F1 Fanatic

Marcus Ericsson and Stephane Richelmi for DAMS next year.

http://www.gp2series.com/News-Room/News/2012/12_December/2012-GP2-Champions-DAMS-confirm-2013-line-up/

Got to say, I did not expect that at all.

Felipe Nasr apparently complained that as good as DAMS are, they only have enough resources to support one driver for a title bid. What makes the Ericsson-Richelmi pairing interesting is that both are underwhelming, but both have shown potential in the past. I’ll be curious to see who DAMS start backing: Ericsson needs a good season, or he’kll risk becoming another Valsecchi or Razia, taking too long to win the title; whereas Richelmi’s flashes of inspiration might have been luck mroe than skill, given that he was trundling around in the Trident this year.

I agree with @prisoner-monkeys in that whilst neither Ericsson or Richelmi have set the series on fire, both have the potential to do well. This year Ericsson kept his cool to win that chaotic Feature Race at Spa, and Richelmi managed to pick up a podium in Germany.

Ericsson really does need to win the title this year, or his dreams of reaching Formula 1 will probably be over

Signing Ericsson does seem to make sense – in recent years DAMS have often gone for one driver with a bit more experience to partner an up-and-coming youngster. But I wasn’t expecting Richelmi in the second seat…

Where does this leave Rio Haryanto, now the Carlin and DAMS seats have been filled?

Haryanto initially put Lotus and DAMS as priority team for next year (as his mother said), but the deall fell through as his main sponsor, Pertamina (our national oil company) clash with their Total.
http://www.pertaminaracing.com/berita/9/4225/formula/Duh+Peluang+Ke+Lotus+Menipis (indonesian)
the news report they have sponsor issue

Another one coming soon:

Because our fans are so greedy and we love them very much, we can tell you that another driver’s announcement will be made tomorrow #GP2

— GP2 Series Official(@GP2_Official) December 18, 2012

Daniel Abt will move from GP3 to GP2 with Lotus ART:

Lotus GP is proud to announce that Daniel Abt will team up alongside James Calado for the 2013 Championship season. The young German knows Lotus GP well after defending its colors in the 2012 GP3 Series. In his first year in the discipline, Daniel made a strong impression, only missing out on the title by two points. Promotion to Team Lotus GP2 is a logical progression for both the team’s overall objective and Daniel’s racing career.

Daniel Abt: “I cannot tell you how happy I am to have the opportunity to race in GP2 with the best team I can imagine. Already in GP3 we had a really good relationship and worked together well. We finished second in the championship it felt like the right choice for me to go one step higher in my career. Of course it is always a big challenge for the drivers and the team but I am sure we have the perfect package to achieve great results. I want to thank Frederic Vasseur and all my partners for believing in me and offering me the opportunity to do the 2013 season in GP2 together with Lotus GP.”

Frederic Vasseur: “Daniel is the GP3 driver who has improved the most over the course of the last season. He finished either first or second in the last seven races, showing he has what it takes to fight for the title until the final race and that he fully deserved to win. His mind, his raw talent and his ability to adapt and grow convinced Lotus GP to help him take the step up into the GP2 Series where he will have a professional environment that he already knows and which has the culture of winning.”

This really means a lot to me and is a big step for my career. I am sooo proud! #canttellhowhappyiam

— Daniel Abt (@Daniel_Abt) December 19, 2012