Date 8 May 2010 Driver Jules Bianchi | Laps 37 Time 1:27.727 | |
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Location Circuit de Catalunya
Montmeló, Spain Course Permanent racing facility
4.655 km (2.892 mi) | ||
The 2010 Spanish GP2 round was a GP2 Series motor race held on May 8 and May 9, 2010 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló, Spain. It was the first race of the 2010 GP2 Season. The race was used to support the 2010 Spanish Grand Prix. It is also the first weekend where GP2's feeder formula GP3 appears. Jules Bianchi gained pole position for the feature race on his first outing for ART. While in GP3 pole was achieved by Nigel Melker.
Contents
Feature race
In Race 1, Charles Pic won an eventful first race of the 2010 GP2 season at Barcelona. The rookie Frenchman moved into first place when previous leader Sergio Pérez (Barwa Addax) was delayed by a slow pitstop, and survived a brief challenge from DPR's Giacomo Ricci to take Arden's first win since the same event 12 months ago. Ricci's second place was an equally memorable result for DPR, a team that scored precisely one point between 2007 and 2009, and has not won a race since the inaugural GP2 season in 2005. Completing the podium was local man Dani Clos of Racing Engineering, who staked his claim to the position with a pass on Pastor Maldonado earlier in the race. Pérez finished just off the podium, but compared to other title rivals, fared well. ART pairing of polesitter Jules Bianchi and Sam Bird were just 2 drivers who suffered at the start. Bianchi led into the first corner, only to collide with Racing Engineering's Christian Vietoris. Both cars were out of the race, while Bird was forced wide in the melee behind him and had to return to the pits for a new nose. At that point he seemed out of contention, but the Briton produced a stunning drive from the back of the grid, reminiscent of Lewis Hamilton's drive through the field in Turkey 2006, to haul himself back up to ninth at the finish, falling just 1.6s short of taking the final point and sprint race pole from Ocean Racing's Fabio Leimer. Less fortunate in his progress through the field was Barwa Addax's Giedo van der Garde, who was dealt a 10s penalty for leaving the pit exit after it had closed prior to the race, and then a drive-through for jumping the start.
Sprint race
Fabio Leimer survived a late push from Luiz Razia to win the second GP2 Series Race at Barcelona. The Swiss driver, who was making his series debut, started from pole and opened a gap of as much as 4.3 seconds during the middle part of the race. But Razia came back at him over the closing laps, and crossed the line just 0.7s in arrears. It was the second-ever win for the Ocean Racing Technology squad, while third for Razia's team-mate Pastor Maldonado secured a two-three for Rapax. The race was fairly processional at the front, but there was more competition for the minor points placings. ART's Sam Bird echoed his overtaking masterclass of the day before with another excellent performance, the Briton climbing from ninth to fourth, and he could potentially have challenged for third were it not a late excursion into the gravel that cost him six seconds. Oliver Turvey held on to fifth despite lapping around 1.5s off the pace in an unco-operative iSport car, leading a train of cars behind him headed by a frustrated Dani Clos (Racing Engineering). Once again it was a difficult day for some of the series favourites, with Jules Bianchi finishing 12th after banging wheels with Giedo van der Garde and sliding off the track, while Sergio Pérez was unable to make the start after the engine in his Barwa Addax Dallara blew on the formation lap. There could be more bad news ahead for the Mexican, who is facing a post-race investigation for trailing oil around the racing line on two thirds of the lap before finally pulling over, forcing the start to be delayed by 10 minutes while powder was laid down.
Qualifying
Notes
1.^ – Giedo van der Garde received a three-place grid penalty because of impeding Jérôme d'Ambrosio in qualifying.