GP2 will broaden its horizons in 2012

The GP2 calendar will support F1 races at the Bahrain, Malaysian and Singapore Grands Prix in 2012.

With the GP2 Asia series ending this year, the main GP2 series will add four Asian races to its schedule. Three of these will support F1 races, plus an additional round will be held in Bahrain the week after the F1 race.

The series will be making its debut at Singapore. GP2 cars last raced at Sepang in 2009 as part of the GP2 Asia series.

GP2 will continue to support all the European rounds of the F1 championship. The total number of races will increase from 18 to 24.

GP2 Series CEO Bruno Michel said: “GP2 being the natural and logical path to Formula 1, it is imperative that our calendar carries as many F1 tracks as possible including tracks outside Europe which is why we added Bahrain, Sepang and Singapore this season. However, the series has also to remain affordable, therefore we did not want to add more overseas circuits.

“Racing on eleven F1 tracks in 2012 with a car close to F1 in performance and using the same tyres, GP2 drivers will gain as much experience as possible which will enable them to be immediately competitive in the next category as previously demonstrated by all our graduates. We have also made sure that we remain affordable by working together with our partners in order to keep down freight and spare parts costs.

“I am glad that we will be going back to Kuala Lumpur: we’ve seen during the Asia Series some very exciting races there. It is a splendid venue to open a new chapter of our Series which includes new sporting regulations.

“We’ve always raced in Bahrain since the inception of our Series – Nico Rosberg won both races in 2005. We will close our season in Singapore. It will be the first time ever that our Series goes there. It is very exciting!”

Here is the 2012 GP2 calendar in full:

Keep track of all the car launch, test sessions, races and more with the F1 Fanatic Google Calendar

The race begins at Las Vegas

IndyCar racing was shaken to its core ten days ago by the appalling crash which claimed the life of Dan Wheldon.

The scale of the accident and its terrible consequences has raised questions over the viability of open-wheel cars racing on ovals.

IndyCar must carefully consider how it responds to the crash in the months ahead.

The investigation

The aftermath of the crash drew comment from many quarters. Some rushed too quickly to pass judgement without taking time to consider the facts.

There were claims the field was substantially made up of inexperienced racers. In fact the drivers had made over 90 starts on average at this level (including Champ Car), and only two were in single-digits.

Some put about the idea that Wheldon was “driving too hard” in his effort to secure the one-off $5m prize for winning the race. This was understandably given short shrift by those best-placed to understand a racing driver’s mentality.

As Mario Andretti put it: “Dan Wheldon did not take mad risks because he was over-motivated by the $5m prize. To imply he drove different due to money, you offend his honour.”

IndyCar’s investigation into the accident is ongoing and we should not pre-judge its outcome. However some facts are already known and they give insight into how IndyCar embarked on a race that ended in unimaginable carnage.

Previous crashes

In the enormous 15-car crash, Wheldon’s was one of several cars launched into the air, where it struck the fencing at the top of the oval. It’s not hard to imagine how the terrible consequences of the crash might have been even worse.

IndyCar has seen several instances of cars being launched in this way in recent years. Ryan Briscoe survived such a crash at Chicagoland in 2005.

Three years later at Michigan Dario Franchitti’s car flew through the air after wheel-to-wheel contact with Wheldon. And Mike Conway was injured in last year’s Indianapols 500 after his car was launched into the fencing. These are not the only examples.

The suitability of this kind of barrier and the ability of the cars to withstand impact with them at near-maximum speed will surely be a focal point of the investigation.

But why have crashes of this kind have become increasingly prevalent in IndyCar racing? And was there anything different which led to the extraordinary violence of the Las Vegas crash?

Too fast, too close

The tightly-bunched pack at Las Vegas

The Las Vegas crash began in ordinary racing conditions, like most of the examples given above (the exception being Conway, who hit Ryan Hunter-Reay who had slowed having run out of fuel).

The speed of the cars, the size of the field, and how closely they were running with each other, can all be seen as contributory factors. But none of these were entirely unprecedented.

The cars were lapping at average speeds of 360kph (223mph). This is far higher than a typical F1 race, but not out of the ordinary for IndyCars, where average speeds in excess of 385kph (240mph) have been seen in the past.

The field was closely-matched, with half a second covering the cars over a 25-second lap. This had also been the case at other 2.4km (1.5-mile) ovals earlier this year.

The usual limit of 28 cars had been waived for the event. But even so the 34-car field was not far in excess of previous peaks: The Indianapolis 500 had its customary 33 starters this year, albeit on a 4km (2.5-mile) track. There were 31 IndyCars on the grid for a race at Las Vegas in 1997.

Field spread

What made the crash at Las Vegas so destructive was not so much the size of the field, but the fact it did not spread out as quickly as usual after the start of the race.

Two weeks earlier at Kentucky, an oval of similar length, within ten laps of the start the first six cars had spread out and were covered by two seconds. The same was the case in the last race at Texas on another similar layout.

But at Las Vegas the field remained incredibly tight throughout the opening laps. The first 21 cars were still covered by two seconds after seven laps.

On lap 11, moments before carnage broke out, the first half of the field were compressed into just 1.25 seconds, the cars running three- and even four-abreast.

