GP2 Europe 2011: Romain Grosjean strengthens as leader of the Championship and Esteban Gutierrez wins his first race

This weekend at the Valencia Street Circuit we have experienced a few interesting careers on the occasion of the GP2 Europe 2011 ; Romain Grosjean strengthens as leader of the Championship, after the victory in Saturday's race, Esteban Gutierrez won his first race on Sunday. The two races saw overtaking and struggles, in contrast to what was seen during the formula 1 race.
We arrived at Valencia after the weekend's Monaco with many drivers near the head of the Championship, and one of them, Charles Pic, struggled before departure, despite having achieved the pole. Bad luck for the French driver, who thus lost a great opportunity to position itself as leader of the Championship. Who take advantage of this circumstance would be his teammate.
Giedo van der Garde maintained the lead of the race, a start which saw an accident between Jules Bianchi and Marcus Ericsson, on the one hand, and another between Fabio Leimer and Alvaro Parente on the other hand. He had to leave the safety car to give time to the Commissioners to withdraw the car accident, but soon the race returned to be launched. Dani Clos, filming in third position after a fantastic start.
After the compulsory pit stops, an aggressive Luca Filippi movement ended with a touch with Dani Clos. Initially it seemed that Catalan did not have any problem arising out of the event, but when came the final laps, his right rear tire, which was the one who hit Filippi, began to lose pressure, and made him much lower pace, losing a podium more than deserved.
At the same time, during the yellow flags that released by the touch between Clos and Philippi, Van der Garde continued rolling at high rate, improving its partial. This meant a drive through (during yellow flag periods there is the so-called "Delta Time" can not be downgraded; if it is cut, this means a penalty). The Dutch pilot had to recover from the fifth position, and managed to reach second.
Dani Clos could have been second, but the low tire pressure did he could never come to attack Davide Valsecchi and in the end, which was also surpassed by a Giedo van der Garde in full recovery. Although a fourth position was a good result, I knew a little, especially for having lost a podium because of another driver. Nevertheless, the Racing Engineering was animated for the race on Sunday.
The sprint race had little history; Esteban Gutierrez, who came from the second position, took advantage of a mistake of Josef Kral in bars initials and became head, position not left until the end of the race. Romain Grosjean had to leave after a touch with Charles Pic and Rodolfo Gonzalez, a fact that behave ten positions of penalty on the grid Silverstone.
Luiz Razia also failed with Josef Kral, although he could not keep to an unleashed Gutierrez, premiered as the winner of the European GP2 before his teammate, Jules Bianchi. Giedo van der Garde back from seventh place to an interesting third place, ahead of Davide Valsecchi and Dani Clos, who could have fought for the podium, but began to lose pace in the final laps and finished in fifth position.
1 Romain Grosjean DAMS 58m19.400s
2 Giedo van der Garde Addax + 15. 481s
3. Davide Valsecchi AirAsia + 20. 901s
4. dani Clos racing engineering + 24. 010s
5 Sam Bird iSport + 24. 323s
6 Luiz Ghazw AirAsia + 24. 495s
7 Esteban Gutierrez ART + 48. 097s
8 Josef Kral Arden + 51. 064s
9 Jolyon Palmer burn + 53. 632s
10 Michael Herck Coloni + 57. 032s
11 Julian Leal Rapax + 58. 041s
12. Kevin Mirocha Ocean + 58. 567s
13 Pal Varhaug DAMS + 1m06.416s
14 Johnny Cecotto Ocean + 1m12.085s
15 Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident + 1m20.090s
16 Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova + 1m25.296s
17. Stefano Coletti Trident + 1m44.986s
18. Kevin Ceccon Coloni + 1 lap
Drop-outs:
Max Chilton Carlin 23 laps
Christian Vietoris racing engineering 15 laps
Luca Filippi Super Nova 14 laps
Charles Pic Addax 13 laps
Jules Bianchi ART 0 laps
Marcus Ericsson iSport 0 laps
Alvaro Parente Carlin 0 laps
Fabio Leimer Rapax 0 laps
1 Esteban Gutierrez ART 43m34.905s
2 Luiz Ghazw AirAsia + 12. 995s
3 Giedo van der Garde Addax + 13. 842s
4. Davide Valsecchi AirAsia + 26. 633s
5. dani Clos racing engineering + 30. 130s
6 Michael Herck Coloni + 30. 374s
7 Jules Bianchi ART + 34. 651s
8. Kevin Mirocha Ocean + 34. 677s
9 Julian Leal Rapax + 36. 728s
10 Pal Varhaug DAMS + 37. 615s
11 Marcus Ericsson iSport + 40. 932s
12 Sam Bird iSport + 42. 599s
13 Christian Vietoris racing engineering + 44. 840s
14 Fabio Leimer Rapax + 46. 014s
15 Luca Filippi Super Nova + 46. 777s
16 Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova + 57. 433s
17 Johnny Cecotto Ocean + 1m08.309s
18. Alvaro Parente Carlin + 1m11.936s
Drop-outs:
Stefano Coletti Trident 21 laps
Kevin Ceccon Coloni 21 laps
Josef Kral Arden 14 laps
Jolyon Palmer Arden 14 laps
Max Chilton Carlin 3 laps
Charles Pic Addax 0 laps
Romain Grosjean DAMS 0 laps
Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident 0 laps
1 - Romain Grosjean - 34pts
2 - Giedo van der Garde - 33pts
3 - Davide Valsecchi - 30pts
4 Bird Sam - 27pts
5 Charles Pic - 24pts
6 - dani Clos - 16pts
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Romain Grosjean has been the fastest in testing at Silverstone GP2

