Dean Stoneman has earned a test with Williams after winning the 2010 Formula Two championship.
Stoneman wrapped up the title after finishing ninth in today’s race at Valencia in Spain.
The 20-year-old British driver said:
It?óÔé¼Ôäós only just starting to settle in really. Getting into Formula One has always been my dream, and this just brings me one step closer to that.
It?óÔé¼Ôäós hard to know what to expect but it?óÔé¼Ôäós obviously a fantastic opportunity to be testing a Williams Formula One car, so hopefully I can prove myself. I?óÔé¼Ôäóm just going to go there and do what I do best: get in the car and drive as fast as I can!
Dean Stoneman
Stoneman is likely to get to drive the FW32 in the post-season rookie test at Abu Dhabi.
Andy Soucek, the first champion of the re-formed series last year, did not find the title ‘Formula Two champion’ to be a passport to an F1 race seat.
After doing one day of testing for Williams in December he joined Virgin as a reserve driver. But he left the team last month due to a lack of opportunities to drive the VR-01.
Read more: Test driver Soucek leaves Virgin
Felipe Bomeny (@portugoose)
18th September 2010, 23:18
I don’t see how Formula 2 lies on the open-wheel hierarchy…. it’s a lot like the F3 Euroseries, except cost-effecient, but I think you have a better chance of getting into Formula One through Formula Renault 3.5 and the GP2 Series. Maybe with his prize money, Stoneman he’ll end up there, and there’s a big possibility you’ll see him this year in the GP2 Asia Series to get a taste of GP2. F2 is a step up from Formula Palmer Audi, and is supposed to be affordable. Hope to see Stoneman in F1 versus making a career of Superleague…
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
18th September 2010, 23:37
I suppose you’d have to categories it just below F3 in terms of the sophistication of the car and the driver’s role in developing it. Which is bizarre, given its name.
Felipe Bomeny (@portugoose)
18th September 2010, 23:50
Do you think F3 Euro should merge with F2? This year’s Euro grid has about 12 drivers per race, versus last year’s grid of about 30 per race.
Felipe Bomeny (@portugoose)
18th September 2010, 23:50
Also, there were less drivers this year in F2 than last year.
miguelF1O (@)
19th September 2010, 13:12
Portuguese, last year someone died?oh yes!
miguelF1O (@)
19th September 2010, 13:22
Thankfully Palmer didnt win this champ anyway f2 is not going to provide any f1 driver at least not paid ones
BasCB
19th September 2010, 12:56
Not sure about that, as F3 does have more of a car development in it than F2 can have with its Williams designed and built car.
But i suppose it is inevitable for some of the abundance of open wheel junior formula to merge or just disappear in the next 2 years as there is less money available for everyone.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
19th September 2010, 23:41
I believe the intention is to get Formula 2 to the point where it is the stepping stone between Formula 3 and Formula 1. I very much imagine that in the future, GP3 will filter into GP2 and Formula 3 will filter into Formula 2, whilst GP2 and F2 will feed Formula 1. The problem is that Formula 2 is struggling for credibility, probably because it’s doesn’t have major events to support. Formula 3 has been going long enough to stand on its own two feet. GP2 and GP3 (almost) always support Formula 1. But the best Formula 2 can manage is a World Touring Cars support race.
Robert McKay
18th September 2010, 23:48
Roughly where does F2 rank in comparison with GP3 then? On an approximate par?
This could get confusing, this motorsport ladder thing, if people wanted it to…
Hamish
19th September 2010, 2:56
Its a pyramid, not a ladder.
Gone are the good old days.
CNSZU
19th September 2010, 4:11
Better with a pyramid than a ladder, as a driver you have more options. What do you mean with “gone are the good old days”? What a stupid phrase.
Hamish
19th September 2010, 8:23
Well if you say its stupid, that must be the case then, of course.
I am of the opinion that there is no sense of absolute heirarchy in motorsport these days. “The good old days” as I refer to it, drivers that excelled would move to a more senior driving competition and would eventually find themselves at the top due to natural progression. Heck if I had the money, I could buy my way into GP2 – the 2nd teir single seater division in Europe. If I offered $15million to a Coca-Cola Championship team would they play me – no.
The pyramid scheme doesn’t work. We have racing series folding, dwindling or have next to no interest in them.
You say drivers have more options. Yes, that is the case but then at the same time teams also have more options and that usually ends up with he with the greater financial backing prevailing.
I don’t know what you watch the sport for but for me if someone is progressing up the ranks due to something other that natural ability something is wrong. This is a sport afterall.
Richard M
19th September 2010, 10:28
Fully agree, the sheer number of single seater ‘feeder’ formula are very confusing and ultimately reduces the significance of each of them. I think FFord, F3 and GP2 maintain their relevance, but Formula BMW (now gone), FRenault, FRenault 3.5, GP3, F2, Formula Vee are difficult to follow.
Having said that though, they do say the cream rises to the top.
US_Peter (@us_peter)
19th September 2010, 6:06
They should have just renamed GP2 as F2, but I suppose it’s probably a rights issue. Anyone know the details of that?
It would make a lot more sense if the top feeder series for F1 were F2, then F3, etc.
Macca (@macca)
19th September 2010, 10:53
I agree. If I had any influence in world motor sport I would be getting all the catergory managers together and trying to rebrand it. What the MOTOGP has done is great with MOTOGP, MOTO2 and then the 125cc which all travel with each other.
In a perfect world I would have every F1 weekend (including flyaway races) accompanied by GP2 (rebranded as F2), F3 and F2 (rebranded as F4).
Steph (@)
19th September 2010, 10:30
Congratulations to Stoneman and I wish him well on his test. I think I remember Brundle saying that whenever he tested he used to drive like his life depended on it just to impress so I think testing is more nerve wracking than racing! Good luck to him.
Macca (@macca)
19th September 2010, 10:54
Yer I agree, in a race it just your team watching you but in a test, every team is watching you.
Osvaldas31
19th September 2010, 17:30
Yeeeeee, my compatriot Kazim Vasiliauskas won the last race of the season :)))
LewisC
20th September 2010, 10:37
Does anyone know why Williams offers the testing to the young driver each year?
I guess they get first view of how good they are – hence signing the Hulk – but it must cost money that they don’t really have!