Autoblog

American driver Alexander Rossi racing his way into F1

Noah Joseph — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus

Formula 1 may be coming to America - with two races within the next two years, no less - but it's been a long time since an American has taken on Formula One.

Scott Speed was the last standard-bearer The U.S. had in the series, but after showing early promise with Formula Renault 2000 titles in Europe, he failed to shine in his seat with Scuderia Toro Rosso, ultimately moving back Stateside to NASCAR. Mario Andretti and Phil Hill both took the trophy home for America, but those titles were decades ago. What America needs now is a new talent to waive the Stars and Stripes at the grand prix circuits of the world. And it could have just that in Alexander Rossi.

The twenty-year-old Californian has shown serious promise in the feeder series, winning the Formula BMW title and landing third in the critical Formula Renault 3.5 series where, with two wins, he emerged as this season's rookie of the year. Rossi was linked to the failed USF1 team, and in 2009 was awarded a test drive for BMW Sauber F1, making him the only American to currently hold the FIA Superlicense required to compete in Formula 1.

Now Rossi's coming back for another try at F1, participating in the young driver test at Abu Dhabi for the outfit currently known as Team Lotus (soon to be renamed Caterham). He'll already be on hand for the GP2 race the same weekend, in which he'll drive for Caterham's feeder squad, Team AirAsia. We'll keep an eye out to see how the young Yank does. Follow the jump for the press release.

Continue reading American driver Alexander Rossi racing his way into F1

American driver Alexander Rossi racing his way into F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fernandes to rebrand AirAsia GP2 team as Caterham, F1 team to follow?

Noah Joseph — Thu, 05 May 2011 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Lotus

Caterham Seven Team Lotus Special Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

With the ink still drying on the contract between Team Lotus and Caterham Cars, rumors are already afoot as to what Tony Fernandes, the proud new owner of both, will do to bridge the divide.

Fernandes is still in the middle of a naming rights battle with Group Lotus. The courts were due to issue their ruling, but Fernandes went ahead with the Caterham deal while the authorities deliberate. The speculation is that Fernandes would rename Team Lotus as Caterham, but only if the court rules that his claim to the Lotus name is invalid.

For the moment, Fernandes plans on renaming his GP2 team - which currently bears the name of his flight operator AirAsia - as Caterham GP2, assuming the series organizers will allow it so close to the season start. Stay tuned for the next installment of How the Formula 1 World Turns...

Fernandes to rebrand AirAsia GP2 team as Caterham, F1 team to follow? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 May 2011 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Demonstrations in Bahrain cause Grand Prix cancellation

Noah Joseph — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Middle East

Politics and racing don't go together. Whether it's former FIA president Max Mosley's fascist sympathies or the dispute over Cyprus being played out on the podium of the Turkish Grand Prix, there's just no place for it in motorsports. But with political unrest spreading across the Arab world, it looks like revolution has gotten in the way of racing once again.

On the back of successful regime change in both Tunisia and Egypt, protestors have been taking to the streets across the Middle East in an effort to overthrow corrupt regimes in their respective countries. Little of this has anything to do with racing, except in Bahrain. The Gulf state is home to the Sakhir circuit that hosts, among other events, the Bahrain Grand Prix that was originally set to kick off the Formula One season in just a few weeks. Now, however, track organizers have confirmed that Bahrain Grand Prix will not be held. "We felt it was important for the country to focus on immediate issues of national interest," said Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa.

Organizers have already had to call off the GP2 Asia Series race that was supposed to take place there this weekend, and are being forced to do the same with the F1 pre-season test that was due to follow. This cancellation means that the 2011 Formula 1 season will now start on March 27 in Australia.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Hassan Ammar/AP]

Demonstrations in Bahrain cause Grand Prix cancellation originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus to expand involvement in Indy, GP2, GP3, GT and Le Mans racing

Noah Joseph — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus

To say that Lotus has its hands full would be a gross understatement. In addition to the five new concept cars which the British automaker and engineering firm unveiled in Paris this year, Lotus is also expanding its racing programs in a big way. The House that Colin Built expressed its intentions to do so nearly a year ago, but as with the complete revamp of its entire product range, we didn't expect anything quite this drastic. Looks like we ought to be listening when the folks at Lotus speak.

In addition to the controversial licensing partnership that led to the marque's return to Formula One, Lotus has announced a whole slew of racing programs upon which it is embarking on in the near future. First up is the expansion of its Indy racing team - operated in partnership with former Champ Car chief Kevin Kalkhoven's KV Racing - from one car to two. Cosworth will undoubtedly be dropped from the effort as the F1 team switches to Renault power (the team also announcing a partnership with Red Bull Racing to use its gearboxes and other technologies for next season), and Lotus will be developing its own aerodynamics package on the new adaptable chassis that takes to the grid in 2012.

Moving beyond, Lotus is also teaming up with ART Grand Prix - champions of several single-seater feeder series - in both the GP2 and GP3 championships. (Lotus F1 chief Tony Fernandez meanwhile announced the launch of his own GP2 team running under the Air Asia banner.)

