The GP2 Series was a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000 . The GP2 format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore , while Ecclestone also has the rights to the name GP1. The series was organized by Bruno Michel. In 2010, the GP3 Series class was launched, as a feeder class for the GP2 series. In 2017, the series was rebranded as the FIA Formula 2 Championship .
84-562: Designed to make racing affordable for the teams and to make it a better training ground for life in Formula One, GP2 made it mandatory for all of the teams to use the same chassis, engine and tyre supplier so that true driver ability is reflected. All but three races had taken place as support races at Formula One race weekends to boost the series' profile, to give drivers experience of the Grand Prix environment, and to take advantage of
168-663: A "very, very bad race". He had a better race at Bahrain on his way to 10th making up one of the highest number of places behind Webber, whom he held off at the end of the race. In Spain he finished 12th. Later, at the 2009 German Grand Prix , Piquet out-qualified his teammate for the first time. However, following the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix , he still had not scored any points in the 2009 season. On 3 August 2009 Piquet confirmed that he had been dropped by Renault. He hit out hard at his former manager and team boss Flavio Briatore calling him his 'executioner' and questioning Briatore's general Formula One knowledge. Piquet also said
252-524: A button on the steering wheel. O.Z. Racing exclusively supplied wheel rims for all GP2 Series cars from 2005 until the final season. Similar to the 2011 change for Formula 1, Pirelli was the sole tyre supplier for the series. The GP2 Series runs the same compounds as F1. The front tyre size are 245/660-R13 and rear tyre size are 325/660-R13. Previously Bridgestone was the official tyre partner of GP2 Series in 2005 until 2010. Brembo supplied monobloc brake calipers and disc bells, which are exclusive to
336-457: A clockwise direction, is 5.543 km (3.444 mi) long, and is noted for its sweeping corners and wide straights from 16–22 m (52–72 ft). The layout is quite unusual, with a 0.927 km (0.576 mi) long back straight separated from the pit straight by just one very tight hairpin . Other configurations of the Sepang circuit can also be used. The north circuit is also raced in
420-442: A clockwise direction. It is basically the first half of the main circuit. The course turns back towards the pit straight after turn 6 and is 2.706 km (1.681 mi) long in total. The south circuit is the other half of the racecourse. The back straight of the main circuit becomes the pit straight when the south circuit is in use, and joins onto turn 8 of the main circuit to form a hairpin turn . Also run clockwise, this circuit
504-545: A competitive edge. The latter team was largely funded by the former Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet in order to aid his son 's route to the premier Formula sport. The championship lasted 23 rounds, two races occurring a weekend with the exception of a single race in Monaco . It was won by German Nico Rosberg , who was subsequently hired by the WilliamsF1 Team, with Heikki Kovalainen finishing second. It
588-527: A contract extension with the team. However, in December 2010, the Piquets won a libel case against Renault. Renault apologised to Piquet for defaming him and paid substantial damages. The Piquets' lawyer said "They were both treated appallingly by Renault F1 when they dared to reveal the scandal to the governing body... F1 has been deprived of the best of Nelsinho and it is to [F1's] detriment that his talent
672-725: A disappointing start to the 2009 season, failing to make past the first qualifying session in any of the first three races. His first race, in Australia , ended on lap 24 when he retired with brake failure. He had a better race in Malaysia the following week finishing 13th, two places and seven seconds behind his teammate Alonso after the race was cut short due to extreme weather. China was another disappointment, however, and after spinning several times and requiring two new nose cones for his car he eventually finished 16th and last, two laps down, in what team manager Flavio Briatore described as
756-588: A doubt he knew it." Six weeks later, it was reported that Alonso turned down Massa's charity kart race invitation. A few hours after the new Campos Meta team had confirmed Bruno Senna as one of its drivers for 2010, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone said in the paddock of the new Yas Marina Circuit that he would like to see the sacked Piquet get another chance in F1 as Senna's teammate. Ecclestone said "It'd be good, wouldn't it, another good name. That's what's being talked about, actually." On December 28, 2009, it