The slightest error by any of the drivers ahead would have acted as a spark in a tinderbox. The inevitable carnage was unleashed when Wade Cunningham and James Hinchcliffe touched – but in the circumstances neither should be blamed for the horror that unfolded.

The banking

Why was the field so tightly packed at Las Vegas? It hadn’t been so at IndyCar or Champ Car’s previous visits to the track, which last happened in 2000 and 2005 respectively.

Significantly, the banking at the track had been altered since then. The changes, built in 2006, progressively increased the angle of banking higher up the track, to make it easier for cars to run side-by-side.

Throughout the race weekend it was clear how easily the cars were able to lap the track flat-out. In qualifying the drivers were able to take the corners so easily they hardly needed to take a conventional racing line.

Instead they hugged the inside line all the way around to make the lap as short as possible, as can be seen in this video:

Car performance

The negligible performance difference between the runners may also have been down to most of the teams having used the same car for so long.

Las Vegas was the final race for the Dallara IR4 IndyCar chassis, which had been in service since 2004. Drivers and teams had spent eight years refining and perfecting their set-ups to the point where there was little to choose between them.

Championship contenders Will Power and Dario Franchitti did not qualify near the front, where one would expect to find them, but in the middle of the pack. They were four tenths of a second slower than the pole sitter and half a second ahead of the back row.

“You can’t run around in a pack like that”

Paul Tracy said the circuit was too easy for the cars

There was too little in the car performance and track configuration to distinguish between the drivers. Series veteran Paul Tracy summed up the dangers of 34 cars running so close together at such speeds: “You can’t run around in a pack like that.

“You have to be able to go fast enough to spread the field out and be able to make clean, quick passes. We need more horsepower and a different aero package.

“You could go out on that particular track and run 25 laps on a set of tyres and it was like they weren’t even wearing. It’s so easy flat and there’s so much downforce that you’re hardly using the tyre.”

The spectacle of cars running close together and fighting for position is part of the appeal of IndyCar racing. In the Kentucky race, Ed Carpenter narrowly won a thrilling battle with Dario Franchitti to score his first IndyCar win by less than a hundredth of a second.

But the first dozen laps at Las Vegas was something quite different. This was NASCAR-style racing but with open-wheel cars lapping at 350kph (217mph) instead of 300kph (186mph).

In these circumstances, a crash on this scale was inevitable.

Making oval racing safer

The 2012 Indycar design features rear wheel surrounds

Should IndyCar abandon ovals following the crash?

It would be a revolutionary decision for IndyCar racing – one that would end of the greatest events in motorsport, the Indianapolis 500, which marked its centenary earlier this year.

Before the events of Las Vegas, IndyCar had already taken steps towards improving safety while preserving its oval racing heritage. The switch to a new, safer chassis for 2012 had been planned for many months.

The oval-spec 2012 Dallara IndyCar, which was demonstrated prior to the race, features enclosed rear wheels to reduce the possibility of one car being launched from the back of another:

The car, which Wheldon tested earlier this year, will be named the DW12 in his honour.

Rethinking oval racing for IndyCars

Dan Wheldon, IndyCar, Las Vegas, 2011

Oval racing by its nature will always be one of the most dangerous forms of motor racing. Can the inevitable risk be brought within acceptable limits?

I believe so. The now-defunct CART series had a 14-year spell with no driver fatalities between 1982 and 1996 – and speeds today are no higher than they were then.

Steps need to be taken to prevent a repeat of the kind of pack racing seen at Las Vegas. This may be acceptable for slower, fully-enclosed cars like NASCARs, but is surely a risk too far for IndyCar racing.

It’s significant that since the crash former F1 driver Jean Alesi has said he still intends to participate in next year’s Indianapolis 500. He said: “What happened at Las Vegas can’t happen in Indy: the banking there is negligible and most of all you never take it flat out except in qualifying.”

Some drivers had raised concerns about the potential for such an accident before the race. On Monday IndyCar had the first of what surely will be many meetings with drivers to avoid a repeat of Las Vegas.

Las Vegas remains on the provisional 2012 IndyCar schedule but series CEO Randy Bernard said recently it was “premature” to decide if IndyCar would return there.

The safety improvements already planned for the 2012 car are a step in the right direction. However more may now need to be done.

Increasing the strength of the cars by installing cockpit covers would be unpopular move for some. But aesthetics cannot take priority over driver safety.

IndyCar will have to learn difficult lessons and take tough decisions in the months ahead.

Franchitti, who became IndyCar champion for the fourth time following the abandoned race, spoke for many when he said yesterday: “I love the fact that the IndyCar series is the mix of all the disciplines and to win the championship, you’ve got to be strong at all of them.

“So we’ve got to be on ovals, and it’s got to be safe. It’s got to be a lot safer.”

Wheldon fund and auction

A trust fund has been established for Dan Wheldon’s family. Contributions can be made here:

Fifth Third Private Bank
Attn: Dan Wheldon Family Trust
251 North Illinois St.
Suite 1000
Indianapolis, IN 46204

There is also an online auction to raise money for the trust fund:

• Dan Wheldon Charirty Auction

Marco Simoncelli

The motor racing community is also mourning the death of Moto GP rider Marco Simoncelli, who died in a crash at Sepang International Circuit on Sunday.

