The GP2 Series leaves the continent and moves on to the fifth round of the season in Silverstone, and championship leader Stoffel Vandoorne still has the top spot of the championship table in a vice grip. Approaching the halfway mark of the season, the Belgian has almost twice as many points to his name as his closest rival. With pole position, a victory, and a second place in the last round in Austria Vandoorne has increased his tally to 155 points, 76 points ahead of Alexander Rossi (79 points). The round in Spielberg has been the first one for the American without a finish on the podium, and it is a heavy setback for him. Not only has he lost ground to Vandoorne in the championship fight, but he also comes under pressure from behind: Indonesian Rio Haryanto has claimed his maiden race win on Austrian soil, which has brought him up to striking distance only nine points behind Rossi.
Silverstone Circuit Track & Race Info:
- Length: 5.891 km
- Turns: 18
- Direction: Clockwise
- Race 1: 29 laps
- Race 2: 21 laps
- Tyres: Medium (White) & Hard (Orange)
Key factors:
- The fast directional changes of Copse-Maggots-Beckett-Chapel require good vehicle balance, it’s very easy to get things wrong there. Also, it’s necessary to make sure that enough speed is taken into the Hangar Straight.
- For the tyres, Silverstone is the most demanding track of the entire calendar. The combination of abrasive track surface, high downforce setup, and demanding high-speed corners will once again make tyre conservation an important factor, and the predicted high temperatures only increase the challenge for the tyres.
Timetable:
- Friday: Practice at 13:00 CEST (12:00 local time), Qualifying at 16:55 CEST (15:55 local time)
- Saturday: Feature Race at 15:40 CEST (14:40 local time)
- Sunday: Sprint Race at 10:35 CEST (09:35 local time)
Driver change:
We have three new drivers for this round: As Carlin’s Marco Sorensen leaves the series to focus on his GT racing commitments, GP2 veteran Johnny Cecotto Jr. has been drafted by the English team for their home race. Formula Renault 3.5 series leader Oliver Rowland takes over the empty MP Motorsports car #16 to make a guest appearance on home soil. John Lancaster returns to the series as well: The Brit will take over the Hilmer Motorsport car #25 from Simon Trummer. After being dropped by MP Motorsport in Austria, Sergio Canamasas will race for Lazarus.
All images courtesy of GP2 Media Services
