Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Third-generation GP2 spec racer unveiled at Monza]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/15/third-generation-gp2-spec-racer-unveiled-at-monza/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/15/third-generation-gp2-spec-racer-unveiled-at-monza/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/15/third-generation-gp2-spec-racer-unveiled-at-monza/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Dallara GP2/11 - Click above for high-res image gallery

While Ferrari was cleaning up at its home race at Monza this past weekend, the GP2 feeder series campaigned its penultimate race of the season. Venezuelan racer Pastor Maldonado, driving for Italian team Rapax, clinched the series title in its sixth season, but arguably even more intriguing was the concurrent launch of the new third-generation GP2 spec racer.

Like the car it replaces, the new GP2/11 is designed and built by Italian racing chassis manufacturer Dallara - also behind the cars used in IndyCar and Formula 3 as well as F1 newcomer HRT's car, to name just a few - and will be used exclusively by all teams for the next three seasons. Major changes to the design close the gap to Formula One considerably and borrow from its latest developments, employing a larger diffuser, a narrower rear wing and a larger one up front, a raked front nose and anvil-shaped engine cover. Also like F1, the new GP2 car will switch from Bridgestone rubber to new Pirelli compounds.

Development has been underway for several months, and the new car - unveiled to the teams and press at Monza - will see its first race early next year in the season-bridging GP2 Asia Series. Considering that no fewer than fifteen drivers - Lewis Hamilton among them - have graduated from the series up to F1, GP2 has rapidly developed as the place to watch for the next generation of top talent at the pinnacle of open-wheel racing. So keep an eye on newly-crowned champion Paston Maldonado, and check out the new car in the high-res image gallery below.


Gallery: Dallara GP2/11


[Source: GP2]

Third-generation GP2 spec racer unveiled at Monza originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dallaradallara gp2dallara gp211DallaraGp2DallaraGp211feeder seriesFeederSeriesgp2gp2 seriesgp211Gp2Seriespastor maldonadoPastorMaldonadospec racerSpecRacerWed, 15 Sep 2010 16:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19634641/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/09/15/third-generation-gp2-spec-racer-unveiled-at-monza/19634641/article-detail.xml 19634641 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/web630o9t2847_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/web630o9t2847.jpg <![CDATA[Schumacher gets back on track testing a GP2 prototype]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/16/schumacher-gets-back-on-track-testing-a-gp2-prototype/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/16/schumacher-gets-back-on-track-testing-a-gp2-prototype/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/16/schumacher-gets-back-on-track-testing-a-gp2-prototype/#commentsFiled under:

Michael Schumacher
Schumacher GP2 test at Jerez - Click above for high-res image gallery

Driving a formula racing car might seem like second nature for a driver like Michael Schumacher, but like a great many things in life, if you don't use it, you lose it. So the seven-time World Champion has been eager to get back behind the wheel. Trouble is, there's a test ban in place in Formula One. The solution? The next best thing: a GP2 car.

Over the past few days, the returning champion has been at the Jerez track in Spain driving a developmental test car for the GP2 Series, fielded by the Super Nova team. For Schumacher, it's an opportunity to get some valuable seat time in a competitive single-seater ahead of his highly anticipated return to F1 with Mercedes. For GP2, it's a chance to test a number of new components and chassis set-up arrangements at the hand of a seasoned pro before the season kicks off.

So how has Schumi been doing? Spectacularly, of course. Despite a damp surface, he's been less than a second off the fastest time ever set by a GP2 car around the track, and this is only his first time driving one. There have been some reports that Michael's injured neck - which kept him from filling in for Felipe Massa last season - has been giving him some trouble, but so far it seems to be holding up just fine. Check out the mega gallery of high-resolution images below for a closer look.