840-650: A high-power inductive (coil-controlled) ignition system. The engine lubrication is a dry sump type, cooled by a single water pump. Mecachrome came to the GP2 Series in 2005, and by 2005 was clearly the dominant engine manufacturer. Starting in 2005, they became the only engine manufacturer in the GP2 Series, and continued in that capacity through 2016. Mecachrome also has a mutually beneficial technical relationship with Teos Engineering of Montigny-le-Bretonneux. They will continue working together for on-going research and development, engine maintenance and trackside support for
924-453: A later apex and explore different racing lines through the hairpin. In October 2016 it was rumored that the Sepang circuit may be dropped from the Formula One calendar due to dwindling ticket sales, and held its nineteenth and last World Championship Grand Prix in 2017. The race's contract was due to expire in 2018, but its future had been under threat due to rising hosting fees and declining ticket sales. The main circuit, normally raced in
SECTION 10
#17327810901861008-647: A lot of stress on drivers due to high G-Force. It is locally known as the Genting Curve. Turns 7 and 8 (the KLIA curve) make up a long, medium-speed, double-apex right hander, and a bump can cause the car to lose balance here. Turn 9 is a very slow left-hand hairpin (the Berjaya Tioman Corner ), similar to turn two but uphill. Turn 10 leads into a challenging, medium-speed right hander at turn 11, requiring braking and turning simultaneously. Turn 12
1092-530: A permanent end to Piquet Jr's career in Formula 1. Piquet also finished runner-up in the 2006 GP2 Series , fourth in the 2014 Global RallyCross Championship , and seventh in the 2012 NASCAR Truck Series . Piquet Jr., born in Heidelberg , West Germany , is the son of three-time Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet , one of Brazil's most successful F1 drivers. Piquet's parents separated soon after he
1176-432: A rebuild after 4000 to 4500 km. The valve train is a dual overhead camshaft configuration with four valves per cylinder. The Mecachrome V8 engine weight is 326 lb (148 kg ). The crankshaft is made of alloy steel, with five main bearing caps. The pistons are forged aluminum alloy, while the connecting rods are machined alloy steel. The electronic engine management system is supplied by Magneti Marelli , firing
1260-674: A record-breaking six successive feature races mid-season. Sergio Pérez was his closest rival, but the title was sealed already in the penultimate round at Monza. It was the last season for the Dallara GP2/08 chassis and Bridgestone as the series' official tyre supplier. The 2011 season contained nine rounds and a final tenth round with no points, all of which were supporting F1 World Championship. The series started in May at Istanbul and concluded at Abu Dhabi in November. The championship
1344-509: A scoring system similar to the one used in Formula One. Pole position for the feature race was worth 4 points, and 2 points was given for the fastest lap in each race. Therefore, the maximum number of points a driver can score at any round will be 48. The GP2 Series car was used by all of the teams, and features a Dallara carbon-fiber monocoque chassis powered by a Mecachrome normally-aspirated fuel-injected V8 engine and Pirelli dry slick and rain treaded tyres. Overall weight
1428-484: Is 2.609 km (1.621 mi) in length. Sepang International Circuit also features kart racing and motocross facilities. Sepang starts with a long pit straight where the DRS zone exists – crucial for drivers to get a good exit out of the last corner to gain as much speed as possible. Turn 1 is a very long, slow corner taken in second gear. Most drivers brake incredibly late and lose speed gradually as they file round
1512-456: Is 688 kg including driver. The 2011 specification GP2 Series car was designed by Dallara Automobili. The 2006 GP2 car featured a biplane rear wing, with the triplane rear wing used in previous seasons only to be used at the Monaco race. The front upper and lower wishbones have been reinforced, as have the front and rear suspension uprights. The Dallara GP2/11 were the obsolete chassis since
1596-509: Is a flat-out, bumpy left which immediately leads into the flat right at turn 13, then the challenging ' Sunway Lagoon ' curve at turn 14. Similar to turn 11, it requires hard-braking and steering at the same time. It is taken in second gear. The long back straight can be a good place for drivers to overtake as they brake hard into turn 15, a left-handed, second-geared hairpin but drivers are advised by experts to be careful not to get re-overtaken as they come into turn 1. The official lap record for
