25/08/2016
NEWS STORY
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 |