The 2016 GP2 Series season was the fiftieth season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also twelfth and final season under the GP2 Series moniker, a motor racing feeder series that was run in support of the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship. It was the final season run under the "GP2 Series" name, with the championship being rebranded as the FIA Formula 2 Championship from 2017. It was also originally scheduled to be the final season for the Dallara GP2/11 chassis that was introduced in 2011 and the Mecachrome 4.0 litre V8 normally-aspirated engine package that débuted in the maiden season of the series in 2005 before a brand new chassis and engine package was introduced for 2017, however due to another cost-cutting, the series announced it would keep the current chassis and engine package for one more season.
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ART Grand Prix started the season as the defending teams' champions after securing the title–their fourth in the championship–at the series' second visit to the Bahrain International Circuit in 2015.[1] Prema Racing won the Teams' championship, their first in the series and first attempt, while Pierre Gasly won the Drivers' championship.
Pierre Gasly took 4 race wins and the championship. The most races were won by Gasly’s teammate Antonio Giovinazzi, who took 5 victories, Sergey Sirotkin took victories at Mogyoród in the sprint race, and in Hockenheim - he took pole position and won the race. Alex Lynn got 3 sprint races wins, Racing Engineering drivers Jordan King and Norman Nato took 2 race wins each, and Luca Ghiotto, Artem Markelov, Mitch Evans and Nobuharu Matsushita each got 1 race win.
Teams and drivers
edit| Team | No. | Driver name | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
 ART Grand Prix[2]
|
1 |  Nobuharu Matsushita[3]
|
1–3, 5–11 |
 René Binder[4]
|
4 | ||
| 2 |  Sergey Sirotkin[5]
|
All | |
 Racing Engineering[2]
|
3 | Norman Nato[6]
|
All |
| 4 |  Jordan King[7]
|
All | |
| DAMS[2]
|
5 | Alex Lynn[8]
|
All |
| 6 |  Nicholas Latifi[8]
|
All | |
 Pertamina Campos Racing[a]
|
7 |  Mitch Evans[9]
|
All |
| 8 | Sean Gelael[9]
|
All | |
| Russian Time[2]
|
9 |  Raffaele Marciello[10]
|
All |
| 10 | Artem Markelov[9]
|
All | |
| Rapax[2]
|
11 |  Gustav Malja[11]
|
All |
| 12 | Arthur Pic[12]
|
1–9 | |
 Johnny Cecotto Jr.[13][b]
|
10–11 | ||
| Trident[2]
|
14 | Philo Paz Armand[14]
|
All |
| 15 | Luca Ghiotto[15]
|
All | |
| Carlin[2]
|
18 | Sergio Canamasas[16]
|
1–6, 8–11 |
| René Binder[17]
|
7 | ||
| 19 |  Marvin Kirchhöfer[18]
|
1–10 | |
 Louis Delétraz[19]
|
11 | ||
| Prema Racing[20]
|
20 | Antonio Giovinazzi[21]
|
All |
| 21 | Pierre Gasly[22]
|
All | |
 MP Motorsport[2]
|
22 | Oliver Rowland[23]
|
All |
| 23 | Daniël de Jong[24]
|
All | |
| Arden International[2]
|
24 |  Nabil Jeffri[25]
|
All |
| 25 | Jimmy Eriksson[25]
|
1–9 | |
| Emil Bernstorff[26]
|
11 |
Team changes
edit- Lazarus left the series at the end of the 2015 season, with their place taken by Prema Racing.[20]
- Hilmer Motorsport left the series at the end of the 2015 season. As no replacement team could be found, the grid was left at twenty-two cars.
- Status Grand Prix also left the series before the 2016 season due to not being able to find any well-budgeted drivers and also lack of sponsorship for their second season. With the demise of the team, there were no number #16 and #17 cars on the grid.
