2016 GP2 Series

• Lazarus left the series at the end of the 2015 season, with their place taken by Prema Racing.[20]
• Hilmer Motorsport left the series at the end of the 2015 season. As no replacement team could be found, the grid was left at twenty-two cars.
• Status Grand Prix also left the series before the 2016 season due to not being able to find any well-budgeted drivers and also lack of sponsorship for their second season. As the demise of Status Grand Prix GP2 team, there were no number #16 and #17 cars on the grid.

Changing teams

• Sergio Canamasas, who raced for MP Motorsport, Hilmer Motorsport and Daiko Team Lazarus in 2015, switched to Carlin.[16]
• Mitch Evans and Sean Gelael, who drove for Russian Time and Carlin respectively in 2015, moved to Campos Racing.[9]
• Pierre Gasly, who spent the 2015 season with DAMS, moved to newcomers Prema Racing.[22]
• Nicholas Latifi, who took part in three rounds of the 2015 season with MP Motorsport, switched to a full-time seat with DAMS.[8]
• Gustav Malja, who raced for Trident and Rapax in 2015, switched Formula Renault 3.5 Series to race full-time with Rapax.[11]
• Raffaele Marciello, who raced for Trident in 2015, moved to Russian Time.[10]
• Norman Nato, who raced for Arden International in 2015, switched to Racing Engineering.[6]
• Arthur Pic, who raced for Campos in 2014 and 2015, switched to Rapax.[12]
• Oliver Rowland, who previously raced part-time for MP Motorsport and Status Grand Prix, is contesting the full season with MP Motorsport, with backing from Renault.[23]
• Sergey Sirotkin, who finished third in 2015, moved from Rapax to defending champions ART Grand Prix.[5]

Entering GP2

• 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 Series competitor Philo Paz Armand joined the series with Trident.[14]
• GP3 Series race winner Jimmy Eriksson made his series début with Arden International.[25]
• 2015 GP3 runner-up Luca Ghiotto graduated to the series with Trident.[15]
• 2015 European Formula 3 runner-up Antonio Giovinazzi made his début in the series with Prema Racing.[21]
• Nabil Jeffri joined the series with Arden International.[25]
• Marvin Kirchhöfer, who placed third in the 2014 and 2015 GP3 Series joined the series with Carlin.[18]

Leaving GP2

• Nathanaël Berthon left Lazarus and the series to join the FIA World Endurance Championship with G-Drive Racing.[27]
• Rene Binder left MP Motorsport to join Lotus in Formula V8 3.5 Series.[28]
• Rio Haryanto left Campos Racing and the series to join Formula One team Manor Racing.[29]
• André Negrão and Dean Stoneman left Arden and Carlin and the series to join the Indy Lights with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports and Andretti Autosport.[30][31]
• Richie Stanaway and Marco Sørensen, who raced for Status Grand Prix and Carlin, left to join the FIA World Endurance Championship with Aston Martin Racing.[32][33]
• 2015 season champion Stoffel Vandoorne left the series as the reigning champion is not permitted to continue competing in the series. He joined the Super Formula with Docomo Team Dandelion Racing.[34]

Mid-season changes

• ART Grand Prix driver Nobuharu Matsushita was suspended for the fourth round of the season in Austria due to erratic driving at the previous event in Baku.[35] He was replaced by René Binder.[4] Binder later joined Carlin, replacing Sergio Canamasas.

• The series returned to the Hockenheimring in support of the German Grand Prix, and the Sepang International Circuit.[36]
  • With the return to Germany, the second Bahrain round—which had filled in as a replacement event in 2015—was removed from the calendar.
• The rounds at the Bahrain International Circuit and the Sochi Autodrom were discontinued after the Bahrain and Russian Grands Prix were brought forward to the start of the Formula One season.[36]
• The series made its début at the Baku City Circuit in support of the returning European Grand Prix.[36]

Points were awarded to the top 10 classified finishers in the Feature race, and to the top 8 classified finishers in the Sprint race. The pole-sitter in the feature race also received four points, and two points were given to the driver who set the fastest lap inside the top ten in both the feature and sprint races. No extra points were awarded to the pole-sitter in the sprint race.