Gallery: Schumacher GP2 test at Jerez


[Source: GP2]

Schumacher gets back on track testing a GP2 prototype originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gp2gp2 seriesGp2Seriesjerezmichael schumacherMichaelSchumacherschumacherschumiSat, 16 Jan 2010 15:55:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19316936/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/01/16/schumacher-gets-back-on-track-testing-a-gp2-prototype/19316936/article-detail.xml 19316936 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/schumi-gp2_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/schumi-gp2.jpg <![CDATA[Ten teams sign on for new GP3 Series with new Dallara-Renault]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/06/ten-teams-sign-on-for-new-gp3-series-with-new-dallara-renault/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/06/ten-teams-sign-on-for-new-gp3-series-with-new-dallara-renault/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/06/ten-teams-sign-on-for-new-gp3-series-with-new-dallara-renault/#commentsFiled under: ,

GP3-spec Dallara-Renault - Click above for high-res image gallery

Since the demise of the old Formula 2 championship back in 1985, aspiring F1 drivers have been lacking a clear path up to the big leagues. Several feeder series have popped up - including such novel approaches as A1GP and the Superleague Formula - but the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One management have been working to create two parallel frameworks. Max Mosley gave birth to a new Formula 2 series, run by Jonathan Palmer, last year. Now Ecclestone and GP2 organizer Bruno Michel have started a new championship to slot in under the existing GP2 Series.

Called, predictably enough, the GP3 Series, the championship runs chassis built by Italian racing garage Dallara with 280 horsepower engines supplied by Renault. Hewland supplies the six-speed sequential gearbox, Pirelli chips in with the slick tires and Brembo provides the brakes. The series offers a cost-effective formula for budding racers, with budgets amounting to about €600,000 (about $880k USD) per year.

Now the series organizers have announced that ten teams have signed on for the innaugural season, whose races are scheduled to coincide with GP2's stand-alone events and the European grands prix in the F1 calendar. Britain will be represented by Manor Racing, Hitech and Carlin Motorsport, France by Tech 1 Racing and reigning GP2 champions ART Grand Prix, Spain by the Addax Team, Germany by German Mücke Motorsport, Ireland by Status Grand Prix, Switzerland by Jenzer Motorsport and Australia by the Arden squad fielded by grand prix winner Mark Webber.

Follow the jump for more details in the press release and check out the high-res photos from the car's launch at the Algarve circuit in Portugal.


Gallery: GP3 Dallara-Renault debuts at Algarve test session


[Source: GP2 Series]

Continue reading Ten teams sign on for new GP3 Series with new Dallara-Renault

Ten teams sign on for new GP3 Series with new Dallara-Renault originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dallaradallara renaultdallara-renaultDallaraRenaultgp2gp2 seriesGp2Seriesgp3gp3 seriesGp3SeriesrenaultTue, 06 Oct 2009 17:28:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19186120/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/10/06/ten-teams-sign-on-for-new-gp3-series-with-new-dallara-renault/19186120/article-detail.xml 19186120 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/gp3-web_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/gp3-web.jpg <![CDATA[REPORT: GP2 mechanic placed into coma after pitlane incident at Spa]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/31/gp2-mechanic-placed-into-coma-after-pitlane-incident-at-spa/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/31/gp2-mechanic-placed-into-coma-after-pitlane-incident-at-spa/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/31/gp2-mechanic-placed-into-coma-after-pitlane-incident-at-spa/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Serious injuries to the head temporarily left a mechanic in the GP2 series in a medically-induced coma following a pit-lane incident at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit this past weekend during a support race for the Belgian Grand Prix. The GP2 series is the second rung on the ladder below Formula One, and shares its calendar with F1's European races.

According to reports, an air gun left out of place in pit lane was caught by the wheel of Trident Racing's Ricardo Teixeira, tugging at the hose which toppled a metal beam onto the head of team mechanic Vasco Rossi. The mechanic was evacuated with serious - but not life-threatening - injuries to a nearby hospital where he was placed into a medically-induced coma, from which he has since reportedly emerged. We wish Vasco a full recovery.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Trident Racing]

REPORT: GP2 mechanic placed into coma after pitlane incident at Spa originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>belgian grand prixBelgianGrandPrixgp2gp2 seriesGp2Seriesspaspa francorchampsSpaFrancorchampstridenttrident racingTridentRacingvasco rossiVascoRossiMon, 31 Aug 2009 18:28:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19146016/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/08/31/gp2-mechanic-placed-into-coma-after-pitlane-incident-at-spa/19146016/article-detail.xml 19146016 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/gp2-trident-pit_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/gp2-trident-pit.jpg <![CDATA[GP2 organizers reveal 2009 calendar]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/gp2-organizers-reveal-2009-calendar/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/gp2-organizers-reveal-2009-calendar/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/18/gp2-organizers-reveal-2009-calendar/#commentsFiled under:

With 2008 winding down to its final days, the focus is shifting on next year. So we can expect the major racing series around the world to be setting their calendars for the upcoming season, and GP2 has chimed in with their own.

