“It's always better if you are leading going into a championship showdown, but I'm not too worried even if I have lost the lead," the Finn claims, "We just had an unlucky weekend at Spa. The gap is still only three points, so I think we have everything to play for - and I'm still confident we are still going to win it.
"I'm only looking for victory from Bahrain - nothing else. With the great team I have behind me, I’m confident we will be right at the front, fighting for victory and, of course, the championship.”
The GP2 Series’ first 'stand-alone' event, after supporting the nine European
Formula One rounds this summer, will feature a slightly revised format, giving the 24 drivers two half-hour qualifying sessions instead of one, albeit at the cost of the traditional free practice session that has featured at every round so far. The two sessions will, in effect, act as one, as each driver stands a chance of his best time from either session qualifying him for pole position for Thursday's feature race - and the two-point bonus it carries.
In order to squeeze the finale into the two-day Bahrain weekend - Thursday and Friday - the first race will also run on the same day as qualifying, covering 34 laps of the desert circuit, while Friday's 23-lap sprint event will be preceded by a 20-minute warm-up session.
Of course, the title contenders will not only have the tricky Bahrain circuit, and the expected hot conditions, to deal with, but also 22 rivals hungry for one last taste of champagne.
Scott Speed is perhaps the most ravenous driver still on the grid, having occupied third place for most of the season, yet still not taken a race win. The American looks pretty secure in third overall but, especially after a disappointing A1 Grand Prix debut last weekend, will feel he has a point to prove in Bahrain.
![GP2 title rivals Heikki Kovalainen (Arden) and Nico Rosberg (ART) square up in Bahrain [Pic credit: GP2 Media]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/175071.jpg)
