The GP2 Series season continues this weekend in Hockenheim

With three race wins, two podiums and four fastest laptimes so far in 2010, Rapax’s Pastor Maldonado dominates the rest of the GP2 field at mid-season. However, some drivers are putting up an epic fight to try and catch the Venezuelan, starting with his closest rival Dani Clos.

The Spanish driver’s double podium finish in Silverstone two weeks ago ensured he stayed
ahead of rookie Jules Bianchi who has yet to transform a pole position into a win. Behind this trio, both Barwa Addax men, led by Sergio Perez, are also pushing hard – the Mexican pocketing another precious win in Great Britain.

Whilst Sam Bird and Luiz Razia have consistently shown good pace but unfortunately it has been combined with a mix of bad luck and small mistakes. Needless to say the outcome of
the 2010 season is one of the most uncertain since the Series’ inception six years ago.

With the return of the GP2 Paddock to Hockenheim this week, the suspense is going to get even more intense on the German technical circuit. Racing Engineering’s local hero Christian
Vietoris explained: "Going to tracks that you don’t know is quite tough in GP2, so that’s why I am particularly looking forward to Hockenheim, as it is a track I know very well! There are a lot of hard braking zones, so the cars will probably require a lot of downforce to improve the braking. There are a lot of fast corners as well, so it’s a bit in-between. You need a lot of aero for the fast corners and braking stability, but you also have a very long straight, so you
need to set up the car for that as well.

"It’s a challenging place for a driver, too. There are two or three places on the circuit where you can overtake – the hairpin, and turn two especially. I think the temperature will be quite high, so the tyres will only be good for one, maximum two laps, which means that you have to pull it together. You need a clean lap in qualifying without any traffic, and just put your lap together. That’s the most important thing there."