Ranking the best GP2 non-champions

The official begin date of the Method 2 championship is 2017, however the principal coaching class of future F1 drivers may be thought of a continuation of the GP2 Sequence that ran between 2005 and 2016. In any case, F2’s first trendy champion Charles Leclerc was topped after a season within the Dallara GP2/11 that had been used within the earlier six seasons of GP2.

Of GP2’s 12 champions, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly stay on the F1 grid, whereas inaugural title winner Nico Rosberg joined Hamilton in turning into a world champion earlier than retiring from racing on the finish of 2016. However past its most well-known alumni, GP2 helped develop quite a few drivers who got here shut however didn’t fairly handle to clinch the title.

As we’ve already done with GP2’s predecessor, Formula 3000, on this article we try to rank the most effective drivers who did not fairly handle to assert the GP2 crown. Their relative expertise, deficit to the eventual champion, errors versus misfortune, and standout moments will all be thought of as qualifying standards. Their performances outdoors of GP2 aren’t thought of.

Stoffel Vandoorne is exempt from the listing for ending runner-up in 2014, as he went on to turn into champion the next 12 months in totally dominant style.

Not each non-champion on this listing completed runner-up, that means we now have omitted the drivers who completed second in 2009, 2011 and 2012. Vitaly Petrov comes closest to inclusion of those that missed out. He gained a number of function races – at Valencia Ricardo Tormo (2007) by way of efficiently playing on slicks on the damp monitor and at Valencia’s short-lived road monitor (2008) when Giorgio Pantano ran out of gas – earlier than including two extra in 2009 at Istanbul and Valencia (once more).

However counting towards Petrov is the actual fact he was outclassed by his team-mates Pantano (2007) and Lucas di Grassi (2008), then languished 25 factors behind ART’s rookie champion Hulkenberg in 2009 when victories had been solely value 10 factors. His common ending place throughout three years, 7.33, can be usurped by the drivers within the decrease reaches of the listing.

Years: 2010-11
Greatest end result: third (2010-11)
Groups: ART Grand Prix
Wins: 1 in 2011
Poles: 4 (1 in 2011)
Factors deficit: 35 (in 2010), 36 (in 2011)

Autosport labelled the late Ferrari protege an “enigma” after his two-year GP2 spell concluded with back-to-back third locations. And it is not arduous to see why. The 2009 Euro F3 champion solely gained as soon as and, following an encouraging 2010 rookie season, did not kick on as anticipated throughout a torrid begin to 2011 that meant he’d dominated out his title hopes simply 4 rounds in.

However his report of ending close to the summit in each seasons he contested should not be sniffed at both. Regardless of being pipped to a distant second in 2011 by Luca Filippi, the Frenchman was invariably within the combine towards vastly extra skilled drivers. Filippi’s first stint with Coloni underneath the FMS banner in 2006 predated Bianchi’s single-seater debut…

Bianchi was better of the newcomers in 2010 and took three pole positions, together with on debut in Barcelona. With three runner-up finishes in function races, all that was lacking was a victory, which might have arrived within the Valencia function with no small error that allowed champion Pastor Maldonado via.

Hopes of working Romain Grosjean shut in 2011 had been short-lived. After inserting third within the Istanbul opener, he scored simply two factors from the subsequent seven races as his automotive proved a magnet for bother, twice tangling with Giedo van der Garde.

However following his newest begin crash in Valencia, this time with Marcus Ericsson, victory within the Silverstone function was one in all 2011’s true highlights. Bianchi defeated Christian Vietoris after the duo modified locations 4 occasions in a single lap, Bianchi twice making on-the-edge strikes to right away retaliate after the German moved forward.

It sparked a revival as Bianchi scored factors in each race thereafter – though one other win slipped away within the Nurburgring dash with a small mistake that allowed Grosjean to pounce. An excellent double go on Grosjean and Dani Clos into Eau Rouge throughout the dash race at Spa, the place he charged from seventh to second, put Bianchi into the combo for best-of-the-rest honours however he narrowly missed out at Monza after Vietoris beat him off the road within the dash.