1680-860: Is located approximately 45-kilometre (28 mi) south of Kuala Lumpur , close to Kuala Lumpur International Airport . It hosted the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix between 1999 and 2017, and is also the venue for the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix , the Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race , and other major motorsport events. Previously known as the Sepang F1 Circuit, it was renamed the Sepang International Circuit. On 31 October 2023, it
1764-486: Is now being demonstrated elsewhere." Renault issued an apology in response to the High Court decision: "The team accepts that the allegations made by Nelson Piquet Jr. were not false. "It also accepts that Piquet Jr. and his father did not invent these allegations in order to blackmail the team." On 15 October 2009, Felipe Massa was reported as saying he was "certain" Alonso was involved in the scandal, adding, "Without
SECTION 20
#17327810901861848-462: Is the fastest single seater racing car behind Formula One and IndyCar Series . The 2011 model can go 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.6 seconds. The car has a top speed of 332 km/h (208 mph) with the Monza aero configuration. As of the 2020 Formula One season , 35 out of 174 drivers have raced in Formula One (20.1%). Notes: The 2005 Season was the first of the series, succeeding
1932-431: The 2007 season, and was promoted to the race team for 2008 , before being dropped midway through the 2009 season. After losing his drive, it emerged that he had, under instruction from senior members of the team, crashed deliberately at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to help his teammate, Fernando Alonso , win the race. The resulting scandal became one of the most significant in motor sport history, and ultimately saw
2016-578: The 2008 French Grand Prix passing his twice-World Champion teammate Fernando Alonso in the last few laps. In the British Grand Prix at Silverstone , Piquet was at one point lying in fourth place, having passed his teammate who was on old tyres. Piquet aquaplaned and spun out on lap 36 along with several other top runners as the wet conditions reached their worst. A race later, however, at the German Grand Prix , he finished ahead of
2100-497: The 2016 staging amongst various others). Lewis Hamilton stepping straight into the McLaren team and Nico Rosberg , Nico Hülkenberg , Pastor Maldonado and Kazuki Nakajima going straight to Williams have particularly highlighted how F1 teams take GP2 seriously, and Hamilton's Formula One World Championship title in only his second year in F1 is probably the strongest example of the series creating highly competitive racers. By
2184-590: The ART Grand Prix cars of Alexandre Prémat and Lewis Hamilton also had fairly short odds, given ART were reigning champions. For the first time, the season began on a calendar separate to the 2006 Formula One calendar, starting out at the Circuit de Valencia , in Valencia , Spain on April 8, 2006, with Piquet Jr. the first victor. Piquet raced into an early lead before Lewis Hamilton came back into
2268-558: The American School of Brasília until he was 16 years old, when he decided to pursue his racing career full-time. Piquet's racing career started in 1993 in Brazilian karting , where he would stay until 2001 when he moved to Formula Three Sudamericana . His father's wealth enabled him to race for his own team, a practice he continued until he left GP2 Series . He raced in part of the 2001 season there, staying for 2002 winning
2352-547: The Bahrain International Circuit , and completed on 30 September at the Circuit de Valencia (which was the only race that wasn't on the F1 calendar). Eventual champion Timo Glock was a driving force throughout the series but came under stiff competition from Lucas di Grassi in the closing stages- however, with a convincing win at the last race in Valencia, Glock sealed the championship. The season
2436-758: The Hitech Piquet Sports in the GP2 Series , winning his first race at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium , and tested for the BAR-Honda Formula One team. In 2006, Piquet took second place in the championship behind British driver Lewis Hamilton in his second year of GP2. During the 2007 season he was the official test and reserve driver for the Renault Formula One team. The 2008 season saw Piquet promoted to
2520-633: The MotoGP Shell Advance Malaysian Grand Prix , the Italian motorcycle racer Marco Simoncelli died following a crash in turn 11 on Lap 2, resulting in an abandonment of the race. The track was completely resurfaced in 2016 with the support of italian designers Dromo, with several corners reprofiled to emphasize mechanical, rather than aerodynamic grip. Notably, the final corner was raised by approximately 1 meter, which officials claimed would force drivers to take
2604-413: The Renault Formula One race team to drive alongside returning double World Champion Fernando Alonso . It was reported that he gained preference for the seat over Heikki Kovalainen because Kovalainen was seen as a potential rival to Alonso, and such a challenge to Alonso could damage the team. The first race of the 2008 season in Australia saw Piquet start 21st and damage his car in a collision on
