GP2 Mid-Season Report

[OverTake.gg]

As the F1 paddock is on its summer holidays, so too are the GP2 teams and drivers until the legendary Spa circuit in Belgium later this month. Here then at just over halfway through the season is our report of how the teams have fared so far:

Arden International

Johnny Cecotto Jr. has been hit and miss as ever, with some frankly dangerous driving being overlooked by the stewards. Consistency has always been his problem and that doesn’t seem likely to improve with his wild driving style. GP3 champion Mitch Evans has so far impressed, and currently sits 26 points above Cecotto in the driver’s standings.

ART Grand Prix

ART are one of several top teams to have had a difficult start to the season, with last year’s GP3 runner-up Daniel Abt scoring only a handful of points, proving the step up isn’t always as easy as it seems. James Calado looked good in his debut season last year but has struggled with under steer and general lack of confidence with the car this year. However since Monaco he has put in 8 back-to-back points finishes, including 3 podiums.

Barwa Addax Team

It’s been a far cry from Addax’s championship winning past this year. Rio Haryanto has just about managed a few points with a stunning second place in Britain but Jake Rosenzweig has struggled. They will be disappointed with how this year has gone.

Carlin

Carlin has one of the strongest driver pairings on the grid this year. Jolyon Palmer hasn’t had the qualifying pace but has proved to be the number one over-taker on the grid, with his win in Hungary long overdue. Felipe Nasr has enjoyed regular podium places to be in the championship challenge but amazingly hasn’t had a race win yet. Success for Carlin could be theirs this year.

DAMS

The reigning champions had a tough start to the season, with championship hopeful Marcus Ericsson failing to score any race points until the British Grand Prix Sprint Race. However, with some impressive form from the Swede and his teammate Stéphane Richelmi recently, the team will be hoping the worst is behind them.

EQ8 Caterham Racing

Caterham haven’t had a star driver like they did with Giedo van der Garde last year and it has shown this year. Sergio Canamasas has shown little promise with zero points, and Alexander Rossi has also struggled to find the points too often this year. His 3rd place in Bahrain for his first GP2 weekend has been the highlight for him and the team.

Hilmer Motorsport

Hilmer have done a fine job for their first season, boasting 3 wins so far. It looked like they had found the perfect winning pair in Jon Lancaster and Robin Frijns but with Frijns lack of sponsorship, his GP2 title chances are over. Maintaining a consistent driver line-up has been their biggest problem with 5 drivers all having drove for the team this year.

MP Motorsport

MP haven’t fared as well as the other new teams this year with Adrian Quaiffe-Hobbs and Daniel de Jong both struggling to make consistent performances. The team will be hoping the arrival of the experienced Dani Clos will lift their points finishes, but with so long out of GP2 competition, even he may find that a tough feat to achieve.

Racing Engineering

Retaining the services of Fabio Leimer looked like a good move, with Leimer establishing himself as a title contender early in the season, and just 25 points off the lead, it’s still all to play for. Leal has managed just 3 point scoring finishes, but his 22 points have helped Racing Engineering hold 4th in the team’s standings.

Rapax

Rapax came up trumps in hiring Stefano Coletti at the end of last year, with the Monaco based driver leading the championship from the beginning of the season. He seems to be showing some signs of the pressure though as his consistency has been compromised recently failing to score in the last 3 races. Simon Trummer has shown a few solid points finishes but has been soundly beaten by his teammate much like last year.

Russian Time

Russian Time have done a remarkable job in their debut season, with Tom Dillman and Sam Bird both bringing in regular points, and Bird’s 2 wins have put the team right near the top in the thick of it. With the team well-funded, they should have plenty of success this year and beyond.

Trident Racing

Trident have been largely forgettable this year it seems with Nathanaël Berthon’s win in Hungary proving the only real highlight.

Venezuela GP Lazarus

René Binder has continued his good form from last year for the team, doing the best he can with the troublesome machinery. The lack of performance from their second car has been tricky as well with Kevin Giovesi, Fabrizio Crestani and Vittorio Ghirelli all failing to score a point.

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