BIC, Sakhir: Drivers and team members competing in the GP2 Series have begun arriving in Bahrain ahead of their pre-season tests at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) this weekend.
“The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East” will be hosting three days of testing from Wednesday to Friday.
That will help get the GP2 challengers ready for the start to their 2015 season, which will also take place at Sakhir in support of this year’s Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
Among those arriving yesterday was Campos Racing’s Indonesian driver Rio Haryanto.
A majority of the GP2 competitors are scheduled to arrive today in the Kingdom. Among them are Haryanto’s teammate Arthur Pic, Nobuharu Matsushita and Stoffel Vandoorne of ART Grand Prix, Pierre Gasly and Alexander Lynn of DAMS, Jordan King and Alexander Rossi of Racing Engineering, Raffaele Marciello of Trident Racing, Mitchell Evans of Russian Times and Daniel De Jong of MP Motorsport.
All 13 GP2 teams are expected to be in Sakhir for the Bahrain tests, which are the second and final of the 2015 pre-season. The series’ teams first went out on track for three days of testing in Abu Dhabi.
GP2 is highly regarded as the chief feeder series to Formula One.
More than 60 drivers have over the years received the chance to drive a Formula One car as a result of their time in GP2. Eight drivers from this season’s Formula One grid are GP2 graduates, including five former GP2 champions in Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Nico Hulkenberg, Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean.
All are now big stars at motor racing’s highest level, with Hamilton becoming the first-ever EX-GP2 driver to be crowned as Formula One World Champion last year.
GP2 will be holding the first round of its 2015 championship during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. There are 10 rounds for the GP2 season. Each event will be supporting a Formula One Grand Prix.
The other supporting championship during the Formula One weekend will be the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East. The GT3 Cup will be holding the final round of its 2014/2015 season in support of the Grand Prix.
Both the GP2 Series and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East will have two races each during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.
Tickets to the Formula One event are selling fast and race fans are advised to purchase theirs today to avoid any disappointment. Tickets can be purchased at the BIC sales outlets in Bahrain City Centre and Seef Mall, online at www.bahraingp.com or by calling the BIC Hotline on +973-17-450000.
The 2015 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix is the fourth round of this year’s FIA Formula One World Championship. The big night race will be complemented by plenty of fun family entertainment off the track.