Driver changes
edit- Changing teams
- Sergio Canamasas, who raced for MP Motorsport, Hilmer Motorsport and Daiko Team Lazarus in 2015, switched to Carlin.[16]
- Mitch Evans and Sean Gelael, who drove for Russian Time and Carlin respectively in 2015, moved to Campos Racing.[9]
- Pierre Gasly, who spent the 2015 season with DAMS, moved to newcomers Prema Racing.[22]
- Nicholas Latifi, who took part in three rounds of the 2015 season with MP Motorsport, switched to a full-time seat with DAMS.[8]
- Gustav Malja, who raced for Trident and Rapax in 2015, switched Formula Renault 3.5 Series to race full-time with Rapax.[11]
- Raffaele Marciello, who raced for Trident in 2015, moved to Russian Time.[10]
- Norman Nato, who raced for Arden International in 2015, switched to Racing Engineering.[6]
- Arthur Pic, who raced for Campos in 2014 and 2015, switched to Rapax.[12]
- Oliver Rowland, who previously raced part-time for MP Motorsport and Status Grand Prix, is contesting the full season with MP Motorsport, with backing from Renault.[23]
- Sergey Sirotkin, who finished third in 2015, moved from Rapax to defending champions ART Grand Prix.[5]
- Entering GP2
- 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 Series competitor Philo Paz Armand joined the series with Trident.[14]
- GP3 Series race winner Jimmy Eriksson made his series début with Arden International.[25]
- 2015 GP3 runner-up Luca Ghiotto graduated to the series with Trident.[15]
- 2015 European Formula 3 runner-up Antonio Giovinazzi made his début in the series with Prema Racing.[21]
- Nabil Jeffri joined the series with Arden International.[25]
- Marvin Kirchhöfer, who placed third in the 2014 and 2015 GP3 Series joined the series with Carlin.[18]
- Leaving GP2
- Nathanaël Berthon left Lazarus and the series to join the FIA World Endurance Championship with G-Drive Racing.[27]
- Rene Binder left MP Motorsport to join Lotus in Formula V8 3.5 Series.[28]
- Rio Haryanto left Campos Racing and the series to join Formula One team Manor Racing.[29]
- André Negrão and Dean Stoneman left Arden and Carlin and the series to join the Indy Lights with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and Andretti Autosport.[30][31]
- Richie Stanaway and Marco Sørensen, who raced for Status Grand Prix and Carlin, left to join the FIA World Endurance Championship with Aston Martin Racing.[32][33]
- 2015 season champion Stoffel Vandoorne left the series as the reigning champion is not permitted to continue competing in the series. He joined the Super Formula with Docomo Team Dandelion Racing.[34]
- Mid-season changes
- ART Grand Prix driver Nobuharu Matsushita was suspended for the fourth round of the season in Austria due to erratic driving at the previous event in Baku.[35] He was replaced by René Binder.[4] Binder later joined Carlin, replacing Sergio Canamasas.
Calendar
editOn 4 March 2016, the full calendar was revealed with eleven rounds taking place.[36]
Calendar changes
edit- The series returned to the Hockenheimring in support of the German Grand Prix, and the Sepang International Circuit.[36]
- With the return to Germany, the second Bahrain round—which had filled in as a replacement event in 2015—was removed from the calendar.
- The rounds at the Bahrain International Circuit and the Sochi Autodrom were discontinued after the Bahrain and Russian Grands Prix were brought forward to the start of the Formula One season.[36]
- The series made its début at the Baku City Circuit in support of the returning European Grand Prix.[36]
Results and standings
editSeason summary
editScoring system
editPoints were awarded to the top 10 classified finishers in the Feature race, and to the top 8 classified finishers in the Sprint race. The pole-sitter in the feature race also received four points, and two points were given to the driver who set the fastest lap inside the top ten in both the feature and sprint races. No extra points were awarded to the pole-sitter in the sprint race.
- Feature race points
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | Pole | FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
- Sprint race points
Points were awarded to the top 8 classified finishers.
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | FL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Drivers' championship
edit
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Notes:
- † — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.
Teams' championship
edit
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Notes:
- † — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.
Notes
edit- ^ Pertamina Campos Racing competed under a Spanish licence in round 1 and an Indonesian licence for the rest of the season.
- ^ Cecotto competed under a state Venezuelan racing licence.
- ^ Pierre Gasly set the fastest lap, but did not finish in the top 10, so was ineligible to be the point-scorer for the fastest lap. Artem Markelov was the point-scorer instead for setting the fastest lap of those finishing in the top 10.
- ^ Norman Nato set the fastest lap, but did not finish in the top 10, so was ineligible to be the point-scorer for the fastest lap. Jordan King was the point-scorer instead for setting the fastest lap of those finishing in the top 10.
- ^ Oliver Rowland set the fastest lap, but did not finish in the top 10, so was ineligible to be the point-scorer for the fastest lap. Nobuharu Matsushita was the point-scorer instead for setting the fastest lap of those finishing in the top 10.
- ^ Artem Markelov set the fastest lap, but did not finish in the top 10, so was ineligible to be the point-scorer for the fastest lap. Pierre Gasly was the point-scorer instead for setting the fastest lap of those finishing in the top 10.
- ^ Nobuharu Matsushita set the fastest lap, but did not finish in the top 10, so was ineligible to be the point-scorer for the fastest lap. Artem Markelov was the point-scorer instead for setting the fastest lap of those finishing in the top 10.
