GP2 team boss questions Formula 1 feeder ladder structure
Russian Time GP2 team boss Svetlana Strelnikova says it is "unclear" how the championships closest to Formula 1 fit into the single-seater ladder at the moment
Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll have secured promotions straight to F1 from Formula 3, while several others have moved up to grand prix racing directly from GP2's feeder series GP3, including Mercedes junior Esteban Ocon, Red Bull protege Daniil Kvyat, and new Mercedes F1 signing Valtteri Bottas.
Strelnikova, whose Russian Time team has been part of GP2 since 2013 and won the teams' title in its debut year, says that such moves create questions over the series' purpose.
"Many now are trying to leapfrog GP2 - move up to F1 from Formula 3, for example," Strelnikova told Autosport's sister title Motorsport.com.
"That makes it difficult for teams to structure their business.
"It's unclear how it all works at the moment. What kind of system is being drawn up?
"If you can go to F1 straight from kindergarten, what's the point of other championships?
"Before that, for many years, there was a working system - you go to a smaller formula after karting, then to F3, then you have either Formula Renault 3.5 or GP2.
"But now if people are coming from F3, bypassing GP2 and 3.5, you get the question of whether they're even needed.
"Even 3.5 [now World Series Formula V8 3.5] is already too expensive for some, and we're more expensive."
Strelnikova pointed to Carlin's recent decision to leave GP2, and the plans for the series to finally replace or update its chassis package introduced in 2011, as signs for concern.
"Now there's one less team, and it's difficult to find drivers," she said.
"In a year there'll be new cars, and that's another factor that adds unpredictability, which teams don't like.
"There's also the matter of financials. You have to buy new cars, and new equipment.
"That requires a big budget - without support from racing drivers, it's not possible."
Asked whether the team had a future once Artem Markelov leaves the series, which is likely to be at the end of this year, Strelnikova said: "Of course.
"The question is in that the championship will change cars in a year, and what will happen to the championship itself then?"
Previous article
GP2 Series announces 2017 calendar including Jerez debut
Next article
F1 support class GP2 on course to be rebranded as Formula 2 in 2017
The Red Bull F1 junior aiming to defy geographical odds
It's a long way from Pukekohe New Zealand to Milton Keynes, but Red Bull's Kiwi protege Liam Lawson has defied plenty of odds to reach the rung below F1. He's endured disappointment since winning on his F2 debut in Bahrain, but is determined to turn his season around and prove himself worthy of a place in F1
How Red Bull's next F1 hopeful turned around his season
Having impressed in Formula 3, Juri Vips looked to be next cab off the rank in Red Bull's prestigious Junior Team before his 2020 schedule was dealt a heavy blow by the COVID-19 pandemic. After a tough start to life in Formula 2, Vips is showing signs of a recovery - could he be the first Estonian to reach Formula 1?
The making of an F1 hopeful re-writing the F2 record books
He'd marked himself out as a star of the future in last year's FIA Formula 3 championship, but 17-year-old Theo Pourchaire underlined his credentials by winning his first Formula 2 race in the Monaco feature. Sauber junior status gives him a clear route to the top, but with wisdom beyond his years, he's not getting caught up in his own hype
The 10 greatest F2 races contested by F1 drivers
Formula 2 used to be about more than providing a stepping stone to F1. For three decades it often provided another setting for the world’s best to fight it out. Autosport picks out the very best races
The F1 hopeful living two lives to keep his dream alive
Having lost his backing from Red Bull, Richard Verschoor has had to graft to continue his ascent up the single-seater ladder. An impressive Formula 2 debut in Bahrain, despite the lateness of his deal, shows his unorthodox approach is paying dividends
Was Formula 2’s radical format switch a success?
Going into the 2021 Formula 2 season the biggest talking point wasn’t about any drivers or teams, but the new race weekend format. Created partly out of financial necessity but also to spice up the action, the Bahrain opener provided a snapshot of the positives and negatives to come
Why 2021 is make-or-break for the driver F1 needs
He was tipped for glory in FIA Formula 2 last year, but was hampered by reliability woes at inopportune moments. Guanyu Zhou knows he won't get too many more chances if he is to become China's first F1 driver, with fierce competition within the ranks of Alpine's junior stable
How Schumacher Jr earned his Haas F1 chance
Michael Schumacher may have won seven Formula 1 titles, but he didn't even compete for a crown at the second tier. Son Mick put that right in 2020, and proved to Ferrari that he was deserving of a shot at motorsport's elite category in 2021
