GP2 Barcelona - changes, changes

[Martin Haven]

For the Barcelona weekend there are likely to be a few changes to the GP2 format...

Firstly, the drivers are going to be trusted to drive their very own cars away from the grid at the start of the race, just like a big boys' racing series, instead of having to follow a chap in a Merc, all crocodile fashion, like naughty little boys...

That's right - a standing start will be attempted! At least, on Saturday... if it all goes Pete Tong, expect that nice Bernd Maylander to get more GP2 race mileage on Sunday... And Ernesto Viso to be about 5000 metres behind the car in front again... what WAS that all about???

So, that's the starting dealt with. Easy, huh?

What about the stopping?

As in Imola's Sunday race, that will be handled by those nice men at Brembo, who are to supply brake calipers, pads and discs.

So, whoa and go fixed.

Lots of power, not enough grip, field full of young (excepting that nice Mr Artam) chargers desperate to impress any F1 boss not in his 7-story paddock "multi-facility" ivory tower (ie none! "What's that bloody noise? How's a man expected to have a meeting???) How do we make a cod's of it?

Pit-stops! That's how! They have them in F1 and that's the "Pinnacle of the sport"TM... We've GOT to have them...

Sadly, no-one has learned the lesson of Imola's 2-stop fiasco... (Clearly they didn't have to either watch it on Eurosport or - marginally worse still - try to commentate on it...) as the pointless and race-destroying stops are to remain.

Well, kind of...

There should be just one compulsory stop this time - but there WILL be some point to it (other than trying to run down jay-walking bosses of rival teams, obviously... hmmm, thinks.... anyone suggested THAT to liven up F1??? ) Drivers will have to change 2 tyres.

Just like F1... erm, I mean, World Series by Renault... Damn! Eyes may have drifted off the ball slightly there... cribbing ideas from lesser series...

Oh, and those 2 points you can get for tossing it into the gravel early then bolting on new tyres and having a banzai attack on the fastest lap?? Forget it... now only classified finishers qualify for THAT lottery - meaning having completed 90% of race distance.

So they're confident that at least SOMEONE will go 90% of the way, then...

Another potential loose cannon on the track and in the championship ironed out...

Next time out... only red cars from Italy allowed to win - as long as they come from Maranello...

By the way - did ITV manage to make sense of it last weekend? Hopefully they managed to get the breaks in when nothing much was happening... At last - James Allen gets just a tiny glimpse of what the rest of us have to work with !!!

Enjoy the race folks...

Knowlsey, your hosts will be Carlton Kirby and Gareth Rees. I shall be clearing out the garden shed and having a barbeque!

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by Martin Haven

Knowlsey, your hosts will be Carlton Kirby and Gareth Rees.

Oh great! Still, at least Gareth can hopefully keep Carlton in check so he dosent make too many stupid comments throughout the weekend. Martin, will u be back for the rest of the year? I hope so, especially in place of Mr Kirby...

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by Martin Haven

Knowlsey, your hosts will be Carlton Kirby and Gareth Rees. I shall be clearing out the garden shed and having a barbeque!

Cancel the barbecue - get to the commentary box and save us from that clown.

Please Martin!

You know it makes sense.

[SALEEN S7R]

Yes Martin, all is forgiven! Save us from Carlton!

[jondownunder]

I second that, Saleen and k-b!

I don't know what we'd do without Carlton telling us a driver's making his way through a "switchback" (er... what??)

At least Gareth's there as Saleen said.

Thanks for your views Martin, it's refreshing that you aren't afraid to express your opinions! I thought Viso's daydreaming in Imola was totally inexcusable too, reminded me of Ricardo Mauricio doing a similar thing a few years ago... do these guys want to win or what?

Hopefully this weekend's first race will be easier to follow, at least with only one stop you shouldn't need to work for NASA to figure out what's going on. Though I'm with you in seeing ANY pitstops at this level totally unnecessary.

[ghinzani]

Martin I thought you were spot on in a very confusing and poorly directed & filmed race. I like the way Gareths always chuckling along in the background when you talk too ;-) However it was very poor form of both of you not to remember it was Patrese who won the chaotic 82 Monaco GP. Oh and who did you think won for Ligier in 96 in the wet? Comas I thought you said? 'twas Panis (careful on pronunciation) of course. Otherwise keep up the good work when you get a chance.

btw how olds Artam then?

ps PM me ur mobile phone and Il txt you the right answers in future if you want !!

[Sato san]

Originally Posted by ghinzani

I like the way Gareths always chuckling along in the background when you talk too ;-)

The thing is , its infectious , as hearing that , always makes me have a wry chuckle here too as im watching from home ! ...

looking forward to the race today , a standing start should give us alot more action early on , ( what was Viso thinking in San Marino ) ..

Gareth may just have to calm Carlton down abit i expect , ..but thats all in the spirit of it isnt it , At least Carlton is enthuiastic about his racing .

[flexible-flyer]

all three of you should do the duty. it would be comedic genius with a decent motor race to boot.

[ghinzani]

Originally Posted by Sato san

Gareth may just have to calm Carlton down abit i expect , ..but thats all in the spirit of it isnt it , At least Carlton is enthuiastic about his racing .

He did (manage to calm him) - coverage very sketchy again tho, and no timing screens. Why is this so difficult for the organisers to do? If they can do live timing for club kart races surely the 2nd most important open wheel series in Europe can get it too?

[Martin Haven]

Originally Posted by flexible-flyer

all three of you should do the duty. it would be comedic genius with a decent motor race to boot.

And that's the point of all of us, I think... to ADD something and make it fun - even if it is dull as ditchwater!

Try to add some historical perspective and a bit of gossip... but as everyone knows, I can't remember the facts I need even by the end of a LONG sentence... and as for mental arithmetic.... (who'd have thunk I passed O level maths???)

[Martin Haven]

Originally Posted by ghinzani

No timing screens. If they can do live timing for club kart races surely the 2nd most important open wheel series in Europe can get it too?

Amen to that... or perhaps a press release or two... or a website that fans (and commentators) can actually PRINT things like driver biogs or entry lists from... it's VERY fancy with all its shockwave flash gubbins (and probably cost an absolute FORTUNE... but of no practical merit whatsoever..


hey-ho...

[Kicking-back]

Ah, Mister Haven - you were missed today!

Carlton was still poor - he tends to talk about what he thinks is happening, rather than what actually is happening, his background knowledge does not come over as being a patch on yours, and he will persist on calling the cars "vehicles" with alarming regularity!

[ghinzani]

Wheres Carlton from Martin? Is he really Rhodesian?

[flexible-flyer]

i like carltons dtm work but mr haven is the guy for gp2.

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by flexible-flyer

i like carltons dtm work but mr haven is the guy for gp2.

And FIA GT and WTCC, which unfortunatly Carlton Kirby does sometimes get hold of.