The new iSport GP2 car boasts "a brand new gearbox. rear end and aerodynamic package"

Norfolk's iSport GP2 team has rolled out its new car, describing it as "following suit" with F1 vehicles.

Team principal Paul Jackson says it is the most F1-like GP2 car to date, in a competition that acts as a feeder sport for future F1 drivers.

"This car has a brand new gearbox and rear end and totally new aerodynamic package," he told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"So we're now following suit much more closely to the current F1 cars. It looks very good."

He added: "It's quite exciting when you get a new car obviously, we've had three years developing this one and now everyone's ready for a new challenge.

One of the main reasons for GP2's existence is to provide a training ground for these guys to move into Formula One iSport principal Paul Jackson

The team, based near Attleborough, is testing the new car at the Paul Ricard circuit in France after a successful end to the GP2 Series season in Abu Dhabi.

Shakedown tests for the cars started within three days of the team's win in the last race of the year at Abu Dhabi, where Italian Davide Valsecchi won the weekend's second race.

A pole position and a second place ended a campaign which saw iSport finish fifth in the Constructors' Championship and top in the GP2 Asia Series back in March.

"We felt we could have achieved a bit more. We had a little bit of bad luck on the way on a couple of occasions and sometimes a couple of mistakes but generally the performance levels were there and the results haven't quite matched up," said Jackson.

As for drivers next year, Jackson says it will be December before that decision is taken.

Davide Valsecchi took first place in Abu Dhabi

Both drivers - Valsecchi and Oliver Turveyhe - want to stay but there are financial issues to be decided.

But they have impressed enough to have spent an extra week in Abu Dhabi testing F1 cars.

"One of the main reasons for GP2's existence is to provide a training ground for these guys to move into Formula One," said Jackson.

"It's very satisfying for us if we can do that and both our guys have been running Formula One cars this week so that is a big part of our mission accomplished."

iSport can boast current F1 drivers Timo Glock and Bruno Senna as former team members.

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