2009 Yas Marina GP2 Asia Series round

The 2009–10 Abu Dhabi 1st GP2 Asia round was the first round of the 2009–10 GP2 Asia Series season. It was held on October 31 and November 1, 2009 at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The race was used as a support race to the day/night 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It was the first of two rounds to be held at the circuit, the other will be the 2009–10 Abu Dhabi 2nd GP2 Asia round. The round was the only one held in 2009, the rest being held in 2010.

   2009 Abu Dhabi GP2 round
Round details
Round 1 of 4 rounds in the
2009 GP2 Series

Yas Marina Circuit
Location Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Course Permanent racing facility
5.554 km (3.451 mi)
Feature race
Date 31 October 2009
Laps 32
Pole position
Driver Davide Valsecchi iSport International
Time 1:51.964
Podium
First Davide Valsecchi iSport International
Second Luca Filippi MalaysiaQi-Meritus.com
Third James Jakes Super Nova Racing
Fastest lap
Driver Davide Valsecchi iSport International
Time 1:53.341 (on lap 32)
Sprint race
Date 1 November 2009
Laps 22
Podium
First Christian Vietoris DAMS
Second Davide Valsecchi iSport International
Third Josef Král Super Nova Racing
Fastest lap
Driver Davide Valsecchi iSport International
Time 1:52.894 (on lap 21)

Report

The first race looked like it was dominated by Davide Valsecchi, who took pole, won race and got fastest lap,[1][2] but he lost the lead at the start when Valsecchi was beaten off the line by GP2 debutant Sam Bird, Valsecchi managed to re-pass him going down the long back straight to turn 8. Bird was also passed by GP2 Asia returnee James Jakes and GP2 veteran Luca Filippi. Filippi found enough pace to not only pass Jakes for second, but also jump ahead of Valsecchi after the mandatory pit stops. A crash between Luiz Razia and Christian Vietoris made the safety car appear and this allowed Valsecchi to close the gap between himself and Filippi. Valsecchi put pressure on Filippi later in the race and finally won the lead battle by muscling through after a very close side by side dice through the Turn 11, 12, 13 and 14 complex. He briefly came under threat when Trident driver Plamen Kralev's spin prompted the safety car again, but had the pace to pull away and secure the win. Filippi managed to fend off Jakes to retain second place, with Alexander Rossi the top rookie in fourth place, followed by fellow newcomers Josef Král and Vietoris. Rossi and Král's former International Formula Master rival Fabio Leimer was unable to capitalise on his excellent third on the grid as his Ocean Racing Technology car stalled before the formation lap. Fifth place qualifier Roldán Rodríguez left another gap when he failed to get off the line at the start. Bird had been on course for fourth until he retired on the penultimate lap with brake problems, which meant his countryman and fellow GP2 debutant Oliver Turvey moved up to eighth in the second iSport car and would therefore start from reverse grid pole for the sprint race, alongside Johnny Cecotto Jr. of Trident Racing.

For the sprint race, Turvey started on pole, having finished eighth in the feature race. He got off the line slowly and DAMS driver Vietoris burst through from third to the lead at the start, Turvey falling back to fourth behind Král and Rossi into the first corner. Turvey's front row partner Cecotto, Jr. also fell down the order, to seventh behind the feature race top duo Filippi and Valsecchi. Valsecchi was a man determined to get big points, and after a few side by side tussles, managed to pass Filippi. With the momentum, Valsecchi also managed to pass his team-mate Turvey after Filippi had spun trying to avoid Cecotto. The safety car then gave Valsecchi a chance to catch up with the top three, the yellow being required after Will Bratt's Coloni machine had snapped into a high-speed spin at the end of the back straight and collected Leimer on its way to the barrier. Vietoris and Král had pulled comfortably clear of the field before the safety car, with the DAMS driver edging away early on before Král closed back onto his tail at half-distance. But the safety car cost them their cushion, for Valsecchi swiftly muscled past Rossi for third after the restart and then rapidly closed on Vietoris and Král. That gave Vietoris some breathing space, as Valsecchi climbed all over the back of Král before diving ahead into Turn 11 on the last lap. There was no time left to catch Vietoris though, and the German duly ended his first GP2 weekend with victory. Turvey put a late move on Rossi to take fourth, with Cecotto hanging on to sixth ahead of Vietoris' team-mate Edoardo Piscopo and the delayed Filippi. Jakes was forced wide at the first corner and could only finish 10th, the Super Nova driver having spent most of the race trying in vain to pass DPR's Michael Herck.

