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Wednesday, 23 May 2012 21:15 |
 The latest round of the GP2 Series driver entry list and fact sheet - The fifth round of the 2012 season will take place this week in Monte Carlo where racing, and most importantly winning in the prestigious streets of Monaco, is a dream to all and surely Series leader Davide Valsecchi will be ready for this next challenge.
The Italian won the Feature Race there in 2011, but this circuit is also filled with great memories for the Malaysian Caterham Racing team who won their first ever GP2 race in Monaco last year and will be looking to repeat the same result this time, especially after they triumphed two weeks ago in Barcelona thanks to a shrewd tyre strategy and skilled driving from Giedo van der Garde.
The qualifying session in Monaco will be divided in two groups of even and odd numbers. Each group will run for fourteen minutes.
The overall fastest driver from both groups will start the race from pole position. The second place on the grid will be awarded to the driver who has achieved the fastest time in the other group whilst third place will be awarded to the driver who has achieved the second fastest time in the group of the overall fastest drive, and so on.
Luiz Razia commented: “I think GP2 has made a very good decision to put us in two groups for qualifying in Monaco, because it will give space to everybody, before, traffic has been a big mess for everyone there, and also in F1, so we're going to be in a better place in Monaco.”
So far this season, the GP2 Series had three sets of Prime tyres and one set of Options available for the weekend. One new set of Primes had to be saved for the Sprint Race on Sunday morning.
But starting from this week and for the remainder of the season, the rules have been opened up to complete freedom allowing the teams to use all four sets as they please during the race weekend.
In Monaco, two sets of Primes and two sets of Options, which will be soft and supersoft, will be allocated to each driver. The street circuit is the slowest and most twisty track of the year with no run-off area, meaning that it is impossible to get away with even the smallest mistake.
With the drivers now given the opportunity to have more running on the softer and faster tyre, they have greater possibilities o make up positions through the creative use of race tactics.
Mario Isola - Pirelli racing manager
“The new tyre rules for GP2 are an exciting development that will introduce a bigger element of tyre strategy and management to the race weekend, making the GP2 Series even better preparation for the very pinnacle of racing. With two sets of the softer compound available to them at any point in Monaco.
"The GP2 drivers will need to think really carefully about when to use them, but they will end up with more experience of running on a faster compound, which needs to be wisely managed. Monaco is sure to be one of the biggest challenges that they will face all year.
"The key to success is staying out of trouble, so our P Zero compounds are designed to give as much control and precision to the drivers as possible. With very little aerodynamic downforce available, the cars rely mostly on mechanical grip.”
Monaco Fact Sheet:
- Info Pirelli: Prime - Soft // Option - Super Soft
- Teams will be provided with 2 sets of Prime and 2 sets of Option
- In a change of regulations, teams have now been given complete freedom to use as they want during the race weekend which includes all session from Free Practice to Sprint Race.
- Qualifying rule:
- Two groups will be created (group A and group B). These groups will consist of those cars with even numbers and those with odd numbers.
- Group (A) will take part in the first 14 minutes of the qualifying session; Group (B) will take part in the last 14 minutes of the qualifying session.
- The overall fastest driver from both groups will start the race from pole position.
- The second place on the grid will be awarded to the driver who has achieved the fastest time in the other group and third place will be awarded to the driver who has achieved the second fastest time in the group of the overall fastest driver, and so on.
- Race 1: 42 laps (excluding formation lap)
- Lap Length: 3.340 km
- Race Distance: 140.280 km
- Race 2: 30 laps (excluding Formulation lap)
- Race Distance: 100.200 km
Monaco 2011 results:
- Pole position: Sam Bird (iSport International)
- Feature Race: Davide Valsecchi (Team AirAsia), Alvaro Parente (Racing Engineering), Luca Filippi (Super Nova Racing)
- Sprint Race: Charles Pic (Barwa Addax Team), Josef Kral (Arden International), Romain Grosjean (DAMS)
- 2011 Pole position: 1'21.876
Season 2012 so far:
- Pole positions: Davide Valsecchi (DAMS), Giedo van der Garde (Caterham Racing), James Calado (Lotus GP)
- Race winners : Luiz Razia x2 (Arden International), James Calado (Lotus GP), Davide Valsecchi x3 (DAMS), Tom Dillmann (Rapax), Giedo van der Garde (Caterham Racing)
- D. Valsecchi is leading the drivers’ standings 54 points ahead of L. Razia
- J. Calado has moved up to P3 in the drivers’ standings ahead of G. Van der Garde
- DAMS are leading the Teams’ standings, 42 points on Lotus GP
- L. Razia and E. Gutiérrez are the only two drivers who have scored points at in every race since Malaysia.