Feature race points

Sprint race points

Points were awarded to the top 8 classified finishers.

Pos. Driver CAT MON BAK RBR SIL HUN HOC SPA MNZ SEP YMC Points 1 Pierre Gasly 3 2 15 13 Ret 2 Ret 7 1 7 1 7 DSQ 6 1 4 4 2 11 3 1 9 219 2 Antonio Giovinazzi 18 Ret 11 18 1 1 Ret 5 2 4 2 17† 8 Ret 6 1 1 3 1 4 5 6 211 3 Sergey Sirotkin Ret 11 Ret Ret 2 3 12 6 18 21 3 1 1 2 9 16 14 Ret 2 Ret 4 3 159 4 Raffaele Marciello 8 5 6 3 3 11 3 4 9 6 4 8 3 7 4 5 2 14 6 2 10 13 159 5 Norman Nato 1 16 2 6 Ret Ret 7 12 7 22† 7 3 Ret 18 Ret 8 5 1 3 Ret 6 5 136 6 Alex Lynn 6 1 4 5 Ret 9 11 3 16 14 12 Ret 7 1 3 10 12 5 4 12 8 1 124 7 Jordan King 7 3 Ret 16 12† 4 8 1 8 1 8 2 15 11 2 12 7 4 5 14 13 10 122 8 Luca Ghiotto Ret 12 Ret 14 9 12 4 9 5 2 17 Ret 2 4 7 3 6 Ret 7 1 11 19 111 9 Oliver Rowland 10 6 3 7 4 15† 6 2 3 3 11 6 5 5 10 6 9 9 12 8 Ret 11 107 10 Artem Markelov 4 4 1 8 Ret 5 Ret 11 10 12 9 4 Ret 9 5 21† 10 10 DNS 13 3 7 97 11 Nobuharu Matsushita 11 8 8 1 6 Ret EX EX 6 5 6 Ret 9 12 11 11 11 6 Ret 7 2 4 92 12 Mitch Evans 12 14 5 4 5 Ret 1 8 4 13 10 5 Ret 10 16 13 8 Ret 8 6 15 8 90 13 Gustav Malja 9 10 14 12 10 Ret 13 16 22 19 13 14 6 8 8 2 3 7 9 5 Ret 14 53 14 Arthur Pic 13 Ret 10 9 Ret 8 9 18 14 11 5 Ret 4 3 14 22† Ret 11 36 15 Sean Gelael 17 13 13 Ret 7 Ret 2 Ret 21 18 22 10 Ret Ret 18 15 DSQ 16 16 Ret Ret 21 24 16 Nicholas Latifi 2 7 Ret Ret Ret 13 10 Ret 11 10 16 12 14 17 13 9 16 15 14 10 9 12 23 17 Marvin Kirchhöfer 15 15 7 2 Ret 10 Ret 19 12 8 14 13 10 14 Ret 14 18 8 15 11 21 18 Johnny Cecotto, Jr. 13 9 7 2 18 19 Sergio Canamasas 5 9 12 10 Ret 6 Ret 10 13 9 18 9 12 7 Ret 13 10 15 12 16 17 20 Jimmy Eriksson 16 19 Ret 15 11† Ret 5 13 15 17 21† Ret 12 13 15 20 15 18† 10 21 Daniël de Jong 14 17 9 11 8 14 14 20 19 16 15 11 Ret 16 17 17 17 19 17 Ret 14 Ret 6 22 Nabil Jeffri 19 18 Ret 17 Ret 7 Ret 17 17 15 20 16 11 Ret 19 18 13 12 18 Ret Ret 20 2 23 René Binder 16 15 13 15 0 24 Philo Paz Armand Ret Ret 16 Ret Ret Ret 15 14 20 20 19 15 16 Ret 20 19 19 17 19 Ret 16 18 0 25 Emil Bernstorff 17 15 0 26 Louis Delétraz Ret 17 0 Pos. Driver CAT MON BAK RBR SIL HUN HOC SPA MNZ SEP YMC Points

Key Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Other points position Blue Other classified position Not classified, finished (NC) Purple Not classified, retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Excluded (EX) Did not arrive (DNA) Withdrawn (WD) Text formatting Meaning Bold Pole position point(s) Italics Fastest lap point(s)

Notes:

• † — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.

