GP2 Series
GP2 Series, GP2 for short, is a form of motor racing introduced in 2005 following the dis-continuation of the long-term Formula One 'feeder' sport, Formula 3000.
Designed to make racing affordable for the teams and to make it the perfect training ground for life in Formula One, GP2 has made it mandatory for all of the teams to use the same chassis, engine and tyres supplier so that true driver ability is reflected as opposed to who has the better technology..
The car
The GP2 Series car is to be used by all of the teams in the 2005 season, and features a Dallara chassis powered by a V8 Renault engine and Bridgestone tyres.
The chassis
Made by Dallara, the chassis is a 585 kilogram carbon fibre monocoque built to the safety standards of the Formula One governing body, the FIA. The chassis features a ground effect which makes racing more intense and maximises overtaking possibilities.
The Engine
The 2005 season engine is a 580bhp Renault designed V8 engine, meaning that the power of the GP2 car is about 70% of its Formula One counterpart. The 4000cc engine is built by Mecachrome and rev-limited to 10,000 rpm. Pre-season tests show that the engine can, over one lap, be within a few seconds of the engine used by the Renault F1 team. The engine also features fly-by-wire throttle mechanisms, and to reduce costs and any advantage to the wealthier teams, can only be rebuilt after it has been used for over 4,000 kilometres of racing.
The Gearbox
The GP2 gear box is of the six speed, semi-automatic type. The gears themselves are changed via F1-style shift paddles on the wheel, as opposed to being changed with a traditional gear stick. The gear box, like the engine, is not too far off its F1 counterpart.
The Tyres
The tyres used by the GP2 teams will be supplied by F1 supplier Bridgestone, and are from their Bridgestone Potenza range. They are grooved and to FIA specification, and as with GP2's parent sport are also available in forms designed for wet weather.
Other Parts
The exhaust on the car uses the latest 8-in-1 technology, whilst the brake discs are made from high-quality carbon so that they won't wear quickly, as well as to meet strict FIA safety regulations. The car's electronics are designed and supplied by popular F1 manufacturer Magneti Marelli.
The car features hardly any aids, with traction control, launch control and automatic gear shifting not included.
Performance
According to research and pre-season stability tests, the 2005 model can go 0 to 200 km/h in 6.70 seconds. The car has a top speed of 320 km/h meaning it is the fastest single seater racing car, bar the Formula One models it is based on, out of the European racing series. The cars are predicted to be reliable and are within less than five seconds per lap of the typical Formula One car.
Race weekend
On Friday they have 30-minute free practice session and 30-minute qualifying session. Qualifying session decides grid order for Saturday's race which has length of 180 kilometres.
During Saturday's race, each driver has to make pit stop in which at least two tyres have to be changed.
On Sunday (except Monaco) there is a sprint race of 120 kilometres. The grid is decided by Saturday result with top 8 being reversed, so driver who finished 8th on Saturday will start from pole position and winner will start from 8th place.
Point system
Pole for Saturday's race: 2 points
Saturday race: 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 for top 8 finishers
Sunday race: 6-5-4-3-2-1 for top 6 finishers
Fastest lap: 2 points in each race. Driver recording fastest lap has to drive 90% of race laps.
2005 Season
The 2005 season is the first for the series, it succeeding the now defunct Formula 3000 championship. As it is effectively a continuation of F3000, although not necessarily advertised as one, the current drivers champion could be deemed as being 2004 F3000 winner Vitantonio Liuzzi. In 2005 he will not be racing as he has joined F1 team Red Bull Racing as the teams reserve driver. However, his team Arden Motorsport will be racing, and they could be deemed as the defending constructors champions, having won in 2004 with Liuzzi and Robert Doornbos piloting their cars.
The 2005 season began on April 23, 2005 on the weekend of the San Marino Grand Prix at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy. In the pre-season race to decide the inaugurual season's car numbers the iSport International and HiTech Racing teams showed a competitive edge. The latter team is largely funded by the former Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet in order to aid his son's route to the premier Formula sport.
The championship will last 23 rounds, two races occurring a weekend with the exception of the race in Monaco. For the driver line-up, race calendar and more information on the new season, go here.