Although it may have appeared unlikely at various points during the season, the GP2 Series finds itself with another nail-biting climax as it winds down at Valencia's Circuit Ricardo Tormo this weekend.
After the head-to-heads between
Nico Rosberg and
Heikki Kovalainen in 2005 and
Lewis Hamilton and
Nelson Piquet Jr last year,
Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi head to the finale split by just two points after the German suffered another of his regular 'nightmare' weekends in Belgium a fortnight ago. The previous showdowns were held at Bahrain and Monza respectively, but this year's combatants have to contend with the tighter confines of Valencia, where the 2006 season kicked off in similar stand-alone fashion - and where one simple mistake could mean the difference between lifting the title and finishing in a heart-breaking second position.
Either driver will feel that he could lift the title this weekend, despite having arrived at the finale after very different seasons. While Glock has lived by the sword, being a regular contender for wins but equally likely to end his race on the sidelines, di Grassi has been the quiet man, plugging away and racking up consistent results, but with just one win to show for his efforts.
However, with just 20 points left to play for, and such a small margin for error between them, tactics and season strategies will be left to one side. Now it's an out-and-out battle for glory. Both drivers have previous experience of Valencia, having raced there in 2006, and it could all come down to luck, with the closeness of the field determining qualifying fortunes and negotiating the sinuous Ricardo Tormo layout providing its own pitfalls during the two races over the weekend.
