Bahrain International Circuit, ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’, is all set to welcome the GP2 Asia Series to the Kingdom this coming weekend.
An action-packed two days of world-class racing awaits the island’s die-hard motorsport fans, as GP2 Asia will be holding the second round of its 2011 championship on February 18 and 19 in Sakhir.
Having gotten the season underway with the opening events last Friday and Saturday at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, GP2 Asia will now be stepping up the action and Bahrain will be the host of plenty more hotly contested battles in the 26-car grid.
Sharing the honours during the first round were Lotus ART’s Jules Bianchi of France and Trident Racing’s Stefano Coletti from Monaco.
Bianchi claimed the 33-lap feature race after a tight battle with countryman and former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean, while Coletti took the 23-lap sprint ahead of Czech Josef Kral of Arden.
Many other drivers are more than capable of clinching a race win this season. Amongst them are Malaysian Fairuz Kauzy of Super Nova Racing, Dutchman Giedo van der Garde of Barwa Addax Team, Spaniard Dani Clos of Racing Engineering, Britons Sam Bird of iSport International and James Jakes of Scuderia Coloni, and Italian Davide Valsecchi, the series’ defending champion, who is driving with Team Air Asia.
Bianchi leads the championship standings heading into Bahrain’s events with 12 points. Grosjean is second with 10, followed by Italian Valsecchi and iSport’s Marcus Ericsson of Sweden with nine points each.
While Formula One remains the most coveted racing class globally, racing’s top teams and drivers have all needed a place to kick start their careers, and GP2 Asia is one of the most popular venues to achieve that.
Big names such Grosjean of DAMS, who was the first-ever GP2 Asia champion in 2008, have come from the series. Other past standouts who are now in Formula One are 2008 vice-champion Sebastien Buemi of Toro Rosso, and 2009 champion Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber.
Following this upcoming round in Bahrain, the third and final meeting of the season will also take place at ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’, this time in support of the 2011 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from March 11 to 13.
Tickets for the GP2 Asia event cost 7 BD for adults for both days of racing. Access to luxury lounges along Oasis Complex are also available for 45 BD per person for the whole weekend. Children aged 15 years old and younger can get in to the event free of charge, while all holders of three-day tickets to this year’s Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix can also get in for free.
For more information or to buy tickets, log on to Bahrain International Circuit’s official website, Click Here To Purchase 2011 F1 Tickets Online, or by calling the circuit hotline on +973-17-450000. Tickets are also available at the circuit’s stands in Seef Mall and Bahrain City Centre.