Yesterday began testing GP2 in the Silverstone Circuit, where Romain Grosjean got the fastest time, strengthening his bid to win the main title of the category, having already won the GP2 Asia Series 2011.
The second position was for Josef Kral, although it was more than half a second of the best time of the French pilot. The top 5 complete Fabio Leimer, Sam Bird and Jules Bianchi; some of those who will be fighting for victory during the next season.
As for Dani Clos, a sixteenth position knows little, above all because teammate Christian Vietoris was eight tenths faster than him and was 10 Bermuda later in the classification. But we must bear in mind that the pilot of Barcelona grows during the weekends.
This session saw Oliver Turvey test with the Carlin team, after Mikhail Aleshin suffered economic problems. In other words, the money that had to contribute has not come, and of time the team has sought to someone else to prove, as the Russian pilot tries to continue with the plan.
1 Jules Bianchi Lotus ART 1: 55.769 29
2 Jolyon Palmer Arden International 1: 56.146 22
3 Esteban Gutierrez Lotus ART 1: 56.236 21
4 Charles Pic barwa addax 1: 56.244 29
5 Giedo van der Garde barwa addax 1: 56.496 22
6 Max Chilton Carlin 1: 56.841 21
7 Luiz Ghazw Team AirAsia 1: 57.027 25
8 Johnny Cecotto Ocean Racing Technology 1: 57.270 21
9 Dani Clos racing engineering 1: 57.296 25
10 Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova Racing 1: 57.452 19
11 Oliver Turvey Carlin 1: 57.472 11
12 Romain Grosjean Dams 1: 57.576 24
13 Christian Vietoris racing engineering 1: 57.788 29
14 Kevin Mirocha Ocean Racing Technology 1: 57.850 27
15. Fair Julian Rapax 1: 57.871 20
16 Marcus Ericsson iSport International 1: 58.027 17
17 Sam Bird iSport International 1: 58.289 19
18 Michael Herck Scuderia Coloni 1: 58.293 40
19 Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident Racing 1: 58.319 14
20 Pal Varhaug Dams 1: 58.439 30
21 Davide Valsecchi Team AirAsia 1: 58.770 10
22 Josef Kral Arden International 1: 58.048 21
23 Davide Rigon Scuderia Coloni 2: 00.070 17
24 Fabio Leimer Rapax 2: 00.228 26
25 Stefano Coletti Trident Racing 2: 00.299 13
26 Luca Filippi Super Nova Racing - 2 1. Romain Grosjean Dams 1: 40.725 17
2 Josef Kral Arden International 1: 41.361 11
3 Fabio Leimer Rapax 1: 41.480 14
4 Sam Bird iSport International 1: 41.525 14
5 Jules Bianchi Lotus ART 1: 41.555 15
6 Christian Vietoris racing engineering 1: 41.639 15
7 Luca Filippi Super Nova Racing 1: 41.651 14
8 Julian loyal Rapax 1: 41.781 15
9 Michael Herck Scuderia Coloni 1: 41.819 20
10 Giedo van der Garde barwa addax team 1: 41.900 13
11 Oliver Turvey Carlin 1: 42.103 17
12 Johnny Cecotto Ocean Racing Technology 1: 42.147 17
13 Stefano Coletti Trident Racing 1: 42.231 18
14 Marcus Ericsson iSport International 1: 42.360 18
15 Davide Rigon Scuderia Coloni 1: 42.376 21
16. dani Clos racing engineering 1: 42.399 16
17 Davide Valsecchi Team AirAsia 1: 42.488 9
18 Jolyon Palmer Arden International 1: 42.508 12
19 Luiz Ghazw Team AirAsia 1: 42.509 16
20 Charles Pic barwa addax team 1: 42.929 13
21 Esteban Gutierrez Lotus ART 1: 43.125 14
22 Pal Varhaug Dams 1: 43.450 17
23 Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident Racing 1: 43.479 18
24 Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova Racing 1: 43.919 16
25 Kevin Mirocha Ocean Racing Technology 1: 44.029 21
26 Max Chilton Carlin 1: 55.587 3

