2010 Spa-Francorchamps GP2 Series rounds explained

Country:Belgium
Grand Prix:Belgian
Round No:8
Season No:10
Year:2010
Location:Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps, Wallonia, Belgium
Course:Permanent racing facility
Course Mi:4.352
Course Km:7.004
Date R1:28 August
Laps R1:26
Pole Driver Country:ROM
Pole Driver:Michael Herck
Pole Team:DPR
Pole Time:2:15.661
First Driver Country R1:VEN
First Driver R1:Pastor Maldonado
First Team R1:Rapax
Second Driver Country R1:POR
Second Driver R1:Álvaro Parente
Second Team R1:Scuderia Coloni
Third Driver Country R1:FRA
Third Driver R1:Romain Grosjean
Third Team R1:DAMS
Fast Driver Country R1:ITA
Fast Driver R1:Davide Valsecchi
Fast Team R1:iSport International
Fast Time R1:1:58.285
Fast Lap R1:24
Date R2:29 August
Laps R2:18
First Driver Country R2:MEX
First Driver R2:Sergio Pérez
First Team R2:Barwa Addax Team
Second Driver Country R2:NED
Second Driver R2:Giedo van der Garde
Second Team R2:Barwa Addax Team
Third Driver Country R2:POR
Third Driver R2:Álvaro Parente
Third Team R2:Scuderia Coloni
Fast Driver Country R2:MEX
Fast Driver R2:Sergio Pérez
Fast Team R2:Sergio Pérez
Fast Time R2:1:57.014
Fast Lap R2:17

The 2010 Belgian GP2 round was a GP2 Series motor race held on August 28 and 29, 2010 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, near the village of Francorchamps, Wallonia, Belgium. It was the eighth round of the 2010 GP2 Series. The race was run in support of the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix.

Report

Qualifying

Michael Herck originally scored pole, but the former Belgian was one of a dozen drivers to be penalised after qualifying for going too fast under yellows. Home driver Jérôme d'Ambrosio got pole instead, ahead of championship leader Pastor Maldonado.[1]

Feature Race

Pastor Maldonado took another feature race victory at Spa-Francorchamps to increase his winning record in the series, although he only just managed to hang on under heavy pressure from Alvaro Parente at the end of the race. The Rapax driver was struggling with his car and almost certainly would not have held off Coloni stand-in Parente for another lap. Parente, who led most of the race before making a late stop, closed rapidly on the series leader during the final lap, but was just too far back to make a move at the Bus Stop. Another stand-in driver, Romain Grosjean (subbing for injured Ho-Pin Tung at DAMS), took third place after fellow podium contenders Jérôme d'Ambrosio and Sergio Pérez ran into trouble. D'Ambrosio, who started on pole but lost the lead to Maldonado when both pitted together, eventually retired. Pérez (Addax) took third on the first lap and kept the spot after the stops, but lost that when he had to serve a drive-through for pitlane speeding. A first-lap accident involving Sam Bird (ART) and Dani Clos (Racing Engineering) caused a safety car interruption, but the race ran green from the restart on lap four. Dani Clos was later diagnosed with a back injury after the race, so missed the Sprint Race. Rodolfo González got 8th, so took sprint race pole, ahead of Giedo van der Garde, who did very well in getting 9th after starting 23rd.[2]

Sprint Race

Mexico's Sergio Pérez made up for the disappointment in the feature race by taking victory in the reverse-grid GP2 race at Spa-Francorchamps. After starting second, the Addax driver made light work of pole man Rodolfo González (Arden), running much quicker through Eau Rouge and passing him at Les Combes on the first lap. Pérez never relinquished the lead thereafter. The race was punctuated by three safety cars for accidents – including crashes by Christian Vietoris, Charles Pic and Jules Bianchi – and debris on the track. González later dropped behind Pérez's team-mate Giedo van der Garde and feature race runner up Alvaro Parente (Scuderia Coloni). Championship leader Pastor Maldonado retired at Les Combes on the first lap, so Pérez's win keeps his mathematical chance of closing up the Venezuelan's big points lead alive.[3]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Beer. Matt. Herck penalty gives D'Ambrosio pole. Autosport. 27 August 2010. 12 April 2024.
  2. Web site: Maldonado hangs on for dramatic sixth win. GP2 Series. 28 August 2010. 12 April 2024. https://archive.today/20100830225438/http://gp2series.com/Maldonado-hangs-on-for-dramatic.html. 2010-08-30. dead.
  3. Web site: Perez powers to fourth victory. GP2 Series. 29 August 2010. 12 April 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20100902032110/http://www.gp2series.com/Perez-powers-to-fourth-victory.html. 2 September 2010. dead.