The open-wheel feeder series is the official support series to Formula One, with GP2 races taking place in parallel to F1 grands prix. The shorter GP2 season means that they don't go everywhere the F1 circus does, but this year the feeder series, run by Renault boss Flavio Briatore and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, will hold one stand-alone race in its first foray into Portugal. Follow the jump to review the full ten-race calendar for the 2009 GP2 series.

[Source: F1-Live]

Continue reading GP2 organizers reveal 2009 calendar

GP2 organizers reveal 2009 calendar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click for a hi-res gallery from the 2008 GP2 finale at Monza

If you're not familiar with the GP2 Series by now, think of it as the formula racing equivalent to college football. It can sometimes make for an even more engaging spectacle and gives a chance to preview who will make it into the big leagues of Formula One next. Since the series inception in 2005, each year's champion has earned a race seat in F1. And more than that, every year the runner-up has secured a testing role with the Renault F1 team. Considering that the drivers who have graduated from GP2 in the past few years have turned out to be some of the most talented young rookies in F1, any formula racing fan worth his lug-nuts keeps a keen eye trained on GP2.

This year's championship just wrapped up this weekend in Monza where the F1 circus came to race the Italian Grand Prix, providing a secondary spectacle for racing fans who braved the rain to get a glimpse of the action. Each stop on the GP2 calendar includes two races: the feature race on Saturday, and the reverse-grid sprint race on Sunday. To find out who took the honors and who you should watch in the big leagues for next year, follow the jump.

Gallery: GP2 Monza 2008


[Source: Autosport | Images: GP2 Series]

Continue reading The Once and Future King: 2008 GP2 Series wraps up at Monza (SPOILER ALERT)

The Once and Future King: 2008 GP2 Series wraps up at Monza (SPOILER ALERT) originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2008 gp2 series2008Gp2Seriesbruno sennaBrunoSennacamposcampos gp2campos grand prixCamposGp2CamposGrandPrixDavide ValsecchiDavideValsecchigiorgio pantanoGiorgioPantanogp2gp2 2008gp2 monzagp2 seriesGp22008Gp2MonzaGp2Seriesgrand prixGrandPrixlucas di grassiLucasDiGrassiMon, 15 Sep 2008 14:28:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1313640/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/09/15/the-once-and-future-king-2008-gp2-series-wraps-up-at-monza-spo/1313640/article-detail.xml 1313640 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/_h0y1310_450_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/_h0y1310_450.jpg <![CDATA[VIDEO: GP2 driver Ernesto Viso's flight training]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/03/video-gp2-driver-ernesto-visos-flight-training/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/03/video-gp2-driver-ernesto-visos-flight-training/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/03/video-gp2-driver-ernesto-visos-flight-training/#commentsFiled under: ,

Ernesto Viso

GP2 driver Ernesto Viso had quite a scare during last Saturday's first GP2 race at Magny Cours. After hitting the car infront of him, which had gotten on the brakes, Viso's car became airborne, hit the safety barrier, came apart, and landed on the other side. According to his official website, it took 15 minutes to extract him from the car, but the only injuries suffered were a concussion some minor contusions. One of the track marshalls who escaped injury from Viso's flying car was reportedly (and understandably) treated for shock as well. Following an overnight hospital stay, the Venezuelan driver was back at Magny Cours on Sunday watching the GP2 action, which is a pretty good considering how dire the situation looked just a day earlier.

Follow the jump for a trio of wince-inducing videos depicting the crash.

[Source: DailyCarVideos.com, multiple news outlets]

Continue reading VIDEO: GP2 driver Ernesto Viso's flight training

VIDEO: GP2 driver Ernesto Viso's flight training originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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