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Calado signed for ART today

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

Very good! So where is Bottas going? I heard he was interested in World Series by Renault.

F*ck. I thought Bottas was going to get that seat.

I hope Bottas gets a proper seat in GP2 or in F1, WSR would be another half step like GP3 after F3.

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"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

Was that a money decision? Bottas looks to have so much more potential IMO.

Well Bottas can always go to one of the other twelve teams...

Bottas won't do F1 next season but he probably deserves a shot at GP2. FR3.5 would be too much of a risk.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

Bottas manager thinks GP2 is too expensive. He will drive in FR3.5.

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my Android-iPhone application: Motorsports Results & ART Grand Prix

Don't see why you guys are slagging off WSbR. It was as good for developing F1 quality talent as GP2 was at half the price. It's much more friendly to potential sponsors as you can invite who you want without the Bernie monster stopping them at the gates. The racing is fantastic, and there's quality in the field. Even though Bottas has Williams "backing", the money won't be there, so surely this is the best deal for him, and he should be the odds on favorite if he ends up at Carlin, which surely is what will happen with no Red Bull WSbR level drivers.


He doesn't gain much by going into GP2 with little experience in the big cars anyway. Look at what happened to Gutierrez last year, and he trounced a better field than Bottas did, IMO.

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GP2 has a higher profile than WSbR, much better quality coverage and only races on F1 circuits (tho WSbR does go to a fair few as well).

Agree that WSbR isn't a bad move for him but GP2 would have been better. Even if hasn't got experience a year trundling around midfield GP2 before being a frontrunner the following year would be a better route to F1 than winning WSbR.

Really? Because Vettel and Kubica didn't need it. And other than Lewis Hamilton, GP2 hasn't produced more talent than WSbR.

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Fabio Leimer and Nathanael Berthon will race for Racing Engineering in GP2 Finale at Abu Dhabi

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my Android-iPhone application: Motorsports Results & ART Grand Prix

Is Berthon confirmed ?

After his sad crash at Barcelone, few weeks ago, I'm surprised reading that !

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yes he is. he was fine after his crash.

Trident Racing confirms Leal and Richelmi aswell

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my Android-iPhone application: Motorsports Results & ART Grand Prix

Marcus Ericsson will stay at iSport.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

Nico Rosberg, Heikki Kovalainen, Timo Glock, Vitaly Petrov, Nico Hulkenburg, plus more. In fact, apart from Pantano, every GP2 champion and runner-up has gone on to race in F1. Only three of those have yet to make the F1 podium.

Well Vettel is a two times world champion and Kubica has a race win on his belt, and a slew of podiums. Again, I'm not getting into a pissing match about which one is better. The facts are that GP2 isn't the only viable way into F1, and for a guy like Bottas, who obviously has the talent and the eye of an F1 team, but without a massive budget, WSbR will give him everything he needs to become F1 quality, and also the chance to cultivate sponsorship, all at a fraction of the cost. There's a reason why Red Bull and Renault have jumped off GP2's bandwagon. As I picked up from Ten Tenths, GP2 is only good if you have a big wad of cash and you're waiting for your turn at an F1 team. WSbR is where a young driver can show his skill against competent drivers in a car that's very good for showing the basics of the big post F3 cars. It's more the true successor of F3000, IMO. And they go to F1 tracks as well. Or have done, at least.

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There's no pissing match going on, but you did say GP2 hasn't produced more talent than WSbR with only Vettel as the basis of your point. What you fail to remember is that Vettel didn't complete one season of the series, so the point is moot.

Vettel and Kubica, whereas Hamilton is really the only elite driver to come out of GP2. And even then I'm basing my argument in the here and now.

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Vettel only competed in 3 WSBR events in 2005 and then the first 4 in 2006, winning 2 races along the way. Kubica was champion and went on to win 1 GP. So in reality your arguement is one F1 champion who raced in the series a handful of times (hardly a shining example) and a one time race winner. I've already named the talent that's come from GP2, but that doesn't seem elite enough, despite driving for top teams, having won GPs and finishing on the podium multiple times.

WSBR is a stepping stone but not considered at the same level as GP2 because of the prestige, the fact that they race on GP weekends, race in front of F1 teams, etc...

Kovalainen and Alonso also did well in WSBR when it was engined by Nissan.

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"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

Yes both were champions, Kova in 2004 and then he moved to GP2 becoming vice-champion in 2005. Alonso won the Open Fortuna series which was a FR2.0 equivalent in 1999, that funded his F3000 drive in 2000.