GP2 Series - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-627: The #15 truck. In August, he competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Watkins Glen International road course and finished seventh in his first start in the series. On December 13, 2010, Kevin Harvick, Inc. announced that Piquet would drive a third truck for the team for the full 2011 Truck series season, the #8 Chevrolet with Chris Carrier as crew chief. Piquet finished 10th in points and
2772-563: The 2011 season. Some drivers however have reached Formula One without competing in GP2, including Sebastian Vettel , Paul di Resta , Daniel Ricciardo , Jean-Éric Vergne , Valtteri Bottas , Kevin Magnussen and Max Verstappen . GP2 and GP2 Asia Series were later combined to make a single, longer GP2 series in 2012. Current Formula One drivers that have graduated from the GP2 series include Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly (who triumphed in
2856-527: The 2013 season, Piquet was fined $ 10,000 by NASCAR and placed on probation until the end of the season for remarks described as "homophobic" made over social media. In 2014, Piquet was hired by Randy Humphrey Racing to race the No. 77 Ford in the Sprint Cup Series ' Cheez-It 355 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International , which would be his debut in the series. Two years later, Piquet returned to
2940-402: The 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad on 7 March 1999 at 20:30 MST ( UTC+08:00 ). He subsequently went on to inaugurate the first Moto GP Malaysian Grand Prix on 20 April 1999 (see 1999 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix ) and the first Formula One Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix on 17 October 1999 (see 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix ). On 23 October 2011, on the second lap of
3024-584: The British Formula 3 Championship. He became the youngest driver to have ever won the championship at 19 years and 2 months. He also did further running for Williams . In 2005, Piquet took part in the A1 Grand Prix for A1 Team Brazil , winning both the Sprint and Main races at the first event of the season at Brands Hatch , as well as scoring a point for the fastest lap. He also drove for
3108-603: The Crashgate controversy. Piquet told Brazilian Rede Globo that he would test a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series truck for Red Horse Racing from Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina on October 12, 2009. When asked whether the test could lead to a NASCAR drive next season, Piquet said it was not the plan. However, he announced that he would race in NASCAR in 2010—albeit without specifying which series—during
3192-639: The Ferrari of Felipe Massa to claim second place to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and his first podium finish. He had been the only driver on a one-stop strategy which, with the help of a safety car segment, gained him several positions. In the Japanese Grand Prix , he finished fourth. Despite rumours that he was on his way out, Renault decided to keep Piquet by signing him to a one-year contract. Alonso continued as his teammate, hoping to elevate Renault into title contention once again. Piquet had
3276-418: The GP2 Series. Hitco also supplies carbon brake discs and pads for FIA Formula 2 Championship. The brake discs are 278 x 28 mm in size (similar to Formula One ). The car also features internal cooling upgrades, a new water radiator, radiator duct, oil/water heat exchanger, modified oil degasser, new oil and water pipes and new heat exchanger fixing brackets. From 2011, XAP Technology exclusively provided
3360-560: The LMS 102 unleaded fuel and also Elf HTX 840 0W-40 lubricants for all GP2 Series cars (except Total Quartz 9000 with ART Grand Prix ). The current gearbox has been manufactured by Hewland and features an 8-position barrel with ratchet body and software upgrades as well as a new transverse shafts fixing system designed to facilitate improved gear selection. The GP2 gearbox used a 6-speed sequential gearbox configuration with electronically controlled paddle-shifters + reverse gear operated by
3444-498: The Mecachrome GP2 V8 racing engine at all GP2 Series venues. During that time, since the GP2 Series had only one engine manufacturer, Mecachrome still focusing on minimizing engine failure and minimizing costs instead of defeating rivals. As such, the engines were moderately de-tuned. The engines proved themselves to be quite durable—there had been no engine failures at all F2 tracks from 2005 to present, which also lowered
