Why it's tough being a GP2 rookie

This weekend's Yas Marina GP2 event is a freebie in many ways. Not in the financial sense, obviously, but for those with big decisions to make for next year it is a chance to get far more out of some November track time than would be the case if they were pounding round Barcelona or Jerez in testing mode.

For the first time in GP2's history, it is holding a race which will not count for points. GP2 Asia is no more, as we prepare for a more global calendar next year, but the category was always down to support this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. So the idea to hold a one-off non-points event was conceived, and it has attracted a mix of drivers.

There are plenty of racers with GP2 experience who have signed up, many with different teams to the ones with which they raced in the 2011 season, surely hoping that a change of equipment will vault them up the order. But there will be some fresh meat on the grid too, as young drivers from further down the single-seater ladder - namely the GP3 Series - prepare for their first taste of the big cars they have joined on the Formula 1 support bill for the past year or two.

So who better than someone who made that very step at the start of this year to offer some words of advice. The 2010 GP3 champion Esteban Gutierrez notched up a win in his maiden GP2 campaign this year, which is an achievement not to be sniffed at given the experienced field he was up against for his first season.

Gutierrez is entered for the Yas Marina event as well, as he hopes to continue the hard work he put in with ART Grand Prix this year and finish on a high. He's not the only experienced GP2 racer that will be out there this weekend (there are another six race winners in the field and the total number of returnees is in double figures), but he believes that will give the newcomers a better idea of what GP2 is all about.

Gutierrez sticks with ART for the Yas Marina double-header © LAT

"I hope they've been going to the gym a lot!" is his first piece of advice, before he gets onto the subject of the level of competition the rookies can expect.

"GP2 is so competitive, more competitive than any other series," he adds. "It's more competitive because of the level of the teams, their experience... And the drivers are filtered from all the other categories by the time you get to this level. So even to overtake someone is really difficult. The drivers have a lot of experience, and a lot of knowledge.

"It was hard for me coming into that this year, even as GP3 champion, but in the end racing against these guys made for the best season I have ever had in terms of experience and learning. It was a great challenge to take."

Gutierrez joins the likes of Dani Clos, Fabio Leimer, Stefano Coletti, Max Chilton, Luiz Razia and Marcus Ericsson as drivers with heaps of GP2 experience. And with that in mind, the Mexican hopes that those with less seat time are not setting themselves up for a fall going into this weekend.

"I would say that when you are new to GP2 you have to be very realistic about your situation," he adds. "Just because you have good results in other categories, don't expect to do the same as soon as you come into GP2. Psychologically it's very important to arrive with a strong mentality and to take a realistic position. Do your best for the weekend in Abu Dhabi, and try to make progress. That is the most important thing."

Of course, it wasn't always like this. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hulkenberg both stormed to the title as rookies in 2006 and 2009 respectively, but the GP2 landscape has changed since those days. The field has been filling up with more experienced drivers as opportunities to progress to F1 on merit alone are hard to come by, and the Pirelli tyres introduced for this year required a veteran's touch rather than a rookie's exuberance to succeed.

"You have to be more aggressive with this car," Gutierrez says. "It's so big - the first thing you notice when you get sit in it is how big the tyres are! I have a lot of respect for GP3, but compared to this a GP3 car feels like a go-kart.

Leimer and Clos (r) are among the experienced drivers switching teams © LAT

"There is a lot of power, the brakes are strong, and the cornering speeds are much higher. It is a really nice feeling to drive, but it is a big step up."

But it's not just about aggression. Gutierrez points out that a GP2 car requires a different driving style every time you climb into it over a race weekend. It's a tough balance to achieve, and after going through that learning process this year, he is well-placed to offer advice to those trying to get their heads around maximising a GP2 car in each session.

"The style changes a lot from practice, to qualifying to the race. With the tyre degradation you've got to get to know the right balance of how to compromise, especially in a race when you have long stints on a set of tyres. It takes time to learn this.

"There is a big variation that you need to adapt to. And the fact you have so much power compared to anything before, you need to have a lot more precision with your right foot. You can't just go for all the power all the time because there is too much, and you need to take care of the tyres.

"To do all of these things in combination is a very big challenge. It's all about compromise."

Plenty of top drivers in F1 have struggled to find the Pirelli sweet spot that Gutierrez is hinting at. Those hoping to make waves in GP2 this weekend should remember that point if things don't go to plan first time out, whether they are new to the category or just in new colours.