Despite only being a single-race weekend, the GP2 series heads for its biggest event of the year as it supports the Monaco Grand Prix around the streets of the Principality.
Round five of the season arrives with a tight battle emerging at the head of the championship, but provides the sort of uncertainty that could make or break a season for those involved.
Salvaging something in Spain after a disappointing round at Imola, Nelson Piquet Jr continues to lead the standings on 39 points, now two ahead of closest rival
Lewis Hamilton, who saw his chances of moving ahead of the Brazilian scuppered by a yellow flag infringement in Barcelona qualifying and then a rude nerf from ART team-mate Alex Premat while leading the feature race. The Briton, however, knows what it takes to win around the streets of Monaco, having dominated the F3 Euroseries double-header there a year ago.
Ten points adrift of Hamilton, Premat's victory at the Circuit de Catalunya helped move him into third in the championship, but the Frenchman has just as much pressure building behind him as fellow Barcelona race winner Ernesto Viso lies fourth on 26 points, Nicolas Lapierre fifth on 25 and Michael Ammermuller sixth on 23.
In the fight for the teams’ championship, ART Grand Prix leads the way on 64 points, ahead of Arden International on 48. Piquet Sports lies third on 43, with Viso's iSport International on 32, newcomers Trident Racing on 20 and BCN Competicion on 14 points. However, a lot could change on the outcome of just one race this weekend.
The streets of Monaco form one of the greatest tests in modern motorsport, with
Formula One continuing to challenge itself in the Principality for the 64th time. GP2, of course, has but one year of history there, but already knows what it takes to master a circuit which has remained relatively unchanged since it was first used to hold motor races.