Bianchi was once more a bridesmaid in Method Renault 3.5, shedding out to Robin Frijns throughout that traditional 2012 season, however F1 did get to see glimpses of what he may need achieved – most notably wrestling his Marussia to the factors in Monaco – earlier than he was taken too quickly.

Nasr misplaced out to the pursuing Palmer in 2014, after fading late within the 2013 struggle, although confirmed brilliant moments

Picture by: Patrik Lundin / Motorsport Photographs

Years: 2012-14
Greatest end result: third (2014)
Groups: DAMS, Carlin
Wins: 4
Poles: 1
Factors deficit: 52

Though solely one in all Nasr’s victories got here in a function race and he was twice overwhelmed to ending runner-up, he makes the listing by advantage of twice ending within the high 4. It took the Brazilian 50 races to interrupt his duck in GP2, but he was firmly within the combine for the title in 2013 and 2014 earlier than being shuffled all the way down to barely unrepresentative ending positions.

Becoming a member of DAMS alongside 2012 title winner Davide Valsecchi, the British F3 champion cracked the highest 10 in factors and was second of the rookies behind James Calado.

That elevated expectations for his change to Carlin in 2013, when he was a mannequin of consistency in the beginning of the season. As early chief Stefano Coletti’s type nosedived, Nasr appeared best-placed to revenue – working forward of eventual champion Fabio Leimer and runner-up Sam Chook with three rounds to go – after ending no decrease than fourth throughout the opening eight races. However his type dipped to depart him fourth within the standings, additionally shedding out to Calado.

Having trailed winner Chook by simply 0.080 seconds within the 2013 Bahrain dash, Nasr lastly broke his duck at Barcelona in 2014 with a decisive go on Tom Dillmann serving to him to beat Jolyon Palmer within the dash. The 2 would contest the title between them, Nasr all the time lurking in Palmer’s shadow, and matched him for wins – together with a managed function show on the Pink Bull Ring – however the DAMS racer all the time had the sting.

Vandoorne’s stronger finish to the season finally shuffled Nasr again to 3rd, however he proved his class by graduating to F1 and scoring factors on debut for Sauber and has since gained two IMSA titles with completely different producers.

Rossi was the closest challenger to runaway champion Vandoorne in 2015 and misplaced a possible win at Monaco to a pitstop fumble

Picture by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Photographs

Years: 2013-15
Greatest Consequence: 2nd (2015)
Groups: Caterham Racing, Campos, Racing Engineering
Wins: 4 (3 in 2015)
Poles: 2 (1 in 2015)
Factors deficit: 160

Rossi’s place on this listing is dented by his enormous deficit to 2015 champion Vandoorne. “The championship runner-up was, in actuality, by no means a title contender,” wrote Autosport. However in essentially the most one-sided GP2 season ever, the American was the one different driver to win multiple function race and, regardless of a considerably disappointing qualifying report, was the closest factor to a constant challenger ART ace Vandoorne had.

Having already spent two years in FR 3.5 earlier than becoming a member of the GP2 grid in 2013, Rossi had the expertise if maybe not the proper crew beneath him in his first two seasons – which matches some approach to explaining type that could possibly be described as patchy. The Air Asia/Caterham Racing squad that shared the identical possession construction because the F1 crew had been sporadic contenders with Valsecchi (2011) and van der Garde (2012), which did not change with Rossi’s arrival.

After lacking the primary spherical whereas Ma Qing Hua toiled at Sepang, third on debut within the Bahrain function hinted at an encouraging 12 months however Rossi solely mustered one strategic win within the Abu Dhabi function en path to ninth within the standings. He was the eleventh greatest qualifier too, a stat repeated throughout a troublesome part-season in 2014, the place he was outscored by team-mate Rio Haryanto earlier than parting firm with the squad and solely making another look at Campos.

However on his return in 2015 at a crew with title-winning pedigree, Racing Engineering, Rossi put his expertise to good use with six function race podiums, together with two wins. That tally might simply have been greater too: an early-stopping technique got here near yielding victory in Bahrain till he was overhauled late on by Vandoorne and Haryanto, and he was solely denied victory within the Monaco function after impressively nabbing pole by a tardy cease.

