GP2 organisers have confirmed the long-rumoured move to merge the GP2 main European series with its GP2 Asia counterpart in 2012 following a one-off GP2 Final in November.
The six week gap between the first and second GP2 Asia rounds has prompted a variety of changes on the grid, with a total of six different drivers lining up in Dubai that didn't race in China.
The ten Formula 1 teams are rumoured to be seeking new meetings with the sport's commercial rights-holders after it emerged that a vast proposition of income is being used to service interest payments on debts.
Romain Grosjean could have finished fourth in the GP2 Asia Series feature race in Dubai, but was eventually handed victory when race-long leader Bruno Senna was cruelly denied the win by a puncture four laps from home.
Vitaly Petrov claimed his second win in GP2 - and his first in the GP2 Asia Series - after coming from 17th on the grid to triumph in a chaotic wet-dry race in front of the Formula One audience at Sepang.
Luca Filippi gave the GP2 Asia Series its second race winner by just over a tenth of a second after an incident-packed Sentul feature punctuated by two safety car periods.
The much-vaunted GP2 Asia Series finally gets underway at the Dubai Autodrome this weekend, with a mix of seasoned veterans and eager rookies all looking to make a name for themselves in the 'winter championship'.