Not enough? Lotus isn't stopping there. Based on the enthusiasm garnered by the Evora GT4, Lotus is working on both GT3 and GT2 versions of the car, as well as a GT2 racer based on the new generation of vehicles displayed in Paris, though they aren't saying which one just yet. (That may be largely a marketing decision though, as the vehicles share a common architecture.) Last but not least, Lotus is also crafting a purpose-built, closed-cockpit Le Mans Prototype conforming to the ACO's LMP2 formula. That's a whole lot of racing goin' on, and there's yet more to read about in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Lotus]

Continue reading Lotus to expand involvement in Indy, GP2, GP3, GT and Le Mans racing

Lotus to expand involvement in Indy, GP2, GP3, GT and Le Mans racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Third-generation GP2 spec racer unveiled at Monza

Noah Joseph — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Racing

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.

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Pirelli reportedly wooing Kimi Raikkonen to test new F1 tires

Noah Joseph — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Kimi Raikkonen hasn't been connected to an Italian manufacturer in Formula One since leaving Ferrari at the end of last season, but that could change if the latest reports are accurate.

Pirelli was recently confirmed as the official tire supplier for F1 starting next season. As such, it'll need to evaluate different compounds and other information to get up to speed. To do so, Pirelli will need an experienced and up-to-date F1 driver to carry out these tests. Since most of the sport's qualified drivers are currently tied to a racing team, and given the mid-season test ban currently imposed by the FIA, even picking one outfit's test driver (like Mercedes GP's Nick Heidfeld, as was rumored) would give that team an unfair advantage.

As a recently departed F1 driver still competing at a top level (and a recent world champion at that), Kimi Raikkonen could prove to be Pirelli's most attractive option. (Plus, Kimi's running Pirelli rubber on his WRC car.) Preliminary tests are expected to be carried out on a decommissioned F1 car and/or a current GP2 car (for which Pirelli's also recently been awarded the contract) before tires are delivered to the teams for testing once the current season concludes.

[Source: ESPN]

Pirelli reportedly wooing Kimi Raikkonen to test new F1 tires originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jul 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari Driving Academy already yielding results

Noah Joseph — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ferrari

Jules Bianchi tests for Scuderia Ferrari - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ferrari got seriously caught with its pants down last year in Formula One. When Felipe Massa was sidelined with a head injury halfway through the season, the Scuderia found itself without a viable replacement after Michael Schumacher proved unfit to take his place, veteran test driver Luca Badoer failed to rise to the challenge and Giancarlo Fisichella didn't manage to score a single point. But the venerable F1 team is learning from its mistakes with the launch of the Ferrari Driving Academy.

Similar to the programs run by Red Bull and Renault, the Ferrari Driving Academy was established to foster young talent along the ladder to Formula One, starting way down in karting. The program is run by Luca Baldisserri, the strategist who replaced Ross Brawn during his sabbatical and who currently serves as the team's track manager.

The first pupil selected for the program is Jules Bianchi. The young French driver, managed by former Ferrari CEO Jean Todt's son Nicholas, is the scion of a successful racing family: his grandfather Mauro Biachi won the FIA GT Championship three times, and his great uncle won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and competed in nineteen grands prix. Jules himself won the French Formula Renault 2.0 title in 2007 and the F3 Euroseries in 2009, and following his test for Ferrari in December, has scored a podium finish in his debut in the GP2 Asia series. Not a bad start, so we'd better keep our eyes open for Bianchi and future Ferrari Driver Academy pupils making their way up the ladder. Press releases after the jump.

Gallery: F1 Young Driver Test, Jerez, December 2009

[Source: Ferrari | Image: Mark Thompson/Getty]

Continue reading Ferrari Driving Academy already yielding results

Ferrari Driving Academy already yielding results originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Schumacher gets back on track testing a GP2 prototype

Noah Joseph — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

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.

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

Noah Joseph — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Renault

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.

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REPORT: GP2 mechanic placed into coma after pitlane incident at Spa

Noah Joseph — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Safety

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.

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REPORT: Ecclestone backing breakaway GP1 series?

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Celebrities

Bernie Ecclestone didn't get to be a billionaire by waiting for things to come his way. With the threat of a breakaway series seemingly very real once again, the man credited with making Formula 1 what it today is has apparently decided to make sure he is on it. F1 Live reports that last month, Ecclestone filed trademark application papers for Formula Grand Prix, Formula GP, and GP3, in addition to applying to protect his GP1 and GP1 Series logos.

If there were a breakaway series and the teams wished to continue working with Ecclestone, in theory, they could step right into a GP1-GP2-GP3 set-up. On the other hand, even suggesting such an alliance could get the FIA and its controversial president Max Mosley back to the table in a more conciliatory mood, potentially heading off a splinter series.

It isn't clear why any teams would want to stay with Ecclestone if there were a breakaway, since he's continually mentioned as one of the reasons the Formula One Teams Association is unhappy. Various rumors have the FOTA cutting Ecclestone out, but things won't get any clearer until the next teams meeting on Wednesday.

