2016 GP2 drivers and teams
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ART – They should stick with Matsushita, but they could place both Ocon and Kirchoffer in to seats. My guess is that Kirchoffer will stay in GP3 or move to DTM. Prediction- Matsushita and Ocon
DAMS – This line up is nailed in. Lynn and Gasly seem even this year and it could be championship battle between them next season
Campos – Haryanto is still linked to a Manor seat in 2016 and has even secured a test. Pic will stay and will still probably be partnered by Haryanto. In case he leaves, I think they will secure and experienced driverlike Cananasas (hope not)
Racing Engineering- Both drivers linked to a Manor seat. Rossi more likely to join F1 and leave GP2. King will stay and probably take up a test driver role which will be good for him. Stroll may get a chance for GP2, same goes for Fuocco. My prediction – King and Fuocco
Carlin – bad year in 2015. Gelael is the worst driver on the GP2 grid for ages and I hope he goes. However, I believe Carlin will keep him on and partner him with Stoneman next season. If not then it could be Rowland.
RUSSIAN TIME – Evans set for WEC next year. Markelov is inconsistent and needs to make bigger inroads next year if he has a chance of being close to F1 soon. Orudzhev will replace Evans, no brainer. Russian and Talented.
Rapax – Interesting here. Sirotkin will have a shot at the title next season. Maljia might partner him, but Visoiu brings some decent money and could stay. Yelloly might also be in the frame aswell as marciello if he has an ambition of winning the title
Trident – Ghiotto is set to join after a very good year in GP3. Marciello may stay but the team has been peroforming badly this year. If he can’t partner him, I reckon Ceccon will get the second seat, money and decent performances in GP3
Arden – Nato is decent and should stay for sure. Negrao should be dumped, typical pay driver. Incoming will be Bernstoff.
MP – Rowland could join and be strong. De Jong will not stay. Latifi could stay on as he has good potential. Binder has to go having spent some time in gp2.
Status – Stanaway is set to leave despite a great season. He is going to compete in racing in Japan apparently. Stockinger is likely to leave and could join Prema. An all new line up and Vaxivere and Visoiu will partner up
Prema – Rsoenqvist and Stroll
Testing has begun today. Prema are running Mercedes’ Pascal Wehrlein and Red Bull’s Pierre Gasly – what a line-up that would be. Also ART is giving a run to Formula Renault 3.5 champion Oliver Rowland:
Pascal Wehrlein, Prema, GP2, Yas Marina, 2015 
Oliver Rowland, ART, GP2, Yas Marina, 2015 
Sergey Sirotkin, Racing Engineering, GP2, Yas Marina, 2015 
Nicholas Latifi, DAMS, GP2, Yas Marina, 2015 
Gustav Malja, Arden, GP2, Yas Marina, 2015 
Philo Paz Armand, Status, GP2, Yas Marina, 2015 
Felix Rosenqvist, Status, GP2, Yas Marina, 2015 
Pierre Gasly, Prema, GP2, Yas Marina, 2015 Thx for continuing my post, Keith.
@lolzerbob You guess it wrong a lot.
Ocon will replace Wehrlein in Merc DTM, if Manor seat materialised.
Campos will take Evans and Gelael, I think Rio will take Manor reserve role (maybe paired with King at RE)
Vaxiviere has 2 choices, if not Status, it will be AF Corse FR3.5 squad
Stroll already remain with Prema but it’s F3.
I think 2 seats are probably available for Rowland, ART – which always use RSF driver – or MP
One of Prema seat maybe Lello.
Carlin will promote Giovinazzi, as his Audi DTM chance is off.
However, I agree some of your pts; Ceccon, Ghiotto, Nato, Rosenqvist, Stoneman
Latifi also may remain with MP but with Arden tie in FR3.5, should he go there better?
Although Richie test with Carlin, continue with Status also good option, or he’d rather focus on WEC with AMR?
And Sirotkin, if he leaves Rapax, should Russian Time snap him after keep Markelov?How about departure?
Rossi of course, Vandoorne we know it, Berthon will concentrate on FE/ELMS/WECFor the day 1 lineup?
I wanna c Ellinas, Malja, Yelloly next year.
Philo Paz is pure pay driver, he doesn’t deserve any seat.
Tereschenko will be promoted but in Campos GP3, Eriksson should remain in GP3 too.
Fontana? I can’t see his potential really,Evans and Gelael confirmed at Campos for 2016. Expected Mitch to leave to WEC racing but has decided to stay on for a title shot. Gelael is a pay-driver, very slow and error prone. Markelov staying at RUSSIAN TIME aswell, he impressed me last season and I believe he can have a strong showing this year. ART are likely to pick Rowland to partner Matsushita. DAMS and Red Bull are ready to drop Gasly who has tests with prema and RUSSIAN TIME. Latifi to DAMS?
