The 2006 GP2 Series season was the second season of the Formula One feeder championship GP2 Series. The season began at Circuit de Valencia, Spain on 8 April 2006 and ended in Monza, Italy on 10 September 2006. The championship was won by ART Grand Prix driver Lewis Hamilton, over Piquet Sports driver Nelson Piquet Jr.

2006 GP2 car modifications

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Chassis

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The 2006 specification GP2 Car was designed by Dallara Automobili. The 2006 GP2 car featured a biplane rear wing, with the triplane rear wing used in 2005 only to be used at the Monaco race. The front upper and lower wishbones were reinforced, as were the front and rear suspension uprights.

Engine

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The 4 litre V8 engine featured internal, cartographic and software upgrades designed to improve performance and fuel consumption.

Gearbox

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The 2006 gearbox was manufactured by GearTek, and featured an 8 position barrel, with ratchet body and software upgrades, as well as a new transverse shafts fixing system designed to facilitate improved gear selection.

Tyres

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The tyres supplied by Bridgestone for the 2006 season were full-slick, not featuring the four-line grooved slick seen in the 2005 season. Bridgestone supplied a soft, medium, and hard compound tyre, with the tyre choice being made by Bridgestone and the GP2 Series prior to each event. The wet specification tyre remained the same as 2005.

Other parts

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Brembo supplied a new development of monobloc brake calipers and disc bells, which were exclusive to GP2. The car also featured internal cooling upgrades, a new water radiator, radiator duct, oil and water heat exchanger, modified oil degasser, new oil and water pipes and new heat exchanger fixing brackets.

Sporting regulations changes

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The only change to the sporting regulations for the 2006 season was that drivers would only be awarded a single point for fastest lap in a race, rather than the two points that were awarded in 2005.[citation needed] The driver also had to start the race from his allocated grid position to be eligible to claim the fastest lap.

Season summary

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Nelson Piquet Jr. won the first race at Valencia ahead of two rookies, Lewis Hamilton and Adrián Vallés. The latter failed to score in the rest of the season apart from one point for fastest lap at Barcelona. In a sprint race, Vallés was involved in a collision with Adam Carroll who rolled multiple times. The sprint race was won by Michael Ammermüller who had promising start to the season but failed to score during last six weekends.

Gianmaria Bruni and Ernesto Viso then shared victories at Imola, where Hamilton failed to score, after being black-flagged in the feature race and therefore starting the sprint race from back of the grid. Hamilton won both races at Nürburgring, after Piquet took pole position but had a big crash following car failure in the feature race. He also failed to score in the sprint.

Hamilton was on course to win feature race at Barcelona, but he collided with his teammate Alexandre Prémat on the last lap. The Frenchman went on to win with Hamilton second. Viso took his second victory of the season by winning the sprint. Hamilton then won three races in a row, including at Monaco where Nicolas Lapierre and Olivier Pla were injured and did not start. At his home circuit in Silverstone, Hamilton won the feature and then the sprint, where he overtook Clivio Piccione and Piquet in one move.

There were few notable driver changes during the early season. Giorgio Pantano returned to the series with after missing the first three rounds and Timo Glock moved from BCN to iSport between the Monaco and British rounds. Both were serious contenders for race wins for the rest of the season and they shared victories at Magny-Cours. Glock also won at Hockenheim after overtaking José María López on the final lap.

At this point, Hamilton had a 26-point lead over Piquet, but the Brazilian bounced back with a perfect weekend at Hungary, taking pole, two wins and two fastest laps. Hamilton spun in qualifying and started the feature race from back of the grid. He failed to score there but took second place in the wet Sunday sprint.

Piquet's form continued in Turkey, where he won the feature race from pole. Hamilton was second, and in the sprint, he recovered from an early spin to take second place, while Piquet had to settle for fifth. Andreas Zuber took advantage of his front row starting position and won the race.

Hamilton led by ten points before final weekend in Monza. Piquet cut the lead to eight by taking pole. Pantano beat both of them in the feature race and set the fastest lap as well. Piquet finished second and Hamilton third, meaning that the championship would be decided in final race. However, Pantano was deemed to have ignored yellow flags on his fastest lap so that time was disallowed, giving a point to Hamilton who now clinched the title. Pantano made a fantastic start in the sprint and went from 8th to 1st before first corner, and went on to win the race. Hamilton followed and took 2nd, beating Piquet by 12 points in the end.