Onboard cameras:
| Driver |
Team |
Car N° |
| Davide Valsecchi |
DAMS |
03 |
| Jolyon Palmer |
iSport International |
08 |
| Stefano Coletti |
Scuderia Coloni |
14 |
| Stéphane Richelmi |
Trident Racing |
16 |
Driver entry list:
| N° |
Driver |
Nat. |
Team |
| 1 |
Johnny Cecotto |
VEN |
Barwa Addax Team |
| 2 |
Josef Kral |
CZE |
Barwa Addax Team |
| 3 |
Davide Valsecchi |
ITA |
DAMS |
| 4 |
Felipe Nasr |
BRA |
DAMS |
| 5 |
Fabio Leimer |
SUI |
Racing Engineering |
| 6 |
Nathanaël Berthon |
FRA |
Racing Engineering |
| 7 |
Marcus Ericsson |
SWE |
iSport International |
| 8 |
Jolyon Palmer |
GBR |
iSport International |
| 9 |
James Calado |
GBR |
Lotus GP |
| 10 |
Esteban Gutierrez |
MEX |
Lotus GP |
| 11 |
Rodolfo Gonzalez |
VEN |
Caterham Racing |
| 12 |
Giedo Van der Garde |
NED |
Caterham Racing |
| 14 |
Stefano Coletti |
MON |
Scuderia Coloni |
| 15 |
Fabio Onidi |
ITA |
Scuderia Coloni |
| 16 |
Stephane Richelmi |
MON |
Trident Racing |
| 17 |
Julian Leal |
COL |
Trident Racing |
| 18 |
Fabrizio Crestani |
ITA |
Venezuela GP Lazarus |
| 19 |
Giancarlo Serenelli |
VEN |
Venezuela GP Lazarus |
| 20 |
Ricardo Teixeira |
POR |
Rapax |
| 21 |
Tom Dillmann |
FRA |
Rapax |
| 22 |
Simon Trummer |
SUI |
Arden International |
| 23 |
Luiz Razia |
BRA |
Arden International |
| 24 |
Victor Guerin |
BRA |
Ocean Racing Technology |
| 25 |
Nigel Melker |
NED |
Ocean Racing Technology |
| 26 |
Max Chilton |
GBR |
Carlin |
| 27 |
Rio Haryanto |
INA |
Carlin |
For the first time in GP2 Series' history, the qualifying session in Monaco will be divided into two groups.
Following a ballot which took place today, it has been decided that Group A will be even numbers whilst Group B will be odd numbers.
Group A will thus take part in the first part 14 minutes of Thursday's qualifying session, and Group B will follow.
2012 GP2 Monaco qualifying groups:
| Group A |
Group B |
| 02. Josef Kral |
01. Johnny Cecotto |
| 04. Felipe Nasr |
03. Davide Valsecchi |
| 06. Nathanaël Berthon |
05. Fabio Leimer |
| 08. Jolyon Palmer |
07. Marcus Ericsson |
| 10. Esteban Gutierrez |
09. James Calado |
| 12. Giedo van der Garde |
11. Rodolfo Gonzalez |
| 14. Stefano Coletti |
15. Fabio Onidi |
| 16. Stephane Richelmi |
17. Julian Leal |
| 18. Fabrizio Crestani |
19. Giancarlo Serenelli |
| 20. Ricardo Teixeira |
21. Tom Dillmann |
| 22. Simon Trummer |
23. Luiz Razia |
| 24. Victor Guerin |
25. Nigel Melker |
| 26. Max Chilton |
27. Rio Haryanto |
F1SA.com
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