GP2 Asia Series 2011 Imola: victory for Romain Grosjean and Dani Clos career

Romain Grosjean has won the first race of Imola, second and last quotes of the GP2 Asia Series 2011, and gives an important step towards the achievement of which would be his second title of the winter category. Dani Clos, for its part, has made a great comeback, following his departure from the 20th position.
Grosjean, who came from the pole, has dominated the long race with iron fist, holding the lead from the green light until the chequered flag. Although Van der Garde was difficult things during the start of race, in the end separated them more than fourteen seconds, which is a world.
Racing as well, the pilot of DAMS to make it very clear that the talent it has, and that if in 2009 things did you well in formula one, this was due to the circumstances at the time. After Van der Garde, Grosjean rival for the title, Jules Bianchi, closed the podium.
Behind them, Michael Herck, which could even keep pace with pilot in front, ended up twenty seconds ahead of Stefano Coletti. Since then, a whole world. The sixth place went to Davide Valsecchi, while points closed them Fabio Leimer and Dani Clos.
The Catalan pilot went from 20th position, and he has made a very solid career was worth one point and the pole position for tomorrow. The career of Clos was aided, in part, by the touch between Sam Bird and Marcus Ericsson, as well as Esteban Gutierrez track output or problems in boxes of Josef Kral and Joylon Palmer.
In the end, after the race and the relevant technical verifications, Davide Valsecchi, who had been sixth, has been excluded for failing to meet your car rental with the regulatory minimum weight. This pushed up a position to, inter alia, Dani Clos and Fairuz Fauzy, due out tomorrow from the pole position.
Tomorrow is decided, therefore, the title, which is already practically in the hands of Grosjean, five points ahead of Bianchi. Let us remember that the winner is six, and the fastest lap another point. Bianchi should therefore win the race and wait that Grosjean was sixth, or win, make the fastest lap and wait that Grosjean did not raise the fifth position.
Certainly they are possible outcomes, but that give a good advantage to Romain, who will serve as a career with relatively few risks, unlike Bianchi, who only serve to win the race. After Imola, there will be a standstill until the Grand Prize of Spain of formula one, which will see the beginning of the "main" GP2.
1 Romain Grosjean DAMS 52m59.103s
2 Giedo van der Garde Addax + 14. 349s
3 Jules Bianchi ART + 17. 527s
4 Michael Herck Coloni + 21. 502s
5. Stefano Coletti Trident + 41. 228s
6 Fabio Leimer Rapax + 51. 867s
7. dani Clos racing engineering + 52. 813s
8 Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova + 53. 964s
9 Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident + 54. 224s
10 Marcus Ericsson iSport + 54. 661s
11 Esteban Gutierrez ART + 55. 390s
12 Josef Kral Arden + 55. 840s
13 Pal Varhaug DAMS + 1m07.700s
14 Oliver Turvey Ocean + 1m19.721s
15 Johnny Cecotto Super Nova + 1m20.567s
16. Fair Julian Rapax + 1m22.066s
17 Andrea Caldarelli Ocean + 1m24.224s
18 Jolyon Palmer Arden + 1m24.503s
19. Mikhail Aleshin Carlin + 1m26.672s
20 Charles Pic Addax + 1m29.215s
21 Max Chilton Carlin + 1m31.023s
22 Luca Filippi Coloni + 1m31.058s
Drop-outs:
Davide Valsecchi AirAsia excluded
Nathanael Berthoin racing engineering 15 laps
Sam Bird iSport 7 laps
Luiz Ghazw AirAsia 0 laps

