2013 Sepang GP2 Series round
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The 2013 Sepang GP2 Series round was a pair of motor races held on 23 and 24 March 2013 at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malaysia as part of the one-make single seater GP2 Series. It was the first round of the 2013 GP2 Series and was run in support of the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix. The first event, a 30-lap feature race, was won by Racing Engineering driver Fabio Leimer from a fourth position start. James Calado finished second for ART Grand Prix and Rapax's Stefano Coletti took third. Coletti won the 22-lap sprint race held the following day. Carlin's Felipe Nasr took second and Mitch Evans of Arden International was third.
Round details | |||
---|---|---|---|
Round 1 of 11 rounds in the 2013 GP2 Series | |||
Layout of the Sepang International Circuit | |||
Location | Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malaysia | ||
Course |
Permanent racing facility 5.543 km (3.444 mi) | ||
Feature race | |||
Date | 23 March 2013 | ||
Laps | 30 | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Stefano Coletti | Rapax | |
Time | 1:44.280 | ||
Podium | |||
First | Fabio Leimer | Racing Engineering | |
Second | James Calado | ART Grand Prix | |
Third | Stefano Coletti | Rapax | |
Fastest lap | |||
Driver | Sam Bird | Russian Time | |
Time | 1:48.777 (on lap 16) | ||
Sprint race | |||
Date | 24 March 2013 | ||
Laps | 22 | ||
Podium | |||
First | Stefano Coletti | Rapax | |
Second | Felipe Nasr | Carlin | |
Third | Mitch Evans | Arden International | |
Fastest lap | |||
Driver | Stefano Coletti | Rapax | |
Time | 1:50.253 (on lap 5) |
Coletti won the first pole position of his career in the GP2 Series by posing the fastest lap in qualifying and he led the race until he made a pit stop for the hard compound tyres at the conclusion of lap six following pressure by Leimer. Coletti retook the lead after all drivers made their pit stops but he lost the position to Leimer on lap 25 because of tyre degradation. Leimer held the lead for the rest of the race to achieve his first victory in the GP2 Series since the 2011 Catalunya sprint race and the third of his career. Stéphane Richelmi began the sprint race from pole position but he lost the lead to Coletti at the second corner on the first lap. Although Nasr caught him in the closing laps, Coletti kept the lead to take his third GP2 Series career win.
The results of the first round of the season gave Coletti the early lead in the Drivers' Championship with 36 points and Leimer's victory in the feature race put him eleven points behind in second. Nasr was third and Calado fourth. In the Teams' Championship, Rapax took the lead with 42 points, 7 points ahead of Racing Engineering in second. Carlin in third were a further three points behind with ten rounds left in the season.