At this tragic time, my thoughts are with the families and friends of both Wheldon and Simoncelli.

Tragedy at Las Vegas

• Dan Wheldon killed in crash at IndyCar season finale
• F1 community pays tribute to Dan Wheldon

Images © IndyCar

Dan Wheldon

The tragic death of Dan Wheldon yesterday has touched many in and around the F1 community.

Drivers and team members, past and present, have paid tribute to the IndyCar racer, who died yesterday a crash in Las Vegas.

Here is a selection of the messages they have sent over the last 24 hours.

Lewis Hamilton

This is an extremely sad day. Dan was a racer I’d followed throughout my career, as I often followed in his footsteps as we climbed the motorsport ladder in the UK.

He was an extremely talented driver, as a British guy, who not only went over to the States but who twice won the Indy 500. This is a tragic loss at such a young age. My heart goes out to his family and friends during this extremely difficult time.

Jenson Button

Just woken up to the most horrific news. I have so many good memories of racing with Dan in the early nineties, a true fighter.

We’ve lost a legend in our sport but also a great guy. I can’t begin to imagine what his family are going through and my thoughts are with them at this very difficult time.

Michael Schumacher

All of us, we try to convince ourselves constantly that motorsport nowadays is so safe that nobody has to lose his life, but then unfortunately that`s still wishful thinking.

I have heard this morning about the terrible accident which caused Dan Wheldon to die, and it just left me shocked and speechless. My thoughts are now with his family.

Mark Webber

Rest in Peace Dan. I remember our early days in the UK ’95/96. Miss ya.

Rubens Barrichello

Just got out from the plane and got the terrible news about the death of our friend Dan Wheldon. Will always remember the great times we had at karting in Brazil my friend. Rest in peace.

Paul di Resta

Very sad news that a great racer died. Rest in peace Dan. Thoughts are with your family.

Jaime Alguersuari

Heard about the bad news rest in peace Dan.

Heikki Kovalainen

Very sad to read Dan Wheldon has died, RIP.

Pastor Maldonado

Sorry about Wheldon, we have to work and increasing safety on the tracks, especially on the ovals.

Sergio Perez

How sad to hear the news of Dan Wheldon!

Jerome D’Ambrosio

RIP Dan Wheldon.

Karun Chandhok

Just bumped into Mark Webber in Singapore airport who told me the shocking news about Dan Wheldon. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Narain Karthikeyan

A sad day for motorsport – amidst all of its easy to forget that hazards of motor-racing still exist. RIP Dan Wheldon.

Pedro de la Rosa

Our thoughts go to Dan Wheldon’s family. Can not imagine what they are going through. Always on our mind.

Gary Paffett

Tragically Dan Weldon has been killed in the crash at Vegas today. A massive loss to the motorsport world. He was a star and a real nice guy. The untimely death of Dan Wheldon at the peak of his career has really reminded me of how cruel Motor Racing can be. We have lost a star!

McLaren

RIP Dan Wheldon. We pass on our condolences to his family and friends. Our thoughts are with them.

Williams

A tragic loss of a great motorsport talent who will be missed by so many. Our thoughts are with Dan Wheldon’s family and friends.

Sauber

Yesterday was one of the bad days of motorsport. Our thoughts are with all involved and especially Dan Wheldon’s family and team.

Lotus

We would like to add our thoughts and prayers to the multitude of people paying respect to Dan Wheldon. A true Champion has passed away. RIP.

Virgin

From all at Marussia Virgin Racing, our heartfelt condolences to Dan Wheldon’s family and friends. A tragic loss for them and for motorsport.

Petronas Motorsports

Tragic news on IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon’s death yesterday. Sincere condolences to his family from us at Petronas Motorsports.

Alan Permane (Renault)

My thoughts go out to his family and friends and all my mates working in IndyCar. RIP Dan.

Rene Dias Torcato (Renault)

Woke up to the news of a massive stunt in IndyCar to find out the shock news of Dan Wheldon losing his life. Extremely terrible news. RIP.

Riad Asmat (Lotus)

Truly sad to hear about Dan Wheldon, very very unfortunate.

Tom Webb (Lotus)

RIP Dan Wheldon. He was a Great Briton, a rare talent and a magnificent ambassador for the motorsport community worldwide. Thoughts also with Julian and all at CSS. They went through this in ’94 with Ayrton so hope they can navigate next days and months with strength.

Paul Hembery (Pirelli)

Terrible to wake up to news of Dan Wheldon’s death racing in Vegas. RIP and my sincere condolences to his wife and children.

Enrique Bernoldi

I still cant believe what happened yesterday, RIP my friend Dan Wheldon my thoughts are with your family and friends. We’re gonna miss you, God bless.

Mark Blundell

RIP Dan Wheldon, my thoughts go to his family, loss of a great young talent and nice guy. Racing can be so cruel at times. RIP Indy 500 winner. Days like this are never easy for any driver old and young, brings home the risk and underlines in bold, make tougher when you know the guy!

