UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > GP2 Asia; Round 5

Nunez and Petrov win

Round five of GP2 Asia was a Formula One support race in Sepang, Malaysia. Following the first ever GP2 Nigh race held in Qatar in January Kamui Kobayashi leads the championship by ten points from Davide Valsecchi of Durango with Nico Hulkenberg third for ART, but will not add to that as he has been replaced by team-mate Pastor Maldonado.

In practise, Kobayashi shows that he is still good value for his championship lead as he lapped the circuit 0.235 seconds faster than team-mate Jerome D'Ambrosio in the other DAMS car. Third was Roldan Rodriquez in a Piquet Sports with his team-mate Diego Nunez, who is joining iSport in the European series, in fourth.

Kobayashi could not hold on to top spot in qualifying as it was D'Ambrosio who took pole, ahead of Nunez who joins him on the front row. Behind is James Jakes of Super Nova in third before we get to Kobayashi who will start fourth. Championship rival Valsecchi started in seventh place.

Nunez claimed his first ever GP2 win and the first for his Piquet Sports team since Nelson Piquet Junior in the first race at Sepang.

He started on the front row with pole man D'Ambrosio who did not even make the start as he limped back to the pits with a driveshaft failure on his reconnaissance lap. Nunez was now alone on the front row and lead in turn one from Vitaly Petrov of Campos slotting in to second place.

Javier Villa of Super Nova stalled on the grid from the third row and all other racers managed to avoid him

Petrov was very slow in second place and this was allowing Nunez to open out a huge lead. Behind Petrov was Kobayashi Yelmer Buurman of Ocean Racing Technology, with Jakes and Maldonado behind. Kobayashi took his mandatory pit stop very early to get some clear track.

Jakes pitted on lap twelve and rejoined right behind Kobayashi, Nunez was in a lap later and his lead at this point was so large that he was able to rejoin still conformably leading.

Kobayashi managed to hold second from increasing pressure from Jakes through out the race, and further extended his championship lead with championship rival Valsecchi only finishing eighth after a sticking wheel during his pit stop.

In between the podium and Valsecchi was Roldan Rodriquez in the second Piquet Sports car finishing fourth, Buurman in fifth, Petrov holding on for sixth with Maldonado seventh.

Buurman’s fifth place was enough to give the Tiago Monterio owned Ocean Racing Technology its first ever points in the GP2 series.

Desipte his lack of pace in the first race, Petrov used the reverse grid to his advantage and took victory in race two.

The races start was delayed for thirty minutes, due to a huge deluge of rain, not to dissimilar to the thunderstorm that stopped the Formula One race later in the afternoon.

Once racing was possible it was started under the safety car, with left the circuit after four laps.

Valsecchi was starting from pole but was immediately down to third as Maldonado and Petrov slipped passed on the first official racing lap of the race. By lap five the track was beginning to dry and when Petrov passed Maldonado for the lead, he was never going to be caught.

Valsecchi came home in third, and Nunez came through from eighth to fourth to add more points to the total he boosted with his race one victory.

Hamad Al Fardan has had a disappointing season but managed to bring his iSport home in fifth place.

The final point was not decided to the last lap. Championship leader Kobayashi who held sixth after a strong recovery drive following a drop to eleventh early in the race was passed by Sergio Perez in the Campos who had a very strong race coming through from twenty-second on the grid to steel the last point.

Despite losing the last point Kobayashi still leads the championship, with Valsecchi in second, the gap is now thirteen points, with race two winner Petrov jumping into third place a further six behind Valsecchi.

Written: Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:22:58