GP2 Series - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-585: The Nationwide Series Sargento 200 at Road America ; he was the first Brazilian driver to win a NASCAR national touring series event. On August 18, 2012, Piquet won his first race in the Camping World Truck Series at Michigan. On lap 56 of the race he spun out racing Kurt Busch after a restart. The team pitted under the caution and it allowed them to use fuel strategy later in the race to obtain their first win of
3612-629: The Nationwide Series, now known as the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 98 Ford for Biagi-DenBeste Racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course . Released by Turner Scott Motorsports due to a lack of sponsorship following the 2013 season, in April 2014 it was announced that Piquet would contest the 2014 Global RallyCross Championship with SH Racing , driving the No. 07 Ford Fiesta ST. He collected four podiums in nine races, and finished
3696-624: The Renault F1 team, allegations surfaced that Piquet had deliberately crashed his car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix , to benefit his teammate Fernando Alonso , who went on to win the race. At the time, Piquet characterized the crash as a simple mistake. Later, he recanted, making statements to the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) that it was deliberate, and that he had been asked by Renault team principal Flavio Briatore and engineer Pat Symonds to stage
3780-737: The Renault boss favoured teammate Fernando Alonso . Renault's test and reserve driver Romain Grosjean replaced Piquet for the rest of the season. Along with several other drivers, Piquet was linked to a drive with Ferrari as a replacement for the injured Felipe Massa , after stand-in Luca Badoer finished second-to-last at the European Grand Prix . However, Ferrari instead signed Giancarlo Fisichella who Piquet had replaced at Renault in 2008. In August 2009, after Piquet left
3864-471: The Sepang International Circuit is 1:34.080, set by Sebastian Vettel during the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix . As of November 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Sepang International Circuit are listed as: Nelson Piquet Jr. Nelson Ângelo Tamsma Piquet Souto Maior (born July 25, 1985), also known as Nelson Piquet Junior or Nelsinho Piquet , is a Brazilian stock car racing driver and former Formula One and Formula E driver where he
3948-479: The Sepang International Circuit was constructed between 1997 and 1999 close to Putrajaya , the then-newly founded administrative capital of the country, with the intent of hosting the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Malaysian climate means the circuit is known for its unpredictable humid tropical weather, varying from clear furnace-hot days to tropical rain-storms. The circuit was officially inaugurated by
4032-623: The United Kingdom, the 2008 GP2 Series was exclusively aired on ITV4 from April 2008. It was won by Giorgio Pantano for Racing Engineering , with Bruno Senna finishing distant runner-up. The 2009 season began and ended on the Iberian peninsula, with the first race weekend at Circuit de Catalunya (9–10 May) and ending in the stand-alone headline event (i.e. not supporting a corresponding Formula One event) at Portugal's Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (19–20 September). The title
4116-504: The Williams team for the 2006 F1 campaign, 2006 GP2 winner Lewis Hamilton made the transition to F1 the following year with McLaren and the 2007 Champion Timo Glock to Toyota for the 2008 F1 season. 2009 GP2 champion Nico Hülkenberg moved up to a Williams F1 race drive in the 2010 Formula 1 season. In addition, Heikki Kovalainen (2005), Nelson Piquet Jr. (2006) and Lucas di Grassi (2007)—all runners up—became Renault test drivers
4200-473: The XAP single-seater GP2 Series steering wheel as well as XAP SX steering wheel dash display. The XAP steering wheel features 6 buttons in the front with 5 paddles (DRS, gear shift and clutch) in the back of steering wheel. According to research and pre-season stability tests, the 2005 model can go 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.7 seconds. The car has a top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph) meaning that it
4284-685: The championship with four races to go. In 2002 he also raced one race of Brazilian Formula Renault . In 2003, Piquet moved to the United Kingdom where he joined the British Formula 3 Championship and formed the Piquet Sports team. He went on to finish the championship in 3rd place with six wins, five podiums and eight pole positions. A test with the Williams Formula One team followed. In 2004, Piquet won
SECTION 50
#17327810901864368-453: The charges, and that both Briatore and Symonds had left the team. On 21 September, on conclusion of the FIA hearings, Piquet, who was 23 at the time of the 2008 Singapore GP, said "I bitterly regret my actions to follow the orders I was given... My situation at Renault turned into a nightmare. Having dreamed of being a Formula One driver and having worked so hard to get there, I found myself at