Martin Brundle

It’s so so sad about Dan Wheldon. Deepest condolences to his wife and young children along with family and friends. This is a cruel sport.

Luciano Burti

Really sad with Dan Wheldon’s death in Indy. An ex-rival in the British race tracks that became a friend. All my thoughts to his family.

Anthony Davidson

Spent so many races trying to match Daniel as we grew up and raced together. I’m utterly devastated to hear the sad news. RIP Dan.

Robert Doornbos

RIP Dan Wheldon. What a great champion and colleague! My thoughts and prayers are with Dan and his family!

Christian Fittipaldi

My prayers and thoughts to Dan’s family and friends.

Emerson Fittipaldi

Very sad day! Two times Indy 500 winner! Great Champion! All my condolences and love to Dan Wheldon’s family! I have seen many fine men/racers leave us prematurely over my lifetime, it is an unfortunate part of our sport. Godspeed Dan Wheldon.

Johnny Herbert

Just read the sad news. My thoughts to all his family and friends. RIP Dan.

Nigel Mansell

“Just heard the dreadful news of Dan Wheldon we send our thoughts and condolences to his family. A great young man with so much talent.”

Perry McCarthy

Very sad to hear the terrible news of Dan Wheldon. RIP mate.

Allan McNish

Rest in peace Dan, we will miss you. All my thoughts are with the Wheldons right now. Sad day.

Tiago Monteiro

Still can’t get over it. So sad. Specially having such young kids. [...] I only met him once, was a lovely guy. A tragic loss!

Juan Pablo Montoya

Life is not fair. We are gonna miss a really great guy. Dan we are gonna miss you.

Tiff Needell

Dan Wheldon the little kid I interviewed for a Top Gear karting special long ago who would be a double Indy winner now gone forever – RIP.

Max Papis

Here thinking of all my IndyCar friends, I never though we would have gone trough again this after Greg… let’s learn out of it.

Nelson Piquet Jnr

Can’t believe the news of Dan Wheldon. My prayers for his family and closer friends.

Antonio Pizzonia

What a tragedy! Hard to believe. RIP, my friend!

Takuma Sato

I am so deeply sad for Dan Wheldon’s family. He was a great competitor and gentleman. All his friends in motorsport will miss him deeply.

Scott Speed

All I keep thinking about is how we can help his family! It’s impossible to imagine what they must be going through right now. So damn sad.

Justin Wilson

Just don’t know what to say. So many thought that are mixed up right now. Dan is one of the Indycar greats. Thoughts with his family.

Sakon Yamamoto

Very shocking news [...] it’s very very sad for motorsport. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. RIP Dan Wheldon.

Alex Yoong

Rest in peace Dan, A true competitor in the prime of his life. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. He will be missed.

Derek Warwick

British Racing Drivers’ Club president Derek Warwick sent the following statement on behalf of the club:

“On behalf of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), I wish to extend my sincere sympathies to Dan’s wife Susie and their boys Sebastian and Oliver, as well as the rest of his family and his team following the tragic news of his death in a racing accident yesterday at Las Vegas in the final Indy Car Series round of the year.

“The BRDC is extremely proud of Dan and all that he achieved and was achieving in the United States. He was undoubtedly one of the great talents of his generation as his racing results testified. Two victories in the Indy 500 put him in a very select group of drivers and having won the Rookie of the Year honours in 2003 it was no surprise that he should win the Indy Car Championship in 2005. Dan followed this in 2006 by winning the BRDC Gold Star, beating the likes of Jenson Button, Mark Webber, David Coulthard and Dario Franchitti to this coveted award.

“Dan was a true professional and a great ambassador for the sport. He was highly focused in the way he approached his racing and a real perfectionist. He pushed himself, and those he worked with, hard to produce results that were worthy of his talents and that fed his insatiable hunger to win. With his film-star good looks and athletic prowess, it was no wonder that the American public took him to their hearts.

“In the BRDC we will remember Dan as a great racing driver who was very much involved with the Club and our circuit at Silverstone during the formative years of his career. Dan was, for many years, part of the BRDC ‘Rising Stars’ young driver programme. So proud of this recognition was he, that even after qualifying to be a Full Member of the BRDC he chose to remain a Rising Star, as he felt it represented what he was and helped the Indy Car world understand where he was set on going; to the very top. As a young driver Dan was also a finalist in the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award on two occasions, which was proof, if it was needed, that great things lay ahead of him.

“When Dan did eventually become a Full Member of the BRDC he commented at the time, ‘To be included in a group of such great names makes me feel very special. I will do everything that I can to represent the BRDC in a way that makes you all very proud.’

“Dan Wheldon was a great ambassador for the BRDC and motor sport generally. He will be hugely missed.”

F1 Fanatic

On behalf of the F1 Fanatic community I wish to add my own sincerest regrets and heartfelt support to Dan Wheldon’s family and friends.

Image © IndyCar

Wheldon pictured at the Indianapolis 500, which he won earlier this year

Dan Wheldon has lost his life following a crash at the start of the IndyCar season finale in Las Vegas.