- ^ Nobuharu Matsushita set the fastest lap, but did not finish in the top 10, so was ineligible to be the point-scorer for the fastest lap. Sergey Sirotkin was the point-scorer instead for setting the fastest lap of those finishing in the top 10.
- ^ Sergio Canamasas set the fastest lap, but did not finish in the top 10, so was ineligible to be the point-scorer for the fastest lap. Pierre Gasly was the point-scorer instead for setting the fastest lap of those finishing in the top 10.
- ^ Luca Ghiotto set the fastest lap, but did not finish in the top 10, so was ineligible to be the point-scorer for the fastest lap. Sergey Sirotkin was the point-scorer instead for setting the fastest lap of those finishing in the top 10.
References
edit- ^ "Vandoorne leads Matsushita for an ART 1–2". gp2series.com. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "GP2 Series announce teams for 2014–16". gp2series.com. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 15 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ "ART Grand Prix confirm Matsushita for a second season". gp2series.com. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
- ^ a b "Rene Binder to race with ART Grand Prix in Austria". GP2 Series. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Sirotkin joins ART Grand Prix for the 2016 season". gp2series.com. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ a b "Racing Engineering confirm Norman Nato for 2016 season". gp2series.com. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ^ "Jordan King stays with Racing Engineering for 2016 GP2 season". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ a b c "DAMS announce 2016 line up". gp2series.com. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ^ a b c d Khorounzhiy, Valentin (1 December 2015). "Evans and Gelael to join Campos for 2016 GP2 campaign". motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Russian Time confirm 2016 line up". gp2series.com. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 18 January 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ^ a b "Rapax to field Gustav Malja for 2016 season". gp2series.com. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ a b "Rapax and Arthur Pic join forces for 2016 GP2 Series". gp2series.com. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ^ "Cecotto replaces Pic for Sepang GP2 round". 26 September 2016. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- ^ a b "Armand joins Trident team for the 2016 season". Trident Racing. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
- ^ a b "Ghiotto secures GP2 promotion with Trident". motorsport.com. Valentin Khorounzhiy. 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ a b Khorounzhiy, Valentin (12 May 2016). "Canamasas joins Carlin for home GP2 round in Barcelona". motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ^ "Carlin shuffles GP2 line-up for Hockenheim round - GP2 - Autosport". www.autosport.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Kirchhofer graduates to GP2 with Carlin". Motorsport.com. 8 March 2016. Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ "Louis Deletraz joins Carlin for GP2 debut at season finale". 18 November 2016. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ a b "Prema take over Lazarus 2016 team entry". GP2Series.com. GP2 Series. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ a b "European F3 runner-up Antonio Giovinazzi gets Prema GP2 seat". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ^ a b "Gasly joins Prema Racing in 2016". GP2Series.com. GP2 Series. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ a b "Rowland chooses MP Motorsport for GP2 move". Motorsport.com. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ^ "De Jong continues with MP Motorsport in 2016". gp2series.com. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Arden International confirm 2016 line-up". gp2series.com. GP2 Series. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ^ "Bernstorff gets GP2 debut with Arden". 19 November 2016. Archived from the original on 15 December 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
- ^ Khorounzhiy, Valentin (3 February 2016). "G-Drive announces JOTA link, signs Berthon". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- ^ Allen, Peter (21 March 2016). "Lotus team to run Binder and Nissany in Formula V8 3.5". paddockscout.com. Paddock Scout. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
- ^ Barretto, Lawrence (18 February 2016). "Manor Racing confirms Rio Haryanto as second Formula 1 driver". Autosport. Haymarket Press. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
- ^ O'Connell, R.J. (24 February 2016). "Dean Stoneman switches to Indy Lights with Andretti". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
- ^ "Enerson heads Schmidt Peterson 1–2–3 in Phoenix test". 26 February 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
Ex-GP2 journeyman Andre Negrao, from Brazil, at 22.0128 admitted he was behind the eight ball learning ovals, but felt better by the end of the test.
- ^ DiZinno, Tony (5 February 2016). "32 Full Season Entries for WEC". Sportscar365. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
- ^ Watkins, Gary (19 February 2016). "Aston Martin switches to Dunlop for 2016 WEC, names driver line-ups". Autosport. Haymarket Press. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
- ^ "Honda 2016 Motorsports Program Overview". Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
- ^ "Matsushita suspended for next event". GP2 Series. GP2 Series Limited. 19 June 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ a b c d "GP2 Series 2016 season calendar confirmed". gp2series.com. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 4 March 2016. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- ^ "GP2 Fastest laps". motorsportstats.com. Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
External links
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