Pirelli to reward best GP3 graduates racing in 2011 GP2 Final

As announced by the Series organizers on Tuesday, after the 2011 GP2 Series™ current season concludes in Monza on September 10-11, Yas Marina Circuit will host a single event on November 12-13, called the 2011 GP2 Final which will take place alongside the penultimate Formula One™ Grand Prix of the season. All thirteen GP2 Series teams will take part of this unique race weekend event. On this occasion, the Series sole tire supplier Pirelli will reward the two highest finishing GP3 Series graduates that decide to compete in Abu Dhabi at the wheel of a GP2/11 car for this stand alone event.

In order to qualify for this prize money offered by the Italian manufacturer, GP3 graduates will have to finish in the points in the feature race and/or sprint race. Out of twenty-six racers, only the top eight drivers get points in the feature race while just the top six are granted points in the sprint race. The best of the GP3 points finishing drivers will be rewarded 15,000 Euros whilst the second highest will receive 10,000 Euros.

There will be two GP2 Series post-season test sessions after the 2011 season wraps up in Monza. The first one will be held in Jerez de la Frontera on September 28-29 followed by a second test on October 19-20 in Barcelona. The twenty-six cars will then be shipped to Abu Dhabi for the 2011 GP2 Final the following month.

GP2 Series CEO Bruno Michel said: “The 2011 GP2 Final is the perfect opportunity for young drivers and among them GP3 racers to have their first taste of a GP2 race weekend, and prove their worth in front of the F1™ paddock and the rest of the GP2 field. The fact that our official partner Pirelli offers prize money to the two best points finishing GP3 graduates will most definitely spice things up even more. It will be interesting to see who will be the next generation of young guns fighting in GP2 Series™ in 2012 or the coming years."

Pirelli’s Racing Manager Mario Isola commented: “One of our key priorities at Pirelli is giving opportunities to young and talented drivers. Our first initiative was the WRC Pirelli Star Driver Award which was aimed to support up-and-coming rally stars from 2008 to 2010 and then evolved in the Pirelli-backed WRC Academy this year. Likewise, we are delighted to be so closely involved in shaping the Formula One champions of the future. The Pirelli GP3 Award goes in this direction and aims to award those GP3 graduates who have distinguished themselves in many ways, including how they manage their new P Zero tires which are quite tricky because of their variable durability features. Pirelli is strongly committed to closely working together with organizers and teams and keep backing drivers in these highly competitive championships, especially GP3 that, notwithstanding its short existence, has already proved to be a must to move further up in the ladder of motorsport."