Wheldon was running in the middle of the 34-car pack when the crash happened after 12 laps had been completed.

He was taken by helicopter to the University Medical Centre but succumbed to his injuries

IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard announced the news following a meeting with the drivers. He said: “IndyCar is sad to announce that Dan Wheldon passed away from unsurvivable injuries.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Dan and his family. IndyCar, its drivers and teams have decided to end the race. We will run a five-lap salute in honour of Dan.”

Fifteen cars were involved in the crash and three other drivers – Will Power, Pippa Mann and JR Hildebrand – were also injured.

The race was red-flagged and stopped following the accident, and abandoned after the news of Wheldon’s conditions was announced. The remaining drivers staging a five-lap display run in Wheldon’s honour.

Wheldon, 33, won the IndyCar series in 2005. He won the Indianapolis 500 for the second time earlier this year in addition to the victory he scored in his championship year.

He did not have a full-time drive in the series in 2011 and the Las Vegas event was his third race of the year. He had started the race from last place and was in the running for a special prize of $5 million had he won.

2012 Toyota LMP1 Le Mans 24 Hours car design sketch

Toyota will use its former F1 team base in Cologne, Germany to run its 2012 Le Mans 24 Hour entry.

The team confirmed today it is building a petrol hybrid car to compete in the top LMP1 category of the endurance race.

Toyota will also enter other rounds of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship.

Toyota Motorsport chairman Tadashi Yamashina said: “Toyota has entered Le Mans before, but by using our hybrid technology this time will be a completely new challenge.

“We want to write a new chapter in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours, as in the FIA World Endurance Championship, through our use of hybrid technology.

“In addition, we aim to learn from the experience of competing in such a challenging motorsport environment to enhance our production car technology. Le Mans is a legendary race and I would like to thank the ACO and the FIA for their constructive and positive co-operation over the last few months.”

Toyota last competed at Le Mans with its GT-One in 1999, when they finished second to BMW after a tyre failure late in the race.

Join the Endurance Racing group for more on Le Mans and other series

GP2 has taken inspiration from F1 with its new rules

GP2 drivers will have to manage tyre allocations from next season.

Mimicking the current F1 rules, drivers will be given a limited number of ‘prime’ and ‘option’ tyres per race weekend.

Three sets of the harder tyre and just one of the softer tyres will be available, and the harder tyres must be used in the Sunday sprint race. The mandatory pit stop in the longer Saturday race will remain.

GP2 and GP3 will adopt an F1-style points system from 2012. In the Saturday race the top ten will score 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points respectively.

In the Sunday race, where the top eight on the grid are reversed, points will be awarded to the top eight finishers 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1.

The Saturday pole sitter will be awarded an extra four points and two points will be given for the fastest lap in each race.

GP2 CEO Bruno Michel said: “Our series’ main goal has always been to prepare them to Formula 1 and so far we have been very successful at it.

“More than ever, tyre management is key to how quickly young drivers can adapt to the pinnacle of motorsport. However, although we will introduce a second compound, we have decided to keep only four sets of tyres per race weekend in order to control the costs.

“It will be interesting to watch as our teams will put in place the best possible strategy. It will add even more suspense, but it will also make tyre management all the more delicate.”

Image © GP2 Series

Alesi driving the Lotus T125 earlier this year

Former F1 driver Jean Alesi has confirmed he will race in the Indianapolis 500 next year.

Alesi, who is a brand ambassador for Group Lotus, will drive a car powered by Lotus’s IndyCar engine which will participate in the series next year.

The veteran of 201 Grand Prix starts from 1989 to 2001 said: “I’m thrilled that Lotus has given me the opportunity to compete in such a world famous race.

“It’s going to be a very special experience for me but I also know that I have a lot of hard work ahead.

“I’m very focused on the task I’m facing – I’m taking my training very seriously, I have some amazing support on this front from a ‘comeback’ expert and of course I will be testing extensively. I’m really excited about the race.”

• Wheldon wins Indy 500 as Hildebrand crashes at last corner

Image © Group Lotus

Start, IndyCar Baltimore Grand Prix, 2011

Sebastian Vettel’s rivals have all-but conceded this year’s championship following his eighth win of the season at Monza.

So if you’re looking for a close championship battle, now’s the time to cast your gaze beyond Formula 1.

Here’s a selection of top racing series with rather more exciting championship battles.

IndyCar

In the past three races, Will Power has cut Dario Franchitti’s lead from 62 points to just five.

IndyCar’s mix of road, street and oval courses will play a role in deciding the outcome of this championship: Franchitti tends to do better on ovals, Power on road and street courses.

This weekend’s race in Japan was supposed to take place on the Motegi oval. But that was damaged during the March earthquake so the teams have switched to the road course instead, which could be good news for Power.

After that Power has two races on ovals to contend with, in Kentucky and Las Vegas. Last year he went into the final round 12 points up on Franchitti, but the title slipped from his grasp.

Will Franchitti beat Power again to claim his third championship in a row?

Adding more intrigue to the season finale, Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon will return to compete for a special prize. He’ll bag $2.5 million if he wins from last on the grid, with the same amount going to a fan at the race.