4452-536: The corner, similar to Shanghai's first turn but slower. Turn 1 leads straight into Turn 2, a tight left hairpin which goes downhill quite significantly. The first two corners are quite bumpy, making it hard to put power onto the track. Turn 3 is a long flat out right hander which leads into Turn 4 – known locally as the Langkawi Curve – a second gear, right-angle right-hander. Turns 5 and 6 make up an incredibly high-speed, long chicane that hurts tyres and puts
4536-615: The crash. In return for his evidence, Piquet was granted blanket immunity by the FIA. On 4 September 2009, Renault F1 principals were charged with conspiracy and race rigging, and were called to face the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on 21 September 2009. On 11 September, Renault and Briatore stated they would initiate a criminal case against Piquet for making false allegations and blackmail. However, on 16 September, Renault announced they would not contest
4620-634: The debut in 2011 and would be used until end of 2017 season. The price of Dallara GP2/11 FIA Formula 2 Championship cars are approximately up to €1.5 million-€2 million per car (including wheels, tyres, wings, steering wheel and other components excluding engine). The 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated electronic indirect fuel-injected Mecachrome V8 engine features internal, cartographic and software upgrades designed to improve performance and fuel consumption. The engine produces 612 hp and 500 Nm (380 ft-lb) of torque @ 8500 rpm. FIA Formula 2 Championship Series engines are rev-limited to 10000 rpm and need
4704-474: The end of the 2016 season, nine of the twelve (GP2) champions so far had been able to secure a seat in Formula 1, a correlation of 75%. On Friday, drivers had a 45-minute free practice session and a 30-minute qualifying session. The qualifying session decided the grid order for Saturday's race which had a length of 180 kilometres (112 miles). During Saturday's race, each driver had to make a pit stop in which at least two tyres have to be changed. On Sunday there
4788-562: The first top 10 qualifying session of his career. However, his race ended on lap seven after colliding with Sébastien Bourdais in an attempt to overtake. The Turkish Grand Prix saw him qualify 17th and finish the race 15th. His problems were further compounded with a pair of non-finishes, when he crashed out at Monaco after failing to get to grips with the damp conditions, and spun off while chasing teammate Alonso in Canada , before ultimately retiring on lap 42 with brake failure. Piquet
4872-623: The following January. Piquet drove in the Camping World Truck Series with Red Horse Racing , and made his stock car debut in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Daytona International Speedway driving the #6 Toyota for ARCA powerhouse Eddie Sharp Racing . In his first truck race, Piquet finished 6th, the first Brazilian driver to finish in the top ten in the series' history. Piquet then announced that he would compete in three races for Billy Ballew Motorsports driving
4956-466: The following year. All three earned F1 seats, but have since been replaced. Karun Chandhok , Bruno Senna and Vitaly Petrov were also granted an F1 seat in 2010. For 2011 Pastor Maldonado was granted a seat at Williams. Sergio Pérez was given the drive alongside Kamui Kobayashi , another former GP2 driver and GP2 Asia Series winner, at Sauber . Jérôme d'Ambrosio got his Virgin Racing drive for
5040-587: The fray. A dominant run by the Briton took him into the championship lead before the balance came back into Piquet Jr.'s favour. After an exciting championship battle lasting 20 races, Hamilton claimed the title in the penultimate race, at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza , in Monza , Italy , and celebrated with a second place in the 21st and final round. The 2007 GP2 Series began on 13 April at
5124-618: The infrastructure (marshals, medical facilities etc.) in place for a Formula One event. GP2 mainly raced on European circuits, but also appeared on other international race tracks such as the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia and the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore . Many drivers have used GP2 as a stepping stone into Formula One. The 2005 Champion Nico Rosberg was hired by
SECTION 60
#17327810901865208-504: The mercy of Mr Briatore. His true character, which had previously only been known to those he had treated like this in the past, is now known. Mr Briatore was my manager as well as the team boss, he had my future in his hands but he cared nothing for it. By the time of the Singapore GP he had isolated me and driven me to the lowest point I had ever reached in my life. Now that I am out of that situation I cannot believe that I agreed to