[Source: F1 Live | Image: Mark Thompson/Getty]

REPORT: Ecclestone backing breakaway GP1 series? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GP2 organizers reveal 2009 calendar

Noah Joseph — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

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

Noah Joseph — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

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.

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Ecclestone moves to establish new GP3 series

Noah Joseph — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

While Formula One has been a relative constant for the past several decades, the various feeder series running up the ladder to the pinnacle of international motorsport seems to always be in flux. The FIA recently announced plans to revive the old Formula 2 series with a new low-cost format to compete with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone's contemporary GP2 championship, but Bernie isn't about to let himself be dominated by Max Mosley without putting up a good fight.

To that end, Ecclestone is now reported to be working on launching a new GP3 series. The new feeder series would sit one step below GP2, which itself has supplied a crop of new talent - including Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Heikki Kovalainen, Nelson Piquet Jr. and Timo Glock - to the F1 grid every year since its inception in 2005. GP3 would compete directly with the fractioned Formula 3 - under which separate series operate around the world without a single united championship - and swallow the International Formula Master's series established last year. While Mosley's discredited vision of a low-cost Formula 2 would cap annual budgets at 200,000 euros per car (compared to the 800,000 euro cost of the F3 Euroseries), GP3 could keep things down to the more realistic 450,000 euro budget required in the aforementioned IFM.

Bottom line: there's a war of racing series going on between Mosley and Ecclestone, and racing fans could stand to benefit from the competition.

[Source: F1-Live]

Ecclestone moves to establish new GP3 series originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIA announces plan to bring back Formula 2

Noah Joseph — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

The international motor racing community was shocked when the FIA announced it is accepting tenders to revive the long-departed Formula 2 series. Trouble is, Formula 2 isn't dead... it's just changed names over the years. In 1985 it was relabeled Formula 3000 before being taken over by F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone and Renault team principal Flavio Briatore, who turned it into the current GP2 series in 2005.

The FIA's plan calls for an additional feeder-series to be formed to run in competition to the aforementioned GP2 and other junior formulae like A1GP and F3. However the revived F2 series, as envisioned by the FIA proposal, calls for a much lower operating cost of €200,000 per car, per season - far lower than GP2 (which costs approximately €1.5m per season) or even the lower-rung Formula BMW, which demands nearly €300k to race. Insiders view this as a clear provocation from the FIA against Ecclestone. We'll just have to see how it all plays out.

[Source: autosport.com]

FIA announces plan to bring back Formula 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Formula One parent company buys GP2 Series

Noah Joseph — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Earnings/Financials

Reports emerging over the weekend indicate that GP2 has been purchased by CVC Capital Partners for a reported $300 million. Dang.

What's GP2, you ask? It's a second-tier "feeder" racing series started in 2005 to give up-and-coming drivers a place to display their skills on a worldwide scale and a place for F1 teams to find new talent. The series was intended to replace the ageing Formula 3000 series, and has so far proven fairly successful. Nico Rosberg won the title in the series' inaugural season, and he's racing in F1. Lewis Hamilton won the championship last year and went head-first into title contention the next season in F1. Timo Glock won the crown this year, and will be heading to Toyota F1 next season. (Heikki Kovalainen and Nelson Piquet Jr. also made the jump to F1 through GP2.) Sounds like the idea has met its potential so far.

So who, then, is CVC Capital Partners? It's the private equity firm with a history of turning international racing series around into successful ventures. Contrary to popular perception, it's actually CVC that manages Formula One, having purchased the rights from Bernie Ecclestone and his associates in 2005 (although Bernie then bought an undisclosed portion of the CVC subsidiary running the show). Prior to effectively buying F1, CVC turned MotoGP into the successful two-wheel racing series it is today.

While it remains to be seen what tangible effects the deal with bring to bear on the series - it was Bernie who co-founded GP2, after all, and CVC already held the TV rights - it's bound to bring GP2 even closer to F1 in the coming seasons. The bottom line is that if you want to know who is next year's F1 rookie, watch GP2.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Formula One parent company buys GP2 Series originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: GP2 driver Ernesto Viso's flight training

Alex Nunez — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:08:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

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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Basil Shaaban drives to sheikh things up

Noah Joseph — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Basil Shaaban aims to be the first Arab driver in F1, and with a little support from F1 head-honcho Bernie Ecclestone, he just might make it.

Shaaban was born in Lebanon, raised in the Emirates and studied astrophysics at Berkeley in California. Having raced in the A1 GP series for the Lebanese team, he is struggling to find the financial support to continue racing in the British F3 series. From Formula 3, Shaaban hopes to move up to GP2, the second-tier stepping-stone race series run by Renault chief Flavio Briatore, before eventually making it into Formula One.

Ecclestone has expressed his support, and no wonder as he endeavors to increase F1's presence in the oil-rich Arab world. The grands prix in ~~Dubai~~ Bahrain and in nearby Istanbul bring F1 to the Middle East, and Basil Shaaban could be the first to bring the Middle East to F1. Shabaan says his aim, beyond racing and winning, of course, is to promote something positive from the Arab world. Good luck, Basil.

[Source: F1i]

Basil Shaaban drives to sheikh things up originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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