This one’s too good to miss, so we’ll be following the last two rounds on F1 Fanatic Live.

Races remaining: Three
Points: 50 for a win, two for most laps led and one for pole position
Will I be watching?: Definitely. UK coverage is on Sky Sports.

British Touring Car Championship

After a few shaky years, the BTCC is well and truly back to its best. That’s why I’ve already been to four rounds this year, at Brands Hatch, Thruxton, Oulton Park and Snetterton.

Honda team mates Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden are at the front of the title battle and they’ve already collided earlier this year.

Mat Jackson slipped to third after a disastrous meeting in Knockhill.

Reigning champion Jason Plato’s hopes of retaining his crowd will be boosted this weekend at Rockingham as BTCC continues to fine-tune the current rules balancing the performance of the cars. Plato’s normally-aspirated Chevrolet will be unaffected, but several of his rivals will have less turbo boost and more weight.

The Silverstone finale is in the afternoon following the Korean Grand Prix and ahead of the IndyCar final at Las Vegas, which will make for a great day of racing on F1 Fanatic Live.

Start, British Touring Cars, Knockhill, 2011

Races remaining: Nine (Three triple-headers)
Points: 15 for a win, one for fastest lap and leading a lap, and one for pole position for race one of each weekend
Will I be watching?: Unfortunately I can’t make it to any of the remaining rounds but I will be watching ITV’s excellent live coverage.

World Series by Renault

Robert Wickens, who had his first run in an F1 car with Virgin on Tuesday, has a healthy 34-point margin with 100 points to be won in the World Series by Renault.

But he’s up against strong opposition in the shape of Red Bull development drivers Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo, both of which have British F3 championship titles to their name.

Ricciardo, runner-up in this series last year, is a creditable third having missed the first two races while on duty for Toro Rosso.

Daniel Ricciardo, World Series by Renault, 2011

Now racing in F1 for HRT, he may have to miss the final two races which clash with the Japanese Grand Prix.

Races remaining: Four (two double-headers)
Points: Same as F1
Will I be watching?: If Eurosport are showing any of the races live I will.

DTM

Audi’s Martin Tomcyk leads Mercedes’ Bruno Spengler by a single point in Germany’s premier touring car series.

While five other drivers are mathematically capable of winning, it’s likely one of these two drivers will claim their first DTM championship wins.

Tomcyk came through to win in a wet race at Brands Hatch at the beginning of the month.

The championship may be close but it’s not been a sparkling year in the DTM for racing.

Martin Tomczyk, Audi A4, Brands Hatch, DTM, 2011

That will hopefully change next year with the introduction of new cars and the arrival of BMW.

Races remaining: Three
Points: Ten for a win (same as F1′s 2003-09 system)
Will I be watching?: I’d give it a look if I could but it’s on ESPN in the UK.

NASCAR

If F1 used NASCAR’s ‘Chase for the Cup’ the championship would look very different.

In NASCAR the points are reset with ten races remaining so the highest 12 drivers in the championship have near-equal tallies, and only they can claim the crown.

Jimmie Johnson has made the Chase his speciality and could claim the title for an astonishing sixth year in a row this season.

So should F1 use something like the chase to keep the championship alive until the end?

I don’t think so – for me, the champion should be the driver with the best result over a full season’s racing. Even if that does mean wrapping things up early, as will almost certainly be the case in F1 this year.

Races remaining: Ten
Points: 46 for a win, one for leading a lap and one for leading the most laps
Will I be watching?: Even if it was on anywhere I could see it I wouldn’t bother. For various reasons, NASCAR isn’t my cup of tea.

Other series

Start, NASCAR, Richmond International Raceway, 2011

The World Touring Car Championship is a close affair between Yvan Muller and Rob Huff. But, like the DTM, the races haven’t been great this year. That said the end-of-season race at Macau is always worth a look.

What was shaping up to be a great battle between the two Sebastiens in Citroen’s World Rally Championship team – Loeb and Ogier – had the edge taken off it after Citroen began using team orders to favour Loeb.

In Superleague Formula, the football-themed series which morphed into an A1 Grand Prix-style countries’ championship, the major point of interest late in the season is which races will actually take place.

Having held six races at Assen and Zolder this year, it has postponed a round in Russia and cancelled races in New Zealand, Brazil and a planned second event in South America.

Are you keeping tabs on the championship battles in other series like Moto GP, Formula Two or others?

Tell us which racing series are you watching over the closing months of 2011 – the more obscure the better!

Why you should watch…

• F1 may not have a close title fight but these five do
• Why you should watch... Nürburgring 24 Hours
• Why you should watch... World Rally Championship
• Why you should watch… Isle of Man TT
• Why you should watch... TC2000
• Why you should watch... Superleague Formula
• Why you should watch... GT1
• Why you should watch... BTCC
• Why you should watch... IndyCar

Images © IndyCar/Shawn Gritzmacher, BTCC, Renault, DTM, Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

Grosjean has won five times in GP2 this year

Romain Grosjean can claim the GP2 championship in next weekend’s two races supporting the Belgian Grand Prix.

Grosjean heads into the weekend knowing he only needs to maintain the gap over his pursuers to claim the title.

