2010 Belgian GP2 round
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Belgian GP2 round is a GP2 Series
motor race to be held on August 28 and 29, 2010 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
, Spa
in Belgium
. It will be the eighth round of the 2010 GP2 Season and the seventh round of the 2010 GP3 Season. The race will be used to support the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix
. In GP3, Robert Wickens
cut championship leader Esteban Gutierrez's
(who did not score a point over the weekend) lead by winning race 1 in torrential conditions, following a tyre gamble. Another clever tyre gamble earned Adrien Tambay
a first victory in race 2.
originally scored pole, but the former Belgian was one of a dozen drivers to be penalised after qualifying for going too fast under yellows. Home driver Jerome D'Ambrosio
got pole instead, ahead of championship leader Pastor Maldonado
.
took another feature race victory at Spa-Francorchamps to increase his winning record in the series, although he only just managed to hang on under heavy pressure from Alvaro Parente
at the end of the race. The Rapax driver was struggling with his car and almost certainly would not have held off Coloni stand-in Parente for another lap. Parente, who led most of the race before making a late stop, closed rapidly on the series leader during the final lap, but was just too far back to make a move at the Bus Stop. Another stand-in driver, Romain Grosjean
(subbing for injured Ho-Pin Tung
at DAMS
), took third place after fellow podium contenders Jerome d'Ambrosio
and Sergio Pérez
ran into trouble. D'Ambrosio, who started on pole but lost the lead to Maldonado when both pitted together, eventually retired. Perez (Addax) took third on the first lap and kept the spot after the stops, but lost that when he had to serve a drive-through for pitlane speeding. A first-lap accident involving Sam Bird
(ART
) and Dani Clos
(Racing Engineering
) caused a safety car interruption, but the race ran green from the restart on lap four. Dani Clos was later diagnosed with a back injury after the race, so missed the Sprin Race. Rodolfo Gonzalez
got 8th, so took sprint race pole, ahead of Giedo van der Garde
, who did very well in getting 9th after starting 23rd.
made up for the disappointment in the feaure race by taking victory in the reverse-grid GP2 race at Spa-Francorchamps. After starting second, the Addax driver made light work of pole man Rodolfo Gonzalez
(Arden
), running much quicker through Eau Rouge and passing him at Les Combes on the first lap. Perez never relinquished the lead thereafter. The race was punctuated by three safety cars for accidents – including crashes by Christian Vietoris
, Charles Pic
and Jules Bianchi
– and debris on the track. Gonzalez later dropped behind Perez's team-mate Giedo van der Garde
and feature race runner up Alvaro Parente (Scuderia Coloni). Championship leader Pastor Maldonado retired at Les Combes on the first lap, so Perez's win keeps his mathematical chance of closing up the Venezuelan's big points lead alive.
GP2 Series
The GP2 Series, GP2 for short, is a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Ecclestone also has the rights to the name GP1...
motor race to be held on August 28 and 29, 2010 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its...
, Spa
Spa, Belgium
Spa is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liège. It is situated in a valley in the Ardennes mountain chain, some southeast of Liège, and southwest of Aachen. As of 1 January 2006, Spa had a total population of 10,543...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It will be the eighth round of the 2010 GP2 Season and the seventh round of the 2010 GP3 Season. The race will be used to support the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix
2010 Belgian Grand Prix
The 2010 Belgian Grand Prix was the 66th Belgian Grand Prix and the thirteenth round of the 2010 Formula One season. It was held at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa, Belgium on August 29, 2010. Williams driver Rubens Barrichello celebrated his 300th Grand Prix...
. In GP3, Robert Wickens
Robert Wickens
Robert Tyler Wickens is a Canadian racing driver, currently driving in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. In 2009 he finished in second place in the FIA Formula Two Championship, and in 2010 he was runner-up in the GP3 Series...
cut championship leader Esteban Gutierrez's
Esteban Gutiérrez
Esteban Manuel Gutiérrez Gutiérrez is a Mexican race car driver. He is the reigning GP3 Champion, having won the title in the series' inaugural 2010 season...
(who did not score a point over the weekend) lead by winning race 1 in torrential conditions, following a tyre gamble. Another clever tyre gamble earned Adrien Tambay
Adrien Tambay
Adrien Tambay is a French auto racing driver. He is the son of former Formula One driver Patrick Tambay, who won two Grands Prix for Ferrari in the early 1980s.-Formula BMW:...
a first victory in race 2.
GP2 Report
Michael HerckMichael Herck
Michael Herck is a Belgian-Romanian race car driver. He currently drives for the Scuderia Coloni team in the GP2 Series.-Early life:...
originally scored pole, but the former Belgian was one of a dozen drivers to be penalised after qualifying for going too fast under yellows. Home driver Jerome D'Ambrosio
Jérôme d'Ambrosio
Jérôme d'Ambrosio is a Belgian racing driver of Italian descent. He is driving for Marussia Virgin Racing during the 2011 Formula One World Championship.-Karting:...
got pole instead, ahead of championship leader Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan Formula One driver. Before making his Formula One debut in 2011, he won the 2010 GP2 championship.-Formula Renault:...
.