5292-547: The most points anyone could score in one round is 20 by claiming pole position, winning both races with the fastest lap in each race. This feat was only achieved twice: Nelson Piquet Jr. in the 9th round of the 2006 season at the Hungaroring and Nico Hülkenberg in the 5th round of the 2009 season at the Nürburgring . From the 2012 season the GP2 series changed its scoring system. Feature races ran with
5376-460: The name "Venezuela GP Lazarus". Lotus ART was renamed "Lotus Grand Prix", reflecting their increased relationship with title sponsor 'Lotus Cars'. Sepang International Circuit Sepang International Circuit ( Malay : Litar Antarabangsa Sepang ) (known as Petronas Sepang International Circuit for commercial reasons) is a motorsport race track in Sepang , Selangor , Malaysia. It
5460-418: The now defunct Formula 3000 championship. Arden International won the last F3000 titles, thus starting as one of the favourites. The 2005 season began on April 23, 2005, on the weekend of the San Marino Grand Prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola , Italy . In the pre-season test to decide the inaugural season's car numbers, the iSport International and HiTech/Piquet Racing teams showed
5544-490: The number of crashes. Most of the engines, including those used for the Monaco race, are used for multiple races and were intended to last 1,100 miles between rebuilds. The Mecachrome engines were only available via lease arrangement from Mecachrome currently. Mecachrome V8 GP2 engines were crated and shipped to all GP2 teams on a serial-number basis as determined by the sanctioning body (FIA) to ensure equality and fairness in distribution. Since 2005, Elf exclusively provide
5628-436: The opening lap, before ultimately retiring on lap 31. This was exactly the same result as his father achieved in his first race at the 1978 German Grand Prix . At the Malaysian Grand Prix he started from 13th on the grid and finished 11th. He started the Bahrain Grand Prix from 14th but retired with a gearbox problem after his second pit stop. Piquet qualified in 10th for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, taking part in
5712-400: The plan, but when it was put to me I felt that I was in no position to refuse." Renault accused Piquet of 'false allegations' and even produced an anonymous "Witness X" who supposedly provided first-hand details of the conspiracy planning, which backed up Pat Symonds' claim that the idea for the crash came from Piquet himself as a way to atone for poor performance and aid in his negotiations for
5796-441: The pole position to Saturday's races got two points. Fastest lap: 1 point in each race (with one exception: in the 2005 season, it was 2 points for each race). Driver recording fastest lap has to drive 90% of race laps. As of 2006 season must the driver must now also start the race from his allocated grid position and as of 2008 must finish in the top ten of the race to be eligible for the fastest lap point. With this points system,
5880-452: The season in fourth place in the championship standings. In August 2014, Piquet tested at Donington Park with Formula E team China Racing , and was hired by the team on August 21. In the first five races of the 2014–15 season , Piquet achieved podium finishes in Punta del Este , and Buenos Aires . Piquet achieved his first Formula E victory in Long Beach , and his second in Moscow which, coupled with his consistent results across
5964-413: The season, meant Piquet won the inaugural Formula E Championship by a solitary point from Sébastien Buemi . In 2017, Piquet joined the Panasonic Jaguar Racing after 2 frustrating seasons with NextEV . Piquet was outmatched by his teammate Mitch Evans every ePrix in 2018-19 season , he only scored 1 point in that season. He left the Jaguar team after Sanya ePrix. He was replaced by Alex Lynn , for
6048-551: The season. On September 29, 2012, Piquet won his second career Camping World Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In 2013, Piquet moved to full-time competition in the Nationwide Series, driving the No. 30 for Turner Scott Motorsports in a bid for Rookie of the Year . He also drove in selected Truck Series races for the team, and in the Truck Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway for NTS Motorsports . Late in
6132-660: Was a finalist for Most Popular Driver and runner-up to Joey Coulter for Rookie of the Year. Piquet signed with Turner Motorsports for 2012 after KHI folded. That year he drove the No. 30 Chevrolet for the full season in the Camping World Truck Series, and drove part-time in the Nationwide Series . Piquet scored his first win in a NASCAR-sanctioned series in March at Bristol Motor Speedway , winning his first-ever K&N Pro Series East start. On June 23, 2012, Piquet scored his first win in NASCAR competition, winning