And it could pave the way to a return to F1 – in a more long-term capacity than his brief stint with Renault at the end of 2009.

Grosjean began the season with an emphatic win from pole position in Turkey. But it’s not been plain sailing for him since then.

He was stripped of fourth place in Spain after failing a ride height test, and battled from last on the grid to ninth in the sprint race.

After a chaotic qualifying session at Monaco he started last again, before impressively hauling his car from 26th to fourth via an inspired strategy.

He was back on the top step of the podium in Valencia but in the sprint race he collided with Sam Bird and Davide Valsecchi on the first lap and crashed out. But since that setback he’s finished every race in the top four.

Winning the championship would give him a strong claim to a place at F1 in 2012. Only once in the six-year history of GP2 has its champion failed to find a seat in F1 the next year.

Grosjean’s close ties with Renault team principal Eric Boullier could help him avoid the fate of Giorgio Pantano.

On paper both of the team’s seats for next year are occupied by Vitaly Petrov and the injured Robert Kubica.

But the situation regarding Kubica’s seat is far less clear. Doubts remain over when and if he will be able to return. He is due to undergo a further operation later this month, which may shed light on the situation.

Last month Boullier sang Grosjean’s praises, saying he “has the potential to be one of the big boys” and is “much more mature than two years ago” when he made his first seven starts in F1.

In Hungary, Renault gave Bruno Senna a run in the first practice session in place of Nick Heidfeld to assess his pace.

If they’re seriously considering Grosjean for a place in the team next year they may do the same for him after the GP2 season finishes at Monza – as happened with fellow Gravity Sports Management member Jerome d’Ambrosio at Virgin last year.

What about Bianchi?

Bianchi held Vietoris back in a gripping battle at Silverstone

The anticipated battle between Grosjean and Ferrari development driver Jules Bianchi has largely failed to materialise.

There were signs of it in Turkey where the pair clashed on-track. At the Nurburgring Grosjean pressured Bianchi into a crucial mistake on the penultimate lap and stole victory off him.

But other than that Bianchi has often failed to figure in the battle at the front, and usually through his own doing.

He lost his pole position in Spain after being found to have ignored yellow flags during his lap. He collided with Giedo van der Garde on the run to turn one in the sprint race, putting him out.

Astonishingly he hit the same driver again in the next race at Monaco, though Bianchi’s defence his car had developed an hydraulic problem at the time.

Another first-corner crash, this time with Marcus Ericsson, ruined his weekend in Valencia, though he recovered from 24th to seventh in the sprint race.

At Silverstone we finally saw a race and result worthy of his obvious talent. Bianchi took victory after a thrilling scrap with Christian Vietoris which ranks as one of the most exciting races I’ve seen all year.

But it didn’t proved the turning point in his season it should have. After a lacklustre weekend in Hungary Bianchi lies fourth in the drivers’ standings with less than half Grosjean’s points tally.

He retains a mathematical, though wholly unrealistic, chance of winning the championship.

Second place is conceivably within his reach and it’s worth bearing in mind that every GP2 runner-up has gone on to compete in Formula 1. But it’s not the performance or result that was expected from him at the start of the season.

Do you think Grosjean or Bianchi deserve a place in F1 next year? What about the likes of Giedo van der Gade, Sam Bird or Davide Valsecchi? Have your say in the comments.

2012 F1 season

• Jerez test day three in pictures
• Mercedes stay on top in Jerez test
• Live: 2012 F1 testing day three – Jerez
• Schumacher quickest on day two of test as Webber leads 2012 runners
• Jerez test day two in 100 pictures
• Live: 2012 F1 testing day two – Jerez
• Raikkonen leads Di Resta on first day of Jerez test
• Red Bull RB8 seen for first time as Jerez test begins
• Williams FW34 launch: First pictures of their 2012 F1 car
• Live: 2012 F1 testing day one - Jerez

Images © GP2

BMW M3 DTM concept car

During the height of the economic crisis in the late 2000s, several car manufacturers ended their F1 programmes to save money.

Honda scrapped its F1 effort at the end of 2008, following just three seasons as a full team having taken over BAR. It joined Jaguar, who exited the sport four years earlier.

In 2009 two more jumped ship: BMW and Toyota. The former, like Honda, had only been running a team of its own since 2006. Toyota’s departure came off the back of its second most successful season in eight years in the sport.

In recent months several major car manufacturers, including some of those above, have announced new racing projects. Here are a few of them and where they will be racing. The question is, why have they chosen these motor sports and not F1?

Le Mans

Porsche 911 GT1-98, Le Mans, 1998

The Le Mans 24 Hours appears to be gaining the most new manufacturer interest at present.

In June Porsche announced it will return to the top level of competition with a new LMP1 prototype in 2014. Porsche is the most successful manufacturer at Le Mans with 16 outright wins in the race.

Volkswagen Group stablemate Audi became the second most successful manufacturer when it won the race for the tenth time this year. Interestingly, the signs are the parent company will allow the two brands to race each other in 2014.

President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG Matthias Muller said: “For us it was only a matter of time before we returned as a factory to the top league of racing.