The primary win, a reverse grid affair at Spa, opened the floodgates with back-to-back function successes at Monza and Sochi – the primary that includes a go on Vandoorne, whereas the latter resulted from pressuring Alex Lynn into an error. 5 F1 begins with Marussia in direction of the top of the season predated an ongoing IndyCar profession that netted Indianapolis 500 victory on the first try.

Senna, pictured embracing engineer Gavin Bickerton-Jones after victory at Monaco, stored veteran Pantano trustworthy in 2008

Picture by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Photographs

Years: 2007-08
Greatest end result: 2nd (2008)
Groups: Arden, iSport
Wins: 3 (2 in 2008)
Poles: 3
Factors deficit: 12

The nephew of the good three-time world champion Ayrton began his automotive racing profession comparatively late however progressed quickly to reach in GP2 lower than three years after his single-seater debut. Given these components, Bruno Senna’s run to complete second in 2008 was creditable – even when expectations had been raised by becoming a member of the iSport squad that had run Timo Glock to the crown in 2007.

A powerful win within the Barcelona function on simply his second weekend, nursing his tyres after an early cease behind the security automotive to beat Glock’s extra conservative technique, was the excessive level of Senna’s rookie 12 months with Arden which tailed off after ending third at Magny-Cours.

However with iSport the Brazilian confirmed he can be an element for the crown by pushing rookie Alvaro Parente all the way in which in Barcelona. After hitting a stray canine on the monitor in Istanbul, which thwarted what was set to be a points-scoring restoration to the factors within the dash after a first-lap clip broke his entrance wing within the function, Senna nailed the beginning in Monaco to beat Maldonado and draw degree with early pacesetter Pantano.

Spurned pole positions at Magny-Cours, Silverstone and Spa (this inherited from team-mate Karun Chandhok attributable to a grid penalty) had been a big a part of why Senna finally misplaced out to Racing Engineering veteran Pantano, though not all had been his fault.

Clutch failure induced his retirement in France, the place Pantano went on to win, and he at the least made up for an error-strewn show at Silverstone by comfortably successful the next day’s moist dash. He led at Spa too, till being launched into the trail of Alberto Valerio and incurring a drive-through penalty that left him eleventh.

But Senna was actually worthy of the F1 probability that belatedly got here for 2010 – sadly it was with the tail-ender HRT crew, which gave him little probability to shine. Ditto a mid-season transfer to Lotus in 2011, though he later confirmed his enduring class in sportscars.

Storming victory in Hockenheim dash underlined Perez’s class, though he misplaced out to Maldonado within the title battle

Picture by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Photographs

Years: 2009-10
Greatest end result: 2nd (2010)
Groups: Arden, Barwa Addax
Wins: 5
Poles: 1
Factors deficit: 16

No driver in 2010 gained a function race by an even bigger margin than Sergio Perez in Abu Dhabi (21.1s). None dominated a dash race extra utterly than Perez at Silverstone (15.4s), and no person recovered from additional again to win a dash race than the Mexican in his cost from seventh at Hockenheim. However the just lately dropped Pink Bull F1 driver merely could not produce the products usually sufficient to disclaim Rapax driver Maldonado, whose streak of six consecutive function race wins belied his tempestuousness.

Following a patchy rookie 12 months with Arden in 2009, largely forgettable other than a double podium on Valencia’s streets, for 2010 Perez reunited with the Barwa Addax squad with which he’d been a winner in GP2 Asia driving the older-generation 2005-spec vehicles.

Perez ought to have gained the primary two function races of the 12 months however was denied in Barcelona by a sticking wheel within the pits that dumped him to fourth. He put it to rights by absorbing strain from Maldonado in Monaco to take an early lead within the title race. However he was excluded from ending fourth for working underweight in Turkey and obtained no factors for charging from twenty fourth to seventh within the dash. That gave Maldonado a decisive edge he stored to the top of the season.

There was extra duff luck for Perez in Valencia, though there was loads of pace that underlined why Sauber signed him for 2011. He’d taken pole, his just one in GP2, however was rotated within the function race by Valsecchi and recorded a clean due to contact from Valerio in the beginning of race two.

