GP2 news
Maldonado wins exciting second race at Spa
07 September 2008 / Results / PhotosPastor Maldonado won the sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday morning as the Piquet Sports driver from Venezuela overtook Jerome d'Ambrosio with just one lap to go. D'Ambrosio finished second in front of his home crowd and was joined by Vitaly Petrov on the podium as the Russian finished third.
Once again the rain came with the drivers sitting on the grid, but after a few anxious moments the entire field decided to risk taking the start on slicks as the rain let up. Polesitter d'Ambrosio made a conservative start but did just enough to hold on to the lead into La Source while fellow front row man Mike Conway was very slow, allowing much of the grid through led by Andy Soucek and Sébastien Buemi.
Further back Luca Filippi and Lucas di Grassi made incredible starts from 19th and 20th respectively, finishing the first lap either side of championship challenger Bruno Senna in 10th and 12th places and looking hungry for more. The trio were running like a train through their rivals, all the while swapping positions as they went, while up ahead Maldonado easily dispatched Buemi and Vitaly Petrov to put himself on the back of Soucek when impacts with the wall on lap 5 by Conway, Alberto Valerio and Alvaro Parente brought out the safety car to calm everyone down.
Unfortunately it failed to have the desired effect: with the race about to go live once again the grid contracted and Filippi went wide to avoid Senna at the bus stop, with di Grassi and Kamui Kobayashi sneaking past on the inside before the line but Diego Nunes completely caught out by the others and clattering into the Italian at the final corner. D'Ambrosio had the restart under control but yesterday's race winner Romain Grosjean looked to take advantage of a slow Buemi restart with the old rivals running side by side until the Frenchman touched the kerb and wobbled: Senna had a look on his outside but locked up at the end of Blanchimont and spun, forcing the Brazilian into the pits and retirement.
Maldonado and Soucek were having an almighty battle for second, banging wheels but leaving just enough space for each other all the way round the track. With 2 laps remaining the rain returned slightly, and when Soucek touched the white line and was thrown off track it was a miserable end to a spectacular drive but left the path open for the move on d'Ambrosio and the win, with Petrov absorbing extreme pressure from Buemi late in the race to hold on for third. Di Grassi kept his head to hold on for fifth place, some small reward for yesterday's disappointments and which also handed Campos the lead in the team's championship, while Kobayashi pipped Davide Valsecchi for the final point after the Italian made a spectacular return after his enormous accident of yesterday.
With the driver's championship unchanged at the top Giorgio Pantano leads Senna by 11 points going into the final round at his home circuit of Monza, a happy hunting ground over the years for the Italian, while Grosjean and di Grassi are all square seven points behind Senna on 53 points. With four drivers mathematically in contention, and GP2's reputation for throwing up the unexpected, the Italian round of the championship promises to be unmissable.
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