Bruno Michel is a creator and person responsible for GP2 and GP3 series, what are thought to be the most common way to Formula 1 for young drivers. Despite pretty high cost, delivered by Bruno and his friends' product price-quality proportion is really good. Both of the series use Pirelli tires, whose degradation is just the same as the ones from Formula 1, and there is also a need to have a right strategy in GP2. Some time ago a DRS has been introduced here, what lets drivers taste some Formula 1 atmosphere. In this frank interview Bruno talks about his adventure with both series, his relationship with Bernie Ecclestone and clarifies some things about Formula 2, what can be reactivated once again even next year.
Wojtek Paprota: Are GP3 series and GP2 seres the best way to Formula 1 for a young driver? Do you think that after graduating from GP3 and GP2 a drivers is prepared for Formula 1 in the best possible way?
Bruno Michel: "I completely believe it, because, firstly, the cars are made for this cooperation and to give them an idea what the Formula 1 will be. You start with GP3, which has characteristic start up, and they are not very far from GP2 car. Then you get to the GP2 and you are on top of that, DRS, Pirelli tires, you start to work in the same environment as the Formula 1 is. Apart from that, you race at Formula 1 tracks, in front of the Formula 1 crowd, in front of Formula 1 people, so to me from for me this is the best preparation for Formula 1 you can have”.
Wojtek: What made you to create GP2, and then GP3 series?
Bruno: "We created GP2 because there was another series, what was the feeder to Formula 1, what was called Formula 3000 at that time and it was dying. The cars were old and there were no more teams and it needed big change. So there was a position to take so we created a GP2 in 2005 and then it was a logical thing to have a feed to GP2 and create GP3 and now a lot of team are doing both GP2 and GP3”.
Wojtek: Did Bernie help you when you were starting your adventure with GP2 and then GP3?
Bruno: "Of course. Bernie has always been behind GP2 and GP3 and now GP2 and GP3 belongs to the same holding as Formula 1”.
Wojtek: This season at Monza there was a presentation of new generation's GP3 car - what are the most significant differences you have introduced to this car?
Bruno: "There are many changes. The biggest thing is that all of the changed we did for safety. Now are going to have the same safety standards as Formula 1 at front of the car and at the back. Next thing is that we changed the engine. it is a pure racing engine, it is V6 atmospherican. It is going to be very good engine and very light as well. We also changed some aerodynamic to make sure that there will be as many overtaking maneuvers as we want”.
Wojtek: Do you think that it would be fair if GP3 champion got a seat in any GP2 team for the next season and if GP2 champion got a seat in any Formula 1 team? It would be a great motivation for all the youngsters and a kind of certainty that your dream will come true if you are good enough.
Bruno: 'Fairness has nothing in common with this sport. What we do to help the winner of GP3 to getting to GP2, is that Pirelli is giving him quite heavy price, to continue racing in GP2 and to finance part of his season in GP2. It is a different thing with Formula 1, because some teams from Formula 1 are willing a lot of money from their driver, some others not. It happens that one year we have some drivers coming from GP2 to Formula 1, and some other years it is more difficult. Let's say that GP2 winners have to have a place in Formula 1 and when you are a guy like Stoffel Vandoorne this season, who is absolutely amazing and I really hope that he will be in Formula 1, because he is just outstanding”.
Wojtek: Do you think that the fees, what drivers have to pay for racing in GP2 are too high? Some of them say that it is too much and they can do for example 3 seasons in Formula Renault 3.5 for the same money. Why this difference is that significant?
Bruno: „You can't believe in everything what drivers say. I would say that GP2 is probably 50% more expensive than Formula Renault 3.5. Anyway, it is an old debate, because Formula Renault 3.5 is dying next year so it will not be Formula Renault 3.5 anymore. The reason why the season in GP2 has that cost is because the car is very close to Formula 1, because we are racing at Formula 1 circuits, because we use Formula 1 tires, because we use Formula 1 electronics and because we have DRS. If you want to have a car that is this kind of performance, and you could have probably seen that in some of the practice sessions we were in front of some Formula 1 cars. Of course it has a cost, but the cost, compared to the product we deliver and the product is as competitive as possible, to be closed to Formula 1, is nothing”.
Wojtek: Do you think that one day any of the GP2 teams will graduate to Formula 1?
Bruno: "It is up to them, if they want to. At the moment I would say that graduating to Formula 1 is a quite expensive thing to do, so there are more questions about money than capacity to graduate to the whole new level develop the car as well. We have some very strong teams in GP2 and when wanted to try the adventure of Formula 1, they would do it”.
Wojtek: Some time ago Bernie Ecclestone said that he is open for "doing something" in GP2, as many talented driver will probably never get a seat in Formula 1. Do you know any details about his idea? Does it mean that he wants to create his own team in GP2?
Bruno: „You know, Bernie has got a lot of ideas and he is trying to see at the moment if there was something to do with different car to Formula 1, maybe cheaper and that is probably what he had in mind. As far as I know, he doesn't have any particular plans connected with us”.
Wojtek: What can you say about new Formula 2 championship. There are many rumors about reactivating it. Would you like to take this challenge and reactive this category?
Bruno: "We are talking with the FIA at the moment, because the FIA would like us to do it, because it is with Formula 1 and it would make a lot of sense. We are talking to do it with FIA and maybe we will get an agreement that GP2 will become Formula 2, maybe not. Honestly, at the moment we are just doing general discussions”.
Wojtek: Is renaming GP2 to Formula 2 the only option, or you also wonder about creating completely new category?
Bruno: „If we get an agreement with FIA, it will be recreating GP2 into F2, but at the moment we are still talking”
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Wojtek: What went wrong that it hasn't be sorted out yet? Stefano Domenicali, who is responsible for this from the FIA side said that it is pretty impossible to reach agreement for next season because there was a deadline date in August for making an agreement.
Bruno: "No no no. There are always complicated discussions as you can imagine, but if were to do it, we could do it already for next season, but it takes more time. Theoretically if we were to do it for next season, we were supposed to do something before the end of September, but nothing has been decided yet. However, everything is still open. There are always long discussions, which is quite normal”.
Wojtek: Who is the most talented driver who went throughout the GP2 or GP3 series during the whole history?
Bruno: "When it comes to GP2 - Lewis, definitely, then Hülkenberg, and Stoffel. When it comes to GP3 - I think that all guys who won GP3 are really strong drivers. Some of them are already in Formula 1, some of them are not, but whatever it is Esteban, or Valtteri, or Mitch, all these guys are bloody talented”.
Wojtek: What is the best memory you have from the last 10 years, when you have been running GP2 and GP3 series?
Bruno: "It is difficult to say. I think that there were some races became memorable, but I would say that probably the first thrilling race we had was second race at Nürburgring in 2005 and it was the first time we had an absolutely fantastic race on Sunday morning and everybody wished it. Of course there is also race 1 in Turkey in 2006, when Lewis started 17th and won the race. There are many many good memories and many many good drivers and it is pretty impossible to say which ones are the best”.
Wojtek: What are your plans for the next 5 years?
Bruno: "To keep on having healthy series and bring drivers to Formula 1, bring drivers from GP3 to GP2, and then from GP2 to Formula 1, as we have been doing in the past and hoping that we get the next Lewis, next Alonso, or next Rosberg, because I think that he is outstanding as well. It is such a pleasure to see those guys in Formula 1 and I hope that we will continue this way, like with Stoffel this year”.
Wojtek: Yes, I wish you could continue this way, because I think that everybody admits that you are doing fantastic job in motorsport world. It was nice to speak with you!
Bruno: "My pleasure!”