Perez wasn’t completely innocent in his defeat. A pitlane rushing penalty that value a shot at victory within the Spa function contest was at the least redeemed by successful the dash, however getting embroiled in touch at Monza after Maldonado had dropped the ball was pointless – as too was crashing with Chook in Abu Dhabi, souring a weekend he’d started so strongly. “Yas Marina was Perez in microcosm,” wrote Autosport.

5. Sam Chook

Chook led new Russian Time outfit to groups’ title in 2013 however missed out on the drivers’ crown after a powerful marketing campaign

Picture by: Glenn Dunbar

Years: 2010-11, 2013
Greatest end result: 2nd (2013)
Groups: ART Grand Prix, iSport, Russian Time
Wins: 6 (5 in 2013)
Poles: 4 (2 in 2013)
Factors deficit: 20

No person might match Chook’s tally of 5 wins in 2013, which included three function victories. However the Briton rated by Autosport because the 12 months’s greatest driver, working with new Russian Time squad run by Motopark, crucially could not match the consistency of Leimer – one other member of the category of 2010 consumption.

Chook was additionally rated by our correspondent as that season’s standout, as common swashbuckling performances with ART yielded fifth within the standings (simply 4 factors behind Bianchi). Not all obtained the reward they deserved although.

After shedding his entrance wing within the Barcelona function’s opening lap skirmish, he set the quickest lap and ambushed a number of drivers into Flip 5 (coined “Sam Chook nook” by commentator Will Buxton) however solely completed ninth. Recovering fifth after beginning 14th within the Hockenheim dash additional evidenced his overtaking prowess however salvaging third from 18th at Yas Marina, in a pre-DRS age, was the decide of the lot. Victory within the Monza function confirmed he might management races too.

In that context, Chook’s 2011 season at iSport was arguably a disappointment. After falling 0.332s shy within the Istanbul function to eventual champion Grosjean, there have been no wins and he slipped to sixth. Monaco arguably epitomised his 12 months, pole squandered with a stall. He departed the principality degree atop the standings with Grosjean, however by no means troubled the rostrum once more.

After a 12 months in FR3.5, inserting third, Chook’s 2013 marketing campaign was unsurprisingly a slow-burner given his crew’s circumstances. However after taking dash victory in Bahrain, 2011 Monaco disappointment was avenged and there have been additional function successes at Silverstone and Spa that helped Russian Time to win the groups’ crown.

Seven factors cut up Chook and Leimer heading to Abu Dhabi, the place the now Method E stalwart certified on the entrance row and had a primary alternative to trim the hole – till a stalling that successfully handed the crown to his Swiss rival. However different outcomes that went begging weren’t his fault – mainly being helped into the gravel by Palmer whereas disputing third within the Barcelona function race, leading to a expensive non-score.

4. Lucas di Grassi

Though di Grassi got here closest to the GP2 title in 2007 with ART, he was arguably extra spectacular in part-season the next 12 months

Picture by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Photographs

Years: 2006-09
Greatest end result: 2nd (2007)
Groups: Durango, ART Grand Prix, Barwa Campos, Racing Engineering
Wins: 5 (1 in 2007)
Poles: 1 (in 2009)
Factors deficit: 11

The 2007 runner-up to Glock with ART was arguably extra spectacular when he belatedly returned for 2008 with Barwa Campos after three rounds of the season had already been accomplished. If the scores had been reset for Magny-Cours, when di Grassi joined the fray, the Renault junior would have gained the title by 11 factors.

The 2005 Macau Grand Prix winner had a quiet rookie 12 months with Durango, but it surely was a unique story upon becoming a member of the ART squad that had gained the primary two GP2 titles with Rosberg and Hamilton. With higher expectations, di Grassi stood up for the depend and, though there was just one win – a sometimes cool-headed show within the Istanbul function – he stored Glock trustworthy till the ultimate spherical.

It did not assist that crew boss Fred Vasseur was absent from the opening races as he recovered from pre-season again surgical procedure, nor that di Grassi had three completely different rookie team-mates. “The dominators of the earlier seasons had been on the again foot from the off,” famous Autosport.

However he amassed factors metronomically and by no means completed decrease than fifth in a function race till Monza, the place gearbox gremlins value him a possible second place when set to overtake Glock. He entered the Valencia finale simply two factors adrift following Glock’s nightmare weekend at Spa, however misplaced any probability of usurping his rival by spinning off within the moist opener.

