GP2: Vietoris Wins As Maldonado Claims Title

Formula 1

GP2: Vietoris Wins As Maldonado Claims Title

A rough race in Monza couldn't stop Pastor Maldonado from clinching the 2010 GP2 Series championship...

SPEED Staff | Posted September 13, 2010 Monza (ITA)

Pastor Maldonado celebrates winning the 2010 GP2 Series title at Monza. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Christian Vietoris captured his first main series win with a storming start that caught his rivals napping, and a controlled drive thereafter under extreme pressure, to greet the checkered flag ahead of Jerome d’Ambrosio and Sam Bird, while Pastor Maldonado failed to finish but nevertheless claimed the 2010 GP2 driver’s championship at Monza.

The victory was set up as the lights went out: With the front row starters very slow to get away, Vietoris made a flyer and threaded the needle to lead the field into the first turn before tearing away into the distance. Adrian Zaugg also made a good getaway but was unable to find a way through, dropping back as Jerome d’Ambrosio went wide around everyone to slot into second behind the German.

Further back the championship looked to be over when Sergio Perez braked heavily and ran wide through the gravel at the Parabolica, with Pastor Maldonado two cars back seemingly following in his rival’s tracks. The Mexican held on to narrowly miss the wall and find his way back onto circuit, but the Venezuelan was less lucky and found the wall for the third time in the weekend.

Sam Bird was looking to cap off his best weekend of the season in style as a sharp getaway had him up to fourth on the road from eighth on the grid, and he quickly dispatched pole winner Max Chilton at the first chicane next time through for a podium spot. Jules Bianchi found his way by Chilton two laps later, but he didn’t seem to have the pace of his teammate in race conditions, dropping time while Bird ran a string of fastest laps to catch up to the leading pair.

The Englishman soon caught up to d’Ambrosio, but the nature of the fast flowing circuit meant there was little chance of a pass unless someone made a mistake. With the top three running nose to tail for the remainder of the race, Vietoris held on for the win one second ahead of d’Ambrosio, who took second by just one tenth over Bird. Bianchi solidified third in the championship with another points finish for fourth, with Chilton hanging on for fifth against race long pressure from Oliver Turvey.

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But with Perez unable to improve on 13th position, the championship finally belonged to Maldonado, who celebrated with his team in the pits as the checkered flag dropped for his rivals.

"I’m very happy now," Maldonado said. "We worked very hard to finally win the championship, and for sure it’s special to win here in Monza because the team is from Italy and it feels like my home. I’m very happy with the hard work we’ve done this season; it was so competitive, and it’s great to win six races so far, and I hope we are competitive still in Abu Dhabi."

The Venezuelan takes his place in history alongside Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Timo Glock, Giorgio Pantano and Nico Hülkenberg as a GP2 champion.