Home Formula 2 GP2 confirms 2013 calendar

GP2 confirms 2013 calendar

by Valentin Khorounzhiy

The 2013 season of the GP3 series will evidently consist of eleven rounds, which is one less than was held this year. During the year, the series will visit seven European and four Asian circuits, with Yas Marina notably hosting the final round of the season.

The calendar for the series, at the moment, is:

March 22-24 ? Sepang (Malaysia)

April 19-21 ?? Bahrain International Circuit (Bahrain)

May 10-12 ?? Catalunya (Spain)

May 24-24 ?? Circuit de Monaco (Monaco)

June 28-30 ?? Silverstone (Great Britain)

July 5-7 ?? Nurburgring (Germany)

July 26-28 ?? Hungaroring (Hungary)

August 23-25 ?? Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)

September 6-8 ?? Monza (Italy)

September 20-22 ?? Marina Bay (Singapore)

November 1-3 ?? Yas Marina (United Arab Emirates)

Every round will be held as a support event to a Formula One Grand Prix, which means the second, standalone Bahrain round from 2012 has been dropped. The round at Valencia has been replaced with the Yas Marina round.

Series CEO Bruno Michel commented in the official release: “2013 will be another strong season for GP2. We have decided to keep the prestigious tracks outside of Europe, starting with Sepang and Sakhir, two venues which provided some heart-stopping action last season. We are also returning to Singapore in September for the second time of the Series? history. I am very pleased to be closing the season in Abu Dhabi: we have been to that track several times with GP2 Asia and raced there last time in November 2011 with our latest generation car.

“Added to these four overseas events, we will be racing alongside F1 in all seven European rounds which brings a total of eleven F1 tracks on our calendar again next season. Since the Series started in 2005, we have always provided the drivers with a car close to F1 in performance and used the same tyres. This package guarantees the GP2 drivers to gain the ultimate and most-needed experience to graduate to the next category. Our sole goal has always been and will continue to remain to prepare the next generation of F1 drivers. I believe that?s exactly what we will see again in 2013 and I am really looking forward to next season.”

The series has also announced the dates of its pre-season testing events:

February 26-28 ? Jerez (Spain)

March 5-7 ? Catalunya (Spain)