With little to show in 2008 however no F1 seat to point out for his efforts, he returned at Renault’s behest when Barwa Campos dropped Ben Hanley and ended up only one level shy of runner-up Senna. Two wins in function races, an easy cruise on the Hungaroring and at Monza when Pantano’s pit exit white line fake pas resulted in a penalty – added to an untroubled Valencia dash triumph – underlined his credentials as a title-calibre driver prepared for F1.

However ignored as soon as once more for 2009, he returned as soon as extra with Pantano’s Racing Engineering squad in what proved a disappointing sign-off. He once more completed third however solely gained as soon as, within the Istanbul dash, earlier than getting a long-awaited F1 probability alongside Glock for 2010 with a Virgin that had a too small gas tank… Now Method E’s most skilled driver, having fun with quite a few duels with Chook, he gained the all-electric championship in 2016-17.

3. Nelson Piquet

Piquet misplaced out to Hamilton within the race for GP2’s second title, however ran him far nearer than anyone else

Picture by: Lorenzo Bellanca / Motorsport Photographs

Years: 2005-06
Greatest end result: 2nd (2006)
Staff: Piquet Sports activities
Wins: 5 (4 in 2006)
Poles: 6
Factors deficit: 12

The primary driver to take a weekend clear sweep of pole, each wins and quickest laps on the Hungaroring in 2006, Nelson Piquet Jr gave Hamilton an actual run for his cash in a two-horse race for GP2’s second crown. That he does not rise greater within the listing owes a lot to Piquet being in his second 12 months towards a rookie and the marginally smaller margins of defeat for the 2 drivers ranked above him right here.

The 2004 British F3 champion completed eighth in a combined first season, peaking with a function win at Spa in a race of combined circumstances. True to type, it wasn’t with out drama, having clattered into Alex Premat (ART) to incur a 10-place grid penalty for race two. The strain was on for 2006 to point out he might ship extra constantly – and Piquet did.

Victory within the Valencia opener, beating Hamilton, set the template for a 12 months wherein the duo was normally the category of the sphere (though Pantano gained each races at Monza after changing Filippi at FMS/Coloni). There have been six poles from 11 rounds – Hamilton managed the feat as soon as – which confirmed the worth of his Piquet Sports activities crew conducting a personal take a look at programme with a modified World Sequence Dallara. “However a persistent behavior of locking the brakes within the races was his downfall,” remarked Autosport.

That was evidenced most clearly on the Nurburgring, the place after a stuttering begin from pole he misplaced a possible podium when his tyre blew – the results of a flat-spot incurred diving previous Nicolas Lapierre. At Monza too, Piquet flat-spotted his tyres so could not problem Pantano late on.

There have been different sloppy moments that meant, Hungary apart, his solely different win got here within the Istanbul function greatest remembered for that well-known restoration from Hamilton to second after an early spin. One other possible win went begging within the Barcelona function due to a pitlane rushing penalty, and he incurred the identical sanction at Hockenheim whereas working second. A free gas line on the ultimate lap finally robbed him of fourth.

Maybe his 12 months is greatest remembered for being on the mistaken finish of a chunk of Hamilton brilliance throughout the Silverstone dash; because the Brit escaped his three-wide transfer on Clivio Piccione and Piquet to win, the latter misplaced all momentum skittering throughout the grass and smashing into an promoting hoarding.

Within the inaugural season of GP2, Kovalainen and Arden took Rosberg all the way in which to the wire

Picture by: Mark Capilitan

12 months: 2005
Greatest end result: 2nd
Staff: Arden
Wins: 5
Poles: 2
Factors deficit: 5

Because the reigning Dallara Nissan champion teaming up with the dominant pressure of GP2’s forerunner, F3000, a lot was anticipated of the Kovalainen-Arden mixture in 2005. And so they did not disappoint. Kovalainen led nearly all the way in which till a clean at Spa handed Nico Rosberg and ART the initiative.

Rosberg’s double win within the standalone Bahrain finale ensured there was no manner again, however Kovalainen’s 12 months was one to be happy with. “Given the automotive benefit his rival had, it was a triumph for the Finn to carry on for thus lengthy,” Autosport famous.

