints with Brabham, McLaren, Ensign and Stewart, as well as a spell as chief designer for Jordan."

Except for Varhaug at Jenzer haven't heard anything else... Some Teams will probably have less trouble finding drivers but others will probably struggle a lot looking at the budget figures rumored

[Rf1 Fan]

Benjamin Bailly,Gutierrez,Tambay,Dean Smith consider GP3 series.

[Go_For_Pole]

Surely way too early for Bailly, this year was his first in cars. For Telmex a Barwa Addax combo deal (Perez in GP2 and Gutierrez in GP3) would make some sense.

[Peralta]

Gutierrez is already testing in GP2 and doing competitive times so you can easily see Perez and Gutierrez as teammates to either Addax or Arden with Telmex of course

[Mak]

Everything seems a little slow in the GP3 camp. You would think that the organisers should be pushing for each of the 10 teams to recieve a least one car by Decemeber to start testing. As it is I have heard February as an expected time. I cannot see any driver with options signing to this without first testing in the car. I wonder why they are so late with car delivery. Have they finalised car spec.. I have also heard that the car quality is not the best, (somewhere between F3 and F Renault, but closer to Renault) which is pretty bad considering the cost/budgets and lack of testing races which the series is offering !! I think there are a lot of issius which need to be addressed and fast.

[ivanalesi]

They can be successful w/o the car being the fastest, look at FBMW. But their mistake is the 3 car entries, it's just too many cars and they can't expect full grids. Some teams will loose money because of this rule and some may disappear all together, it's just too many entries.

[Monstrobolaxa]

First cars delivered in early January.

[Mak]

Originally Posted by ivanalesi

They can be successful w/o the car being the fastest, look at FBMW. But their mistake is the 3 car entries, it's just too many cars and they can't expect full grids. Some teams will loose money because of this rule and some may disappear all together, it's just too many entries.

I agree totally that you don't need to be the fastest, however when your paying top money you should expect top quality of equipment. I have not seen the car, but I have spoken to a couple of people who the series were trying to get on board and they have said that they could not see it being economically viable and they had reservations about the build quality. Car need to be on track as soon as possible so everyone can judge for themselve.

[ivanalesi]

Well, if it's expensive, slow and breaks down, then...
Anyway, tomorrow is their official presentation at Paul Ricard and Mark Webber will run the car, I guess there would be more information about testing, budgets and so on.

[Rf1 Fan]

Originally Posted by Mak

Everything seems a little slow in the GP3 camp. You would think that the organisers should be pushing for each of the 10 teams to recieve a least one car by Decemeber to start testing. As it is I have heard February as an expected time. I cannot see any driver with options signing to this without first testing in the car. I wonder why they are so late with car delivery. Have they finalised car spec.. I have also heard that the car quality is not the best, (somewhere between F3 and F Renault, but closer to Renault) which is pretty bad considering the cost/budgets and lack of testing races which the series is offering !! I think there are a lot of issius which need to be addressed and fast.

The car is faster than F3 by 1.5 sec on Mugello.

[skells22]

any TV deals?

[runshaw]

Originally Posted by Mak

I have also heard that the car quality is not the best, (somewhere between F3 and F Renault, but closer to Renault)

I thought it was supposed to be closer to, if not faster than F3?

[sauber11]

The car’s reliability has been established throughout the programme, most notably in Le Castellet where the car completed 278 laps in two days, along with its performance, which is significantly ahead of that shown by an F3 car.

No way gp3 can be equal or even slower than formula 3.

[Rf1 Fan]

Some facts:

GP3 is faster than F3 between 2 and 4 seconds in fonction of the track.

Test session:
3 and 4 march;31 march and 1 april at HTTT; 13 and 14 april in Barcelona

Season cost:between 600 000€ and 700 000€

Adrien Tambay is really interested by GP3

Same Race Week-end format.

Fred Vasseur said that's GP3 is not a risky investement,it will work well.

[runshaw]

Martin Brundle also tested the GP3 car at Ricard.

[Mak]

Originally Posted by runshaw

I thought it was supposed to be closer to, if not faster than F3?

Where did anyone say anything about lap times, the quote was about the quality of the build of the car. (IE F2 is several seconds faster than F3, but is no where near the standard of F3. F2 is several £100k cheaper though, what is GP3's plus, less track time and testing??)Surely drivers will want to experience the car before signing up to the series. All the drivers I have spoken to about the series have been surprised by the budget, and it has just strenghtened F3's position. Testing in March is to late as drivers will want to try before buying, and make there own opinion. Not many people are fool enough just to believe a series PR I would think. Are the teams just going to hang about waiting until the third month of 2010 to see if they can find drivers??? I think not as by then teams in F3 would have secured any budgeted driver.. Why have they not delivered 1 car for each team by now? To me it shows a lack of preparation and priority...IMO

[Go_For_Pole]

Actually drivers are commiting to teams and start preparing with F3 or other cars. I know Mucke has a F.BMW graduate signed up already (and I am not talking about Kristensen who maybe also going that way).