GP2 Asia Series 2011 Imola: Romain Grosjean takes pole

Romain Grosjean has taken the pole for the weekend of Imola in the GP2 Asia Series 2011. Before the weekend that will close the event, the French driver of DAMS has finished ahead of Sam Bird, which was already the fastest in free practice.
In the second row are to Michael Herck, who have mentioned more than once is a living example of a driver considered to be slow and no future that slowly makes its way in the category, without being in the team that his father built for him. After the pilot of Coloni, Jules Bianchi with ART.
Bad luck in general for components Spanish GP2, with Giedo van der Garde, Barwa Addax, as the best pilot of a Spanish team. The others are between the 20th and 25th position. Bad result for Racing Engineering, therefore, that came with many illusions.
But despite these illusions, which also had Dani Clos, Catalan has not been passed in the 20th position. A pity, since that complicates it the careers of tomorrow and last. What it will be interesting will be the fight for the title between Grosjean and Bianchi, which are separated by colons.
1 Romain Grosjean DAMS 1m27.067s
2 Sam Bird iSport 1m27.384s + 0. 317s
3 Michael Herck Coloni 1m27.558s + 0. 491s
4 Jules Bianchi ART 1m27.676s + 0. 609s
5 Giedo van der Garde Addax 1m27.735s + 0. 668s
6 Josef Kral Arden 1m27.834s + 0. 767s
7 Marcus Ericsson iSport 1m27.872s + 0. 805s
8 Jolyon Palmer Arden 1m27.898s + 0. 831s
9. Davide Valsecchi AirAsia 1m27.909s + 0. 842s
10. Mikhail Aleshin Carlin 1m27.988s + 0. 921s
11 Luiz Ghazw AirAsia 1m28.073s + 1. 006s
12 Andrea Caldarelli Ocean 1m28.093s + 1. 026s
13 Fabio Leimer Rapax 1m28.143s + 1. 076s
14 Oliver Turvey Ocean 1m28.151s + 1. 084s
15 Esteban Gutierrez ART 1m28.160s + 1. 093s
16. Stefano Coletti Trident 1m28.194s + 1. 127s
17 Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident 1m28.310s + 1. 243s
18 Max Chilton Carlin 1m28.332s + 1. 265s
19 Pal Varhaug DAMS 1m28.357s + 1. 290s
20. dani Clos racing engineering 1m28.373s + 1. 306s
21 Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova 1m28.382s + 1. 315s
22 Johnny Cecotto Super Nova 1m28.490s + 1. 423s
23 Charles Pic Addax 1m28.549s + 1. 482s
24 Julian loyal Rapax 1m28.644s + 1. 577s
25 Nathanael Berthoin racing engineering 1m28.646s + 1. 579s
26 Luca Filippi Coloni

GP2 Asia Series Abu Dhabi: Romain Grosjean takes first pole position of the year

 If anyone still doubted as steering and their ability to carry the title Romain Grosjean has led the first pole position of the year, in official training for the first race of the GP2 Asia Series in Abu Dhabi. Furthermore, in the area are all that have to be.

Grosjean behind with a stratospheric time to four tenths have had Jules Bianchi, closely followed by Valsecchi and Dani Clos, fourth. Van der Garde has confirmed its level, with a well-deserved fifth position, followed by a rather inspired Marcus Ericsson. To be able to vote this post you must login or register here.

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As for the beginners, Esteban Gutierrez and Nathanael Berthoin have given very good sensations, topping the ninth and tenth respectively, ahead of pilots as Sam Bird or Oliver Turvey. If they still could reach the European season with very good level.

In spite of this, the session has not been empty of incidents, since that Mikhail Aleshin has been penalised three positions for having crossed the finish line twice after completing the qualifying session. In addition, Fairuz Fauzy has been relegated to the tail of grilled by a touch with Cecotto.

The first race of the season, and this ultimately will be held at noon two (Spanish hour), while the "sprint" race is reserved for Saturday. Hopefully tomorrow see a good result for Dani Clos, but above all, an interesting career. The protagonists at the moment, are suitable.

1 Romain Grosjean DAMS 1m36.041s
2 Jules Bianchi ART 1m36.448s + 0. 407s
3. Davide Valsecchi AirAsia 1m36.501s + 0. 460s
4. dani Clos racing engineering 1m36.614s + 0. 573s
5 Giedo van der Garde Addax 1m36.658s + 0. 617s
6 Marcus Ericsson iSport 1m36.659s + 0. 618s
7 Max Chilton Carlin 1m36.693s + 0. 652s
8 Josef Kral Arden 1m36.724s + 0. 683s
9 Esteban Gutierrez ART 1m36.741s + 0. 700s
10 Nathanael Berthoin racing engineering 1m36.825s + 0. 784s
11 Sam Bird iSport 1m36.830s + 0. 789s
12 Michael Herck Coloni 1m36.863s + 0. 822s
13 Oliver Turvey Ocean 1m36.875s + 0. 834s
14 Charles Pic Addax 1m36.961s + 0. 920s
15 Fabio Leimer Rapax 1m37.047s + 1. 006s
16 Johnny Cecotto Super Nova 1m37.129s + 1. 088s
17 Julian loyal Rapax 1m37.145s + 1. 104s
18 Jolyon Palmer burn 1m37.305s + 1. 264s
19. Stefano Coletti Trident 1m37.329s + 1. 288s
20 Andrea Caldarelli Ocean 1m37.345s + 1. 304s
21 Luiz Ghazw AirAsia 1m37.426s + 1. 385s
22 Pal Varhaug DAMS 1m37.632s + 1. 591s
23 Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident 1m37.669s + 1. 628s
24. Mikhail Aleshin Carlin 1m37.535s + 1. 494s *
25 James Jakes Coloni 1m37.741s + 1. 700s
26 Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova 1m37.572s + 1. 531s *