Having been the scene of two of the most exciting rounds of the inaugural GP2 Series, the championship returns to the Nurburgring full of expectation this weekend.
With four races and four different winners so far this season, including new faces Michael Ammermuller and Ernesto Viso, the series already looks set for another ultra-competitive year, with other pre-season favourites, such as ART duo Alex Premat and
Lewis Hamilton and Arden's Nicolas Lapierre, yet to stand on the top step of the podium.
They used to call the Nurburgring 'the Green Hell' back in the days when the Nordschleife stretched to almost 23km but, at just 5.148km, the modern 'ring holds less fear
than the behemoth from which it was born, even if it still demands both respect and a modicum of ability to conquer.
Last year, the circuit played host to two of GP2's best races, with
Heikki Kovalainen making full use of some cunning Arden International tactics and slick pit-work to win from 17th on the grid on Saturday, while race two brought plaudits from everyone who had sat open-mouthed, glued to the television screens. Clivio Piccione eventually took victory in what was easily the race of the year. The final nine laps of the race saw the lead six cars swarm all over each other, with position changing corner by corner. Adam Carroll - from 22nd on the grid - and Nelson Piquet Jr completed the podium, and all three return this weekend.
Piquet comes back as early leader of drivers’ championship table, having accrued 25 points by scoring in every race thus far. The Brazilian, who chased Viso home in race two at Imola last time out, will be hoping to continue his run of form this weekend, but also look to avoid the sort of problems that robbed him of a podium finish in the feature race in Italy.