He nursed his automotive to victory within the first race of the brand new period at Imola, a farce that prompted the organisers right into a mid-weekend change of brake provider, and picked up three extra function victories at Magny-Cours, the Nurburgring and Monza. The latter was arguably the decide of the bunch; after taking pole with a lap 1.126s quicker than anyone not referred to as Rosberg, he held again the longer term world champion regardless of taking fewer recent tyres in a tense conclusion.

Kovalainen ought to have gained at Monaco too, the place he took pole and led till being denied by a sticking wheelnut that restricted him to fifth. All of that meant there have been simply 4 factors between the pair heading to Spa, the place Kovalainen’s bid to grab eighth and reversed grid pole from Mathias Lauda resulted in contact and a remaining lap spin.

One other race-ending rotation within the Bahrain dash ended Kovalainen’s 12 months on a low observe. However the title had already been determined within the function, when the world championship’s one centesimal race winner on the 2008 Hungarian GP was restricted to 3rd behind a dominant ART 1-2.

Rookie Giovinazzi nearly denied Prema team-mate Gasly the ultimate title of the GP2 period in 2016

Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photographs

12 months: 2016
Greatest end result: 2nd
Staff: Prema
Wins: 5
Poles: 2
Factors deficit: 8

Giovinazzi obtained nearer than many anticipated to turning into GP2’s first rookie champion since Hulkenberg after his commencement as European F3 runner-up. In his Prema squad’s first 12 months, he misplaced out to team-mate Pierre Gasly by simply eight factors – regardless of the Frenchman having a season every in FR3.5 and GP2 already underneath his belt. The gulf in expertise between the Italian and his foremost title rival, the place Kovalainen had the higher hand in that respect, finally secures him high spot right here.

“Positive, Gasly’s expertise helped Giovinazzi, however the rookie’s pace additionally pushed Gasly on,” famous Autosport. “He was essentially the most thrilling driver on the market.”

After a sluggish begin, scoring no factors throughout the primary two rounds principally remembered for crashing dramatically with Sean Gelael in Barcelona, Giovinazzi gained each races at Baku – turning into the primary driver to realize the feat since Valsecchi in 2012. Though Gasly was eradicated in a primary nook tangle within the function, he led into the ultimate lap of an eventful dash, just for Giovinazzi (sans DRS) to sucker him into working deep at Flip 1.

When Giovinazzi wasn’t successful, he normally completed strongly. Alternator failure denied him a possible podium in Austria, the place Gasly went off within the moist, however Giovinazzi recovered from seventeenth to fifth within the dash regardless of an early go to to the gravel. He handed Oliver Rowland across the outdoors of Luffield on the ultimate lap to assert second at Silverstone and tracked Gasly all the way in which in Hungary.

He wasn’t with out tough edges as a scruffy race at Hockenheim after fluffing reversed grid pole confirmed. But he demonstrated maturity too – after spurning pole at Spa with one other wheel-spinning getaway, he gained the dash and took a 3rd function victory at Sepang by outfoxing first Raffaele Marciello then Sergey Sirotkin in on-track duels.

It may be argued that misfortune for Gasly explains why Giovinazzi went into the Yas Marina finale seven factors forward. Monza glory, from twenty first on the grid after being penalised for unlawful tyre pressures, got here at Gasly’s expense after what Autosport termed the “largest organisational blunder” of the 12 months.

He nonetheless needed to carry out a last-gasp go on Marciello however “as sensible as his drive was, it would not have been a victory with no very doubtful security automotive intervention,” our correspondent wrote, because it “unfathomably positioned itself in entrance of erstwhile chief Gasly slightly than the vehicles but to pit and due to this fact truly main”.

Gasly had additionally been hindered by engine glitches at Monza and Sepang, the place anti-stall kicked in in the beginning to transform first into eleventh. However with a brand new unit Gasly gained the Abu Dhabi function from pole to successfully put the crown past Giovinazzi, who was left to lament being baulked in qualifying after which having to run a time-sapping further lap on supersoft tyres to keep away from double-stacking within the pits.

Double win in Baku for Giovinazzi arrange an inconceivable title problem for the F3 veteran

Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photographs