GP2 Series
After a decently strong 2012 for GP2, which saw three drivers from the category graduate to Formula One, the series looked promising ahead of this year, with several ’12 rookies returning for a title assault and highly-rated GP3 and Auto GP graduates joining the field.
Still, as it turned out so often in the recent years of the GP2 series, it was most favorable to experienced drivers. Monegasque Stefano Coletti, contesting his third full-time year in the championship, dominated the proceedings early on, while it was year four driver Fabio Leimer who eventually managed to secure the title.
At the same time, those who were expected to deliver mostly managed to live up to expectations ? Felipe Nasr and James Calado consistently figured at the sharp end of the grid in their sophomore years, while GP3 and Auto GP’s respective champions Mitch Evans and Adrian Quaife-Hobbs produced quality rookie campaigns. The arrival of two new teams in Russian Time and Hilmer served to severely reinvigorate the grid, as both the new squads managed to secure great lineups. Russian Time ran the ever-present Sam Bird alongside the consistently underfunded Tom Dillmann, while the German squad managed to provide a part-time drive for Formula Renault 3.5 champion Robin Frijns.
The solid quality of the grid wound up making for some good entertainment, as most of GP2’s rounds produced at least one thrilling race. Issues with driving standards came up once in a while and many rightfully took issue with some of the stewarding, but, for the most part, that wasn’t enough to undermine the quality racing.
The long-term future of GP2 remains to be seen, but there was lots that the series organizers could be proud of in the 2013 season.
Valentin Khorounzhiy