The GP2 action is back in action this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps for Round 8 after a well-deserved and much needed summer break. With four rounds left in the 2016 season, all eyes will focus on the joint leaders: Sergey Sirotkin and Pierre Gasly. The Renault F1 Test driver was on a mission in Hockenheim to leave the place with as many points as possible: pole position, fastest lap, a win in Feature Race and a second place the following day. This saw him add 43 points to his tally and join the Frenchman as Series leader. It will take the Red Bull tester to have a perfect weekend in Spa to extend the gap.

Behind the leading pair, Raffaele Marciello stays in the title race: the Italian has pocketed four podiums and he is the only driver to have scored points in 13 races out of 14 so far. He is now third in the drivers' standings ahead of Antonio Giovinazzi and they both surely be looking for more glory, one round before Monza on home soil.

The eighth round of the 2016 season takes place at one of the most challenging tracks for the drivers. Not only it's the longest layout of the calendar but also one of the most demanding for the tyres; due to the long and fast corners. As the weather can be unpredictable, it will surely provide drama. The drivers will have at their disposal P Zero Hard and Soft compounds.

Mario Isola, Pirelli Racing Manager: "After the summer break, the young drivers in GP2 face one of the most challenging circuits at Spa. The different types of corners, lots of elevation changes and long straights, it offers a varied test for the tyres as well as the drivers. The weather can be a further test of driving ability and also of the teams and their decision making. Unusually, the race weekend is currently forecast to be warm and dry, but you always have to be prepared for anything at Spa. High temperatures, causing thermal degradation, will increase the need for good tyre management.

"As the lap is very long at seven kilometres though, the drivers have relatively little time to prepare for the race. There's plenty of scope for
overtaking, which increases the possibilities for strategy."

Notes

Following a penalty received in Hockenheim Sprint Race, Nabil Jeffri (#24 Arden International car) has a three place grid drop for the Spa-Francorchamps Feature Race.

Spa-Francorchamps is the longest track of the calendar in 7,004 km.

In 2014, Stoffel Vandoorne's pole position lap was a 1:56.278.

Sergio Canamasas will return for Round 8 in the number #18 Carlin car.

GP2 Media

Drivers Standings after Germany

Pos	Name	Nat	Team	Points
1	Gasly	FRA	Prema Racing	113
2	Sirotkin	RUS	ART Grand Prix	113
3	Marciello	ITA	Russian Time	102
4	Giovinazzi	ITA	Prema Racing	100
5	Rowland	GBR	MP Motorsport	99
6	Nato	FRA	Racing Engineering	81
7	King	GBR	Racing Engineering	80
8	Evans	NZL	Pertamina Campos Racing	77
9	Lynn	GBR	DAMS	72
10	Markelov	RUS	Russian Time	65
11	Ghiotto	ITA	Trident	64
12	Matsushita	JPN	ART Grand Prix	58
13	Pic	FRA	Rapax	36
14	Gelael	INO	Pertamina Campos Racing	24
15	Latifi	CAN	DAMS	21
16	Kirchhofer	GER	Carlin	20
17	Canamasas	GBR	Carlin	14
18	Malja	SWE	Rapax	12
19	Eriksson	SWE	Arden International	10
20	de Jong	NED	MP Motorsport	6
21	Jeffri	MAS	Arden International	2

Team standings after Germany

Pos	Team	Points
1	Prema Racing	213
2	ART Grand Prix	171
3	Russian Time	167
4	Racing Engineering	161
5	MP Motorsport	105
6	Pertamina Campos Racing	101
7	DAMS	93
8	Trident	64
9	Rapax	48
10	Carlin	34
11	Arden International	12