In fairness, Evans should have gotten the Hulkenberg seat at Porsche, and I’m not entirely unconvinced that he won’t also do LMP2 with Jota Sport, but to see him become the series’ designated Fourth Year Fun Ruiner? Man.
Red Bull are ready to drop Gasly
Was there any hint of it? I’ve followed this year’s GP2 only loosely (so could have got wrong impressions) though, he seems to have the inherent speed, while his race craft needs more polish.
I don’t know what to think about Wehlrein’s test result. I tend to consider GP2 is a particularly tricky category for a rookie. Even so it sure wasn’t encouraging.
I don’t think Red Bull will let Gasly go. He does a lot of simulator work and deserves another shot at GP2.
Interesting statement just now from Lazarus team principal Tancredi Pagiaro regarding “rumours” about a “supposed and at the same time entirely unfounded “unreliability” of the Dallara-Mecachrome single-seaters with the numbers 26 and 27 handed over to Prema Racing based on a regular sale contract”:
“Claiming that our single-seaters and especially the material were not ‘in good order’ when they were sold to Prema is completely unfounded and also illogical from several points of view.
“Daiko Team Lazarus has regularly concluded the 2015 season with the fastest race lap driven by Nathanael Berthon and fought in the top 4. This, although the engine had to be changed between free practice and the qualifying. Furthermore, the cars’ virtual ‘use and maintenance log book’ – bringing the Championship without abandonment to an end – speaks against these allegations. Prema had full knowledge regarding usage and wear of the different parts or the replacement with new parts since the end of September when the mileage list and every other useful information has been handed over to Prema team principal René Rosin. Both single-seaters have not been to a workshop since the race in Monza because this fully corresponded with our technical schedule regarding maintenance. I wish no one ‘fitted’ a GP2 car with sensors as if it was a Formula 3 instead of taking care of its mechanical efficiency. Anyway, we are delighted that drivers like Pierre Gasly and Sergey Sirotkin did not only feel well with our former cars but also drove set impressive lap times during the collective test sessions in Abu Dhabi. This proves how the Dallara-Mecachrome single-seaters with number 26 and 27 are in perfect line with the needs of a Championship of such a high level as it is the GP Series and all the other international participants in this motorsport category. Cars, which have been used until three days ago first by the French driver and then by Sergio Canamasas, who also was competitive in the UAE as well as in the race the previous weekend in Bahrain”.
@lolzerbob @keithcollantine @paeschli @mattds @fastiesty
Gasly to stay with Red Bull in 2016
“Yes, I will stay with them”, “I don’t know [my exact role], at the moment. Officially, my reserve role is over, for next year I need to see with Helmut.”
“I think we got much stronger towards the end of the season.”, “I think I understood how the tyres work in the end and I feel confident for next year,”
“Red Bull don’t pay for everything. Next year they won’t be able to pay for everything and so I need to find sponsors and it’s quite difficult.” – ‘continuing with DAMS could be an option depending on the budget’
And more on his 2015 season, what went wrong, etc.Lynn stays at DAMS for a second season while Latifi replaces Gasly:
http://www.gp2series.com/News-Room/News/2015/12_December/DAMS-announce-2016-line-up/
That’s good too, I really hope Rowland gets a proper seat and chance. The field is getting better again and with several drivers in their second seasons I’m expecting a good 2016. I also hope Wehrlein gets a seat in GP2 rather than Manor, if he can recapture his F3 speed he’ll be a nice addition to the GP2 field.
GP2 Grid so far..
ART – TBA and TBA
Racing Engineering- TBA and TBA
DAMS – Lynn and Latifi
Campos – Evans and Gelael
RUSSIAN TIME – Markelov and TBA
Rapax – TBA and TBA
Trident – TBA and TBA
Status – TBA and TBA
Carlin – TBA and TBA
Prema – TBA and TBA
MP Motorsport – TBA and TBA
Arden – TBA and TBAWhat else we know for the 2016 grid
– King likely to stay at RE
– Rowland to join either Prema or ART or nobody
– Sirotkin in talks with RE, Rapax, Prema and ART
– Ghiotto on the grid with either Rapax or Trident
– Negrao likely at Rapax
– Nato in talks with several teams including ART, RE and Arden
– Stoneman to stay at Carlin
– Gasly’s future in GP2 is in doubt, if he stay’s it will be with Prema most likely
– Fontana will step up to GP2I hope Rowland and Gasly can stay in GP2 because I don’t want to see loads of deadwood medicorities or pure slow pay drivers like Canamasas, Armand, Gelael, Binder and De Jong. This is F1’s feeder category and we need all the best young drivers we can ger
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