“The success of Porsche at Le Mans is unrivalled. We want to follow up on this with the 17th outright victory.”

Last year there were rumours Porsche was considering an F1 return. It originally competed in F1 with its own team in the sixties, scoring a single win at Rouen in 1962.

It built the TAG-branded turbo engines which powered McLaren to a string of world championships in the eighties. But a return as an engine supplier in its own name in the nineties failed – the Footwork team abandoned its V12 unit halfway through 1991.

Other manufacturers have been tipped to return to Le Mans in the near future including Jaguar, which was active in F1 from 2000 to 2004.

Peugeot, Audi and Aston Martin already compete with cars in the LMP1 class. Toyota are engine suppliers and Nissan are as well in LMP2. Ferrari, BMW and Corvette have factory teams in the GT class.

FIA president Jean Todt, who enjoyed success at Le Mans with Peugeot in 1992 and 1993, is investing considerable effort into this long-neglected form of racing. Next year a new, FIA-endorsed World Endurance Championship will begin, two decades after its predecessor, the World Sportscar Championship, collapsed.

DTM

BMW M3 DTM concept car

BMW will join Mercedes and Audi in the Deutche Tourenwagen Masters – DTM.

This is a significant boost for the touring car series which has featured only two manufacturers since Opel quit the championship at the end of 2005.

According to BMW Team Schnitzer boss Charly Lamm, a key part of the attraction of racing in the DTM is the opportunity to use cars based on roadgoing models:

“In no other production racing series is the level of performance of the race cars as high as in the DTM. The entire field is extremely close. For each team it is a challenge to face up to the competition.”

BMW also wanted to compete in a series in which their major rivals in the premium car market were also present.

BMW was an engine supplier in F1 from 1982 to 1987. It returned in the same capacity in 2000, before taking over Sauber and running its own team from 2006 to 2009.

IndyCar

Takuma Sato, KV Racing, Edmonton, 2011

IndyCar will have multiple engine manufacturers next year for the first time since 2005.

Existing engine supplier Honda will be joined by Chevrolet and (Group) Lotus.

The latter, of course, sponsor Renault in F1. They already back the KV Racing team, who Takuma Sato drives for.

World Rally Championship

Volkswagen Polo R WRC

Volkswagen Group’s head of motorsport recently suggested one of its brands could enter F1 in 2018.

That’s a long way off, and Volkswagen’s new World Rally Championship effort will be up and running long before then. The Polo R WRC is due to start competing in 2013.

Volkswagen management board member Dr Ulrich Hackenberg said: “The new technical regulations of the World Rally Championship are an ideal fit for Volkswagen’s philosophy with respect to the development of production vehicles.

WRC cars use 1.6-litre engines with direct injection and turbochargers. Hackenberg added: “Downsizing, high efficiency and reliability are top priorities for our customers.

“The timing of the WRC debut is optimal for Volkswagen. The big task of engineering a vehicle that is competitive and capable of winning at a large number of challenges holds great appeal for us.”

Why not F1?

Nick Heidfeld, BMW, Interlagos, 2009

With many car manufacturers getting back into motor sport it begs the question, why not F1?

As the recent changes to the planned future engine rules have shown, F1 teams are keen to court interest from car manufacturers, who bring substantial budgets to the sport.

Speaking at the FOTA Fans Forum in June, Ross Brawn said: “The new engine creates a fresh opportunity for manufactures to come in.”

Have they got the technical formula right? The more open technical rules at Le Mans, which encourages competition between petrol, engine and hybrid cars, seems to be more appealing to many manufacturers.

There’s also the ever-present question of costs, and which series offers best value for money. The rate of development in F1 and the scale of the calendar are considerably greater than many other championships.

This is where striking the balance between freedom in the technical rules and the ever-present urge to contain costs are in conflict. The technical specifications of F1′s new engines for 2014 are very tightly restricted to keep development costs down.

Jarno Trulli, Toyota, Suzuka, 2009

Aesthetics clearly plays a role as well. Some car manufacturers want to race cars which are visibly similar to their roadgoing models. F1 car design is so wholly given over to the pursuit of performance that this simply isn’t possible.

The car manufacturers which have become involved in F1 recently have preferred branding arrangements instead of building their own cars or engines: such as Infiniti’s tie-up with Red Bull and Group Lotus’s with Renault.

Why do you think car manufacturers are picking other forms of motor racing over F1? Are there lessons for F1 in what other series are doing?

Does F1 need more car manufacturers – or are they just ‘fair-weather friends’ who will come and go as it suits them?

Have your say in the comments.

Debates and polls

• Which teams will still be in F1 in ten years' time?
• DRS: How should it work in 2012?
• Who should get the last two places in F1 for 2012?
• Vote for the best F1 driver of 2011
• Sutil voted Driver of the Weekend for Brazil
• Top ten overtakes of 2011: Vote for Pass of the Year
• Who should drive for Force India in 2012?
• Vote for Brazilian GP driver of the weekend
• Was Vettel's 'gearbox problem' team orders in disguise?
• Rate the race: 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix

Images © BMW ag, Porsche ag, Volkswagen, IndyCar/Shaun Gritzmacher, Toyota F1 World