Auto GP to feature longer Race 2 with pit-stop in 2012

At the Auto GP Headquarters everybody is working at full steam to prepare an amazing 2012 season: for the first time in its history the Championship will travel outside Europe to hold rounds in Brazil and USA, becoming the only one-make Series to do so. Anyway, the intercontinental calendar won't be the only bit of news for next year: the aim of Auto GP Organization is to hold a Championship that, while maintaining the strong points of the first two editions, will improve both the show on track and its peculiarities as the best learning tool for talents who are aiming to GP2 and F1.

With those objectives in mind, Auto GP has decided to make some changes to its sporting regulations, meaning some major news concerning the second race of each weekend. In 2012, Race 2 will be extended to match the same mileage of Race 1 and will see the introduction of a mandatory pit-stop, as it already happens in Race 1, giving the teams the chance to try different race strategies in the Sunday race also.

No changes will be made to the starting order of the second race, that will still feature the reversed grid of the top 8 finishers from Race 1. That's the reason why the points system will still feature a reduced allocation for it compared to Saturday's Main Race.

Enzo Coloni: "Nowadays the pit-stop is often a race decider both in F1 and GP2, so we think that doubling up the chances to cope with it we are providing our drivers an even better package. It's a further boost for a Championship that already has a leading role as the best training ground for the young guns that want to prepare themselves for top-notch motorsport.

Besides this, bringing strategy into Race 2 we are giving teams and drivers a powerful weapon to overcome the odds, like for example starting from the back of the grid after an unlucky Race 1. Until today that would have meant a ruined weekend, now with the pit-stop and some clever tactics they could be able to recover and get a good result".