6216-463: Was a sprint race of 120 kilometres (75 miles). The grid was decided by the Saturday result with top 8 being reversed, so the driver who finished 8th on Saturday started from pole position and the winner started from 8th place. At 2005 Nürburgring , the sprint race was extended from 80 to 120 kilometres. This coincided with F1 dropping its second qualifying session on Sunday morning. The one who drove
6300-459: Was also notable for being the only season that GP2 used grooved tyres like F1 cars rather than slicks. The 2006 season was the second of the series. After championship holder Nico Rosberg's move to the Williams F1 team, and runner-up Heikki Kovalainen 's move to be reserve driver at Renault F1 , Nelson Piquet Jr. in the Piquet Sports car was installed as the early title favourite, though
6384-456: Was announced that Petronas has acquired the naming rights to the circuit for three years in an undisclosed fee. The circuit was designed by German designer Hermann Tilke , who would subsequently design circuits including in Shanghai , Sakhir , Istanbul , Marina Bay , and Yas Marina . As part of a series of major infrastructure projects in the 1990s under Mahathir Mohamad 's government,
6468-582: Was born, and he lived in Monaco with his Dutch mother, Sylvia Tamsma, until he was eight years old. He then moved to live in Brazil with his father. "They kind of swapped me. My mother wanted me to get to know my father, she wanted me to know Brazil and the language, and she realized life in Brazil would be better for a child." Piquet has two sisters, Kelly and Julia, and four half-brothers, Geraldo, Laszlo, Pedro , and Marco. He lived in Brasília and attended
6552-629: Was champion in the 2014–15 season. He currently competes full-time in the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series , driving the No. 33 Toyota Corolla E210 for Motul TMG Racing. He also races a ORECA 07 in the LMP2 Pro/Am class of the European Le Mans Series for Team Virage. The son of three-time Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet , he was signed as test driver for Renault Formula One team for
6636-698: Was not selected to continue in the series. The 2012 season contained twelve rounds, eleven of which supported the F1 World Championship and one stand alone round in Bahrain. The series started on March 24 in Malaysia and concluded in Singapore on September 23. Davide Valsecchi (DAMS) won the title by 25 points from Arden's Luiz Razia , with Lotus GP's Esteban Gutiérrez third. For the 2012 season, Team Lazarus replaced Super Nova Racing using
6720-602: Was reported by Spanish website Motor21.com that Piquet had signed a three-year contract with Campos alongside Senna. However, this was later revealed by Motor21.com to have been a hoax in celebration of the Spanish Día de los Santos Innocentes festival. Piquet hinted that he had had talks with Force India . However, they opted to retain both Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi , so Piquet decided to move to NASCAR for 2010. Several months later, Piquet said that he had had talks with more than one F1 team to race again after
6804-653: Was the last with the first-generation chassis, the GP2/05 . The 2008 GP2 Series featured the same teams as in previous seasons. This was also the first time that the calendar supported all of the F1 races in Europe with a late deal to run at the Valencia Street Circuit . It was the first season to feature a new car design from Dallara, the GP2/08, the only non-F1 car to pass the 2007 FIA crash test in full. In
6888-479: Was under increasing pressure from his Renault team over the course of the 2008 season, and there was speculation he would lose his race seat if he did not improve. Renault did nothing to quell the rumours, publicly urging him to improve after the Turkish Grand Prix and suggesting after Monaco that he lacked confidence. Despite the pressure, Piquet scored his first points in F1 with a 7th-place finish at
6972-416: Was won by German rookie Nico Hülkenberg at the penultimate round of the championship at Monza, the second time the championship had been won before the last race. The 2010 season contained ten rounds, all of which were supporting F1 World Championship. The series started in May at Catalunya and concluded at Abu Dhabi in November. Pastor Maldonado won the title in his fourth season in the series. He won
7056-479: Was won by reigning GP2 Asia champion Romain Grosjean at the penultimate round of the series. Following a three-year cycle, the previous GP2 chassis was replaced by a brand new car, the GP2/11, built by Italian racing car manufacturer Dallara. The series will change tyre supplier from Bridgestone to Pirelli for 2011–13. The 2011 season saw the addition of two new teams to the grid, Carlin and Team AirAsia. Meanwhile, DPR
#185814