Classification

Qualifying

Pos No Name Team Time Grid
1 17 Davide Valsecchi iSport International 1:51.964 1
2 8 Sam Bird ART Grand Prix 1:52.183 2
3 23 Fabio Leimer Ocean Racing Technology 1:52.236 3
4 20 Luca Filippi MalaysiaQi-Meritus.com 1:52.240 4
5 24 Roldán Rodríguez Scuderia Coloni 1:52.300 5
6 12 Rodolfo González Arden International 1:52.436 6
7 14 James Jakes Super Nova Racing 1:52.529 7
8 18 Johnny Cecotto Jr. Trident Racing 1:52.557 8
9 15 Josef Král Super Nova Racing 1:52.575 9
10 27 Giacomo Ricci DPR 1:52.690 10
11 2 Edoardo Piscopo DAMS 1:52.792 11
12 4 Daniel Zampieri Piquet GP 1:52.816 12
13 22 Alexander Rossi Ocean Racing Technology 1:52.827 13
14 1 Christian Vietoris DAMS 1:52.830 14
15 7 Marcus Ericsson ART Grand Prix 1:52.846 15
16 26 Michael Herck DPR 1:52.869 16
17 21 Diego Nunes MalaysiaQi-Meritus.com 1:52.907 17
18 16 Oliver Turvey iSport International 1:52.955 18
19 6 Luiz Razia Barwa Addax Team 1:52.996 19
20 11 Charles Pic Arden International 1:53.112 20
21 5 Max Chilton Barwa Addax Team 1:53.147 21
22 3 Vladimir Arabadzhiev Piquet GP 1:53.628 22
23 25 Will Bratt Scuderia Coloni 1:53.711 23
24 19 Plamen Kralev Trident Racing 1:58.149 24

Race 1

PosNoDriverTeamLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
1 17 Davide ValsecchiiSport International 33 1:07:49.810 1 11
2 20 Luca FilippiMalaysiaQi-Meritus.com 33 +4.881 4 8
3 14 James JakesSuper Nova Racing 33 +6.174 7 6
4 22 Alexander RossiOcean Racing Technology 33 +7.182 13 5
5 15 Josef KrálSuper Nova Racing 33 +8.220 9 4
6 1 Christian VietorisDAMS 33 +13.300 14 3
7 18 Johnny Cecotto Jr.Trident Racing 33 +15.460 8 2
8 16 Oliver TurveyiSport International 33 +16.223 18 1
9 2 Edoardo PiscopoDAMS 33 +16.715 11
10 24 Roldán RodríguezScuderia Coloni 33 +16.879 5
11 7 Marcus EricssonART Grand Prix 33 +21.686 15
12 25 Will BrattScuderia Coloni 33 +22.539 23
13 26 Michael HerckDPR 33 +22.881 16
14 12 Rodolfo GonzálezArden International 33 +23.403 6
15 4 Daniel ZampieriPiquet GP 33 +23.786 12
16 5 Max ChiltonBarwa Addax Team 33 +25.131 21
17 23 Fabio LeimerOcean Racing Technology 33 +30.019 3
18 8 Sam BirdART Grand Prix 31 + 2 laps 2
Ret 11 Charles PicArden International 28 DNF 20
Ret 3 Vladimir ArabadzhievPiquet GP 25 DNF 22
Ret 19 Plamen KralevTrident Racing 24 DNF 24
Ret 6 Luiz RaziaBarwa Addax Team 12 DNF 19
Ret 27 Giacomo RicciDPR 8 DNF 10
Ret 21 Diego NunesMalaysiaQi-Meritus.com 0 DNF 17
Fastest lap: Davide Valsecchi (iSport International) 1:53.341 (lap 32)

Race 2

PosNoDriverTeamLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
1 1 Christian VietorisDAMS 22 43:18.814 3 6
2 17 Davide ValsecchiiSport International 22 +2.447 8 6
3 15 Josef KrálSuper Nova Racing 22 +3.195 4 4
4 16 Oliver TurveyiSport International 22 +6.616 1 3
5 22 Alexander RossiOcean Racing Technology 22 +7.240 5 2
6 18 Johnny Cecotto Jr.Trident Racing 22 +7.711 2 1
7 2 Edoardo PiscopoDAMS 22 +8.237 9
8 20 Luca FilippiMalaysiaQi-Meritus.com 22 +10.136 7
9 26 Michael HerckDPR 22 +10.730 13
10 14 James JakesSuper Nova Racing 22 +11.643 6
11 6 Luiz RaziaBarwa Addax Team 22 +11.881 22
12 7 Marcus EricssonART Grand Prix 22 +12.315 11
13 21 Diego NunesMalaysiaQi-Meritus.com 22 +12.893 25
14 24 Roldán RodríguezScuderia Coloni 22 +13.303 10
15 11 Charles PicArden International 22 +13.777 19
16 12 Rodolfo GonzálezArden International 22 +14.431 14
17 5 Max ChiltonBarwa Addax Team 22 +19.485 16
18 8 Sam BirdART Grand Prix 22 +21.421 18
Ret 3 Vladimir ArabadzhievPiquet GP 17 DNF 20
Ret 23 Fabio LeimerOcean Racing Technology 14 DNF 17
Ret 25 Will BrattScuderia Coloni 14 DNF 12
Ret 4 Daniel ZampieriPiquet GP 5 DNF 15
Ret 27 Giacomo RicciDPR 1 DNF 24
Ret 19 Plamen KralevTrident Racing 0 DNF 21
Fastest lap: Davide Valsecchi (iSport International) 1:52.894 (lap 21)

References

  1. "Davide Valsecchi claims maiden pole". gp2series.com. GP2 Series. 2009-10-30. Archived from the original on November 2, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
  2. "Davide Valsecchi storms to victory". gp2series.com. GP2 Series. 2009-10-31. Retrieved 2009-10-31.
Previous round:
2008–09 Bahrain 2nd GP2 Asia round
GP2 Asia Series Championship
2009–10 season
Next round:
2009–10 Abu Dhabi 2nd GP2 Asia round
Previous round:
none
Abu Dhabi GP2 Asia round Next round:
2009–10 Abu Dhabi 2nd GP2 Asia round
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