Feature Race
Pastor MaldonadoPastor Maldonado
Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta is a Venezuelan Formula One driver. Before making his Formula One debut in 2011, he won the 2010 GP2 championship.-Formula Renault:...
took another feature race victory at Spa-Francorchamps to increase his winning record in the series, although he only just managed to hang on under heavy pressure from Alvaro Parente
Álvaro Parente
Álvaro Parente is a Portuguese racecar driver. Parente's father was also a race driver.-Early career:After winning the Karting European Junior Championship in 1998, Parente made his debut in auto racing in 2001 at the age of 16, driving in the Spanish F3 Championship...
at the end of the race. The Rapax driver was struggling with his car and almost certainly would not have held off Coloni stand-in Parente for another lap. Parente, who led most of the race before making a late stop, closed rapidly on the series leader during the final lap, but was just too far back to make a move at the Bus Stop. Another stand-in driver, Romain Grosjean
Romain Grosjean
Romain Grosjean is a racing driver, who holds dual nationality from France and Switzerland, but competes under a French racing licence. He was the 2007 Formula Three Euroseries drivers' champion and the inaugural GP2 Asia Series champion and drove in Formula One in 2009...
(subbing for injured Ho-Pin Tung
Ho-Pin Tung
Ho-Pin Tung is a Chinese-Dutch auto-racing driver who races with a Chinese license.-Career:Tung started kart racing in the Netherlands in 1997 before graduating to single-seaters. He won the 2003 Formula BMW Asia series and was rewarded with a test drive with the Williams F1 team.In 2004 he joined...
at DAMS
DAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...
), took third place after fellow podium contenders Jerome d'Ambrosio
Jérôme d'Ambrosio
Jérôme d'Ambrosio is a Belgian racing driver of Italian descent. He is driving for Marussia Virgin Racing during the 2011 Formula One World Championship.-Karting:...
and Sergio Pérez
Sergio Pérez
Sergio Pérez Mendoza , also known as "Checo" Pérez, is a Mexican racing driver of Spanish descent, currently racing for Sauber in the 2011 Formula One season...
ran into trouble. D'Ambrosio, who started on pole but lost the lead to Maldonado when both pitted together, eventually retired. Perez (Addax) took third on the first lap and kept the spot after the stops, but lost that when he had to serve a drive-through for pitlane speeding. A first-lap accident involving Sam Bird
Sam Bird
Sam Bird is a British racing driver; he was educated at Millfield School in Somerset.-Formula BMW:Bird made his name in single seater racing in the Formula BMW category, coming fourteenth overall in his debut season and second in the rookie cup...
(ART
ART Grand Prix
Lotus ART is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. It was founded as ART Grand Prix in 1991.-Creation:...
) and Dani Clos
Dani Clos
Daniel Clos Álvarez is a Spanish racing driver who is competing in the GP2 Series with Racing Engineering, the team that won the drivers' championship with Giorgio Pantano in 2008.-Karting:...
(Racing Engineering
Racing Engineering
Racing Engineering is a Spanish racing team founded in 1999 by Alfonso de Orléans-Borbón. The team's headquarters are located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, near Jerez, in a state-of-the-art factory, where all car preparation and race team organization is based....
) caused a safety car interruption, but the race ran green from the restart on lap four. Dani Clos was later diagnosed with a back injury after the race, so missed the Sprin Race. Rodolfo Gonzalez
Rodolfo González
Rodolfo González is a Venezuelan racing driver.- Formula Renault :After previously competing in karting, González raced in the 2003 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Winter Series, before racing in the main series in 2004 and 2005 while attending City College Norwich.- Formula Three :He won the British F3...
got 8th, so took sprint race pole, ahead of Giedo van der Garde
Giedo van der Garde
Giedo van der Garde is a Dutch racing driver.-Karting:Van der Garde has a successful karting career, winning the Dutch championship in 1998...
, who did very well in getting 9th after starting 23rd.
Sprint Race
Mexico's Sergio PérezSergio Pérez
Sergio Pérez Mendoza , also known as "Checo" Pérez, is a Mexican racing driver of Spanish descent, currently racing for Sauber in the 2011 Formula One season...
made up for the disappointment in the feaure race by taking victory in the reverse-grid GP2 race at Spa-Francorchamps. After starting second, the Addax driver made light work of pole man Rodolfo Gonzalez
Rodolfo González
Rodolfo González is a Venezuelan racing driver.- Formula Renault :After previously competing in karting, González raced in the 2003 Formula Renault 2.0 UK Winter Series, before racing in the main series in 2004 and 2005 while attending City College Norwich.- Formula Three :He won the British F3...
(Arden
Arden International
Arden International is an GP2 Series team, created by Christian Horner.Initially created to raise up Horner's career, and then reliant on sponsorship from Viktor Maslov, the team began to get good results and was the best team of Formula 3000 in its last years, showing new talents to motorsport...
), running much quicker through Eau Rouge and passing him at Les Combes on the first lap. Perez never relinquished the lead thereafter. The race was punctuated by three safety cars for accidents – including crashes by Christian Vietoris
Christian Vietoris
Christian Vietoris is a German racing driver.-Karting:Vietoris started his career through karting, the most common entry point and all racing drivers, in 1994...
, Charles Pic
Charles Pic
Charles Pic is a French racing driver who will race in Formula One in with Marussia.-Karting:...
and Jules Bianchi
Jules Bianchi
Jules Bianchi is a French racing driver.-Family:Jules is the grandson of Mauro Bianchi, three-times World Champion in the GT category, and the grandnephew of Lucien, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and competed in nineteen Grands Prix in the Formula One World Championship between and , with a...
– and debris on the track. Gonzalez later dropped behind Perez's team-mate Giedo van der Garde
Giedo van der Garde
Giedo van der Garde is a Dutch racing driver.-Karting:Van der Garde has a successful karting career, winning the Dutch championship in 1998...
and feature race runner up Alvaro Parente (Scuderia Coloni). Championship leader Pastor Maldonado retired at Les Combes on the first lap, so Perez's win keeps his mathematical chance of closing up the Venezuelan's big points lead alive.
External links
- http://gp2series.com/Maldonado-hangs-on-for-dramatic.html
- http://gp2series.com/Perez-powers-to-fourth-victory.html