Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Global

Abu Dhabi GP2: Vandoorne breaks Maldonado's win record in Saturday race

GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne was triumphant in his penultimate GP2 race at Yas Marina, taking over as the all-time leader in GP2 victories.

Stoffel Vandoorne, ART Grand Prix

Stoffel Vandoorne, ART Grand Prix

GP2 Series Media Service

The car of Stoffel Vandoorne, ART Grand Prix
Pierre Gasly, DAMS and Stoffel Vandoorne, ART Grand Prix
Stoffel Vandoorne, ART Grand Prix
Mitch Evans, RUSSIAN TIME
Stoffel Vandoorne, ART Grand Prix
Jordan King, Racing Engineering
GP2 Head of Media and Communications Alexa Quintin and series photographer Sam Bloxham in the reflection of the sunglasses worn by Stoffel Vandoorne, ART Grand Prix
Alex Lynn, DAMS
Nathanael Berthon, Team Lazarus

The Belgian now has 11 GP2 wins under his belt - with the previous record having stood at 10, courtesy of current F1 driver Pastor Maldonado - and has also brought his 2015 win tally to seven victories, which is another series best.

DAMS driver Pierre Gasly had reigned supreme in qualifying, but ended up maintaining an unfortunate streak in the race as he failed to convert pole into a victory for a fifth consecutive time.

Off the line, Gasly suffered serious wheelspin, but managed to keep his nose ahead of Vandoorne's ART machine and chopped the Belgian off into Turn 1, ensuring he kept the lead.

However, Vandoorne kept up with the Frenchman early on and, with DRS enabled on Lap 3, immediately attempted an overtake into Turn 11, albeit to no avail.

The next time around, he pulled off a surprise move on Gasly into the hairpin, getting DRS and then pouncing up the Frenchman's inside - with the Red Bull junior unable to respond and surrendering to Mitch Evans as well.

The following lap proved painful for Gasly, who tumbled down the order along with teammate Alex Lynn, both of them having started on options and suffering serious tyre wear.

Vandoorne, Evans and Gasly took to the pits on lap six, handing the lead to prime-tyre runner Raffaele Marciello, who shrugged off earlier contact with Jordan King.

And the virtual safety car came out as the trio were changing their tyres - as Norman Nato and Nicholas Latifi came together in the final corner.

As the race got back underway, Marciello headed the field, while Vandoorne and his chasers quickly caught up and started carving through traffic.

Neither the Belgian, nor his main rival Evans encountered much difficulty in passing through the field, but Gasly got himself stacked up behind Gustav Malja - and was passed by Alexander Rossi, who had previously pulled off an audacious move on Rio Haryanto at the VSC restart.

With six laps to go, Marciello pitted out of the lead and rejoined between Vandoorne and Evans.

However, despite Marciello being on much fresher tyres, Vandoorne managed to pick up the pace on his worn primes and held firm to win by a stellar nine seconds.

Marciello, who is believed to be leaving the Ferrari Driver Academy at the end of the year, recorded his first feature race podium of the year in second, while Evans held off Rossi to claim fourth.

Gasly finished fifth and, despite incurring a five-second penalty for speeding in the pits, would end up keeping the spot.

Jordan King held off Rio Haryanto and Lynn for sixth, while Andre Negrao and Nathanael Berthon completed the top 10.

Pos  Driver  Team Time/Gap
Stoffel Vandoorne ART Grand Prix 1h03'32.405 
Raffaele Marciello Trident 9.404
Mitch Evans RUSSIAN TIME 10.327
Alexander Rossi Racing Engineering 12.105
Pierre Gasly DAMS 22.621
Jordan King Racing Engineering 25.817
Rio Haryanto Campos Racing 26.406
Alex Lynn DAMS 26.988
Andre Negrao Arden International 30.412
10  Nathanael Berthon Daiko Team Lazarus 36.974
11  Nobuharu Matsushita ART Grand Prix 41.939
12  Sergio Canamasas Daiko Team Lazarus 43.105
13  Sergey Sirotkin Rapax 44.058
14  Rene Binder MP Motorsport 45.982
15  Oliver Rowland Status Grand Prix 54.566
16  Gustav Malja Rapax 1'00.592
17  Arthur Pic Campos Racing 1'02.596
18  Marlon Stockinger Status Grand Prix 1'20.398
Ret Sean Gelael Carlin  
Ret Dean Stoneman Carlin  
Ret Daniel de Jong Trident  
Ret Artem Markelov RUSSIAN TIME  
Ret Norman Nato Arden International  
Ret Nicholas Latifi MP Motorsport  

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Abu Dhabi GP2: Gasly defeats Vandoorne to claim third pole
Next article Alexander Rossi is 2015 GP2 Series Vice Champion

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Global