Pos. Team No. CAT MON BAK RBR SIL HUN HOC SPA MNZ SEP YMC Points 1 Prema Racing 20 18 Ret 11 18 1 1 Ret 5 2 4 2 17† 8 Ret 6 1 1 3 1 4 1 6 430 21 3 2 15 13 Ret 2 Ret 7 1 7 1 7 DSQ 6 1 4 4 2 11 3 5 9 2 Racing Engineering 3 1 16 2 6 Ret Ret 7 13 7 22† 7 3 Ret 18 Ret 8 5 1 3 Ret 6 5 258 4 7 3 Ret 16 12† 4 8 1 8 1 8 2 15 11 2 12 7 4 5 14 13 10 3 Russian Time 9 8 5 6 3 3 11 3 4 9 6 4 8 3 7 4 5 2 15 6 2 10 13 256 10 4 4 1 8 Ret 5 Ret 12 10 12 9 4 Ret 9 5 21† 10 10 DNS 13 3 7 4 ART Grand Prix 1 11 8 8 1 6 Ret 16 15 6 5 6 Ret 9 12 11 11 11 6 Ret 7 2 4 251 2 Ret 11 Ret Ret 2 3 12 6 18 21 3 1 1 2 9 16 14 Ret 2 Ret 4 3 5 DAMS 5 6 1 4 5 Ret 9 11 3 16 14 12 Ret 7 1 3 10 12 5 4 12 8 1 147 6 2 7 Ret Ret Ret 13 10 Ret 11 10 16 12 14 17 13 9 16 15 14 10 9 12 6 Pertamina Campos Racing 7 12 14 5 4 5 Ret 1 8 4 13 10 5 Ret 10 16 13 8 Ret 8 6 15 8 114 8 17 13 13 Ret 7 Ret 2 Ret 21 18 22† 10 Ret Ret 18 15 DSQ 16 16 Ret Ret 21 7 MP Motorsport 22 10 6 3 7 4 15† 6 2 3 3 11 6 5 5 10 6 9 9 12 8 Ret 11 113 23 14 17 9 11 8 14 14 20 19 16 15 11 Ret 16 17 17 17 19 17 Ret 14 Ret 8 Trident 14 Ret Ret 16 Ret Ret Ret 15 14 20 20 19 15 16 Ret 20 19 19 17 19 Ret 16 18 111 15 Ret 12 Ret 14 9 12 4 9 5 2 17 Ret 2 4 7 3 6 Ret 7 1 11 19 9 Rapax 11 9 10 14 12 10 Ret 13 16 22 19 13 14 6 8 8 2 3 7 9 5 Ret 14 107 12 13 Ret 10 9 Ret 8 9 18 14 11 5 Ret 4 3 14 22† Ret 12 13 9 7 2 10 Carlin 18 5 9 12 10 Ret 6 Ret 10 13 9 18 9 13 15 12 7 Ret 13 10 15 12 16 38 19 15 15 7 2 Ret 10 Ret 19 12 8 14 13 10 14 Ret 14 18 8 15 11 Ret 17 11 Arden International 24 19 18 Ret 17 Ret 7 Ret 17 17 15 20 16 11 Ret 19 18 13 12 18 Ret Ret 20 12 25 16 19 Ret 15 11† Ret 5 11 15 17 21† Ret 12 13 15 20 15 18† 17 15 Pos. Team No. CAT MON BAK RBR SIL HUN HOC SPA MNZ SEP YMC Points

Key Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Other points position Blue Other classified position Not classified, finished (NC) Purple Not classified, retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Excluded (EX) Did not arrive (DNA) Withdrawn (WD) Text formatting Meaning Bold Pole position point(s) Italics Fastest lap point(s)

Notes:

• † — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.