A new GP2 Series season is about to start

The GP2 Series enters in its seventh season after six thriving years that established the category as a must-see for those wanting to know who the next big thing in Formula One will be.

The new GP2/11 car debuted last January in Abu Dhabi in the GP2 Asia Series and on Pirelli tyres the Italian manufacturer becoming the sole supplier to the category.

The 2011 season is set to deliver action-packed and exciting races that fans and motorsport professionals alike have come to expect from the most successful Formula One feeder series.

Two new teams join the field: Carlin and Team AirAsia, expanding the grid to twenty six cars. The latter chose to benefit from two experienced and race winner drivers in the shape of Luiz Razia and Davide Valsecchi, while the British squad bet on their strong and successful relationship with Mikhail Aleshin and sophomore Max Chilton.

Over eighteen races this season, twenty-six drivers will fight for glory and if GP2 Asia Series Champion Romain Grosjean at Dams’ looks like a serious title contender, many other talented racers will also run for the same status.

From Istanbul to Monza, and alongside Formula One, the 2011 GP2 Series promises one extremely competitive battle!

A word from Pirelli’s Racing Manager Mario Isola

At Istanbul, Pirelli will equip both GP2 and GP3 with its medium compound rubber because of the extremely versatile features of this tyre, as Pirelli’s Racing Manager Mario Isola explained: “The Istanbul Park circuit is quite a complicated track because of its medium abrasive surface and several challenging turns that put a lot of pressure on the tyres. Specifically, the front right tyre absorbs most of the stress that the track provides: especially in the well-known Turn Eight, which is a fast and sweeping corner with four apexes. We decided to equip both GP3 and GP2 drivers with our medium slicks because Istanbul is a very demanding circuit that has a stronger impact on the tyre structure than on the compound.”

Weekend format

30 minute Free Practice session
30 minute Qualifying session
Race 1: 180km (1 compulsory pit stop - minimum of 2 tyres changed)
Race 2: 120km (no compulsory pit stops)

Race 1 grid will be decided by qualifying.

Race 2 grid will be the finishing order of Race 1, but with the top eight positions reversed.

Each driver will be limited to 4 sets of new dry tyres per race weekend.

Points allocation

— Race 1
Pole Position 2 points
Chequered flag Top eight finishers score points: 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Fastest Lap 1 point

— Race 2
Chequered flag Top six finishers score points: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Fastest Lap 1 point

Safety Car

The pitlane remains open throughout safety car periods. When deployed, the
SC will pick up the leader or the first car approaching even if it is not the leader. In that case, all the cars will overtake the SC when it will be considered safe to do sountil the leader is behind the SC. Lapped cars will not be able to unlap themselves.

Pit window

Race 1 mandatory pit stop may not be carried out until the driver has completed 6 laps. No pitstops are permitted in race 2 except in the event of a driver suffering from damage to either car or tyres.

Tyres

Drivers are limited to four new sets of slick tyres at each event. Pirelli determines the compound in advance. Each driver must keep one new set of tyres on which he must start race 2. These tyres may not be changed in the second race, except for an occasion when a tyre is damaged significantly to merit being changed in the name of safety.

Fastest Lap

The point for fastest lap in both Race 1 and Race 2 will only be rewarded to a driver who classifies in the top 10 and who has started the race from the grid position.