Teams and drivers

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All of the teams used the Dallara GP2/05 chassis with Renault-badged 4.0 litre (244 cu in) naturally-aspirated Mecachrome V8 engines order and with tyres supplied by Bridgestone.

Team No. Driver name Rounds
  ART Grand Prix 1   Alexandre Prémat All
2   Lewis Hamilton All
  Arden International Ltd[a] 3   Michael Ammermüller All
4   Nicolas Lapierre 1–5, 8–11
  Neel Jani 6–7
  Super Nova International 5   José María López All
6   Fairuz Fauzy All
  iSport International 7   Ernesto Viso All
8   Tristan Gommendy 1–5
  Timo Glock 6–11
  Racing Engineering 9   Adam Carroll All
10   Javier Villa All
  Piquet Sports 11   Nelson Piquet Jr. All
12   Alexandre Negrão All
  DAMS 14   Ferdinando Monfardini All
15   Franck Perera All
  FMS International (1–2)
  Petrol Ofisi FMS International (3–11)
16   Luca Filippi 1–3
  Giorgio Pantano 4–11
17   Jason Tahinci All
  BCN Competición 18   Hiroki Yoshimoto All
19   Timo Glock 1–5
  Luca Filippi 6–11
  DPR (1–2, 8–11)
  DPR Direxiv (3–7)
20   Olivier Pla 1–5, 7
  Mike Conway 6
  Vitaly Petrov 8–11
21   Clivio Piccione All
  Durango 22   Lucas di Grassi All
23   Sergio Hernández All
  Campos Racing 24   Adrián Vallés All
25   Félix Porteiro All
  Trident Racing 26   Gianmaria Bruni All
27   Andreas Zuber[b] All

Driver changes

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Changed Teams
Entering GP2
Leaving GP2

Midseason changes

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Calendar

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Round Location Circuit Date Supporting
1 F   Cheste, Spain Circuit de Valencia 8 April Spanish F3 Championship
S 9 April
2 F   Imola, Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari 22 April San Marino Grand Prix
S 23 April
3 F   Nürburg, Germany Nürburgring 6 May European Grand Prix
S 7 May
4 F   Montmeló, Spain Circuit de Catalunya 13 May Spanish Grand Prix
S 14 May
5 F   Monaco Circuit de Monaco 27 May Monaco Grand Prix
6 F   Silverstone, Great Britain Silverstone Circuit 10 June British Grand Prix
S 11 June
7 F   Magny-Cours, France Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours 15 July French Grand Prix
S 16 July
8 F   Hockenheim, Germany Hockenheimring 29 July German Grand Prix
S 30 July
9 F   Mogyoród, Hungary Hungaroring 5 August Hungarian Grand Prix
S 6 August
10 F   Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul Park 26 August Turkish Grand Prix
S 27 August
11 F   Monza, Italy Autodromo Nazionale Monza 9 September Italian Grand Prix
S 10 September

The following rounds were included on the provisional calendars published by the FIA but were cancelled:

Round Location Circuit Date Supporting
F   Stavelot, Belgium Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps 16 September Belgian Grand Prix
S 17 September

February 2006, the FIA announced the GP2 Spa round would not be part of the 2006 GP2 Season, since the local authorities had started major repair work in Spa-Francorchamps.[1]

Results

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Round Circuit Pole Position Fastest Lap[2] Winning Driver Winning Team Report
1 F   Circuit de Valencia   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Nicolas Lapierre   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Piquet Sports Report
S   Andreas Zuber[c]   Michael Ammermüller   Arden International Ltd
2 F   Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari   Gianmaria Bruni   Adrián Vallés[d]   Gianmaria Bruni   Trident Racing Report
S   Ernesto Viso   Ernesto Viso   iSport International
3 F   Nürburgring   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Lewis Hamilton   Lewis Hamilton   ART Grand Prix Report
S   Alexandre Prémat[e]   Lewis Hamilton   ART Grand Prix
4 F   Circuit de Catalunya   Nelson Piquet Jr.[f]   Adrián Vallés   Alexandre Prémat   ART Grand Prix Report
S   Gianmaria Bruni   Ernesto Viso   iSport International
5 F   Circuit de Monaco   Lewis Hamilton   Lucas di Grassi   Lewis Hamilton   ART Grand Prix Report
6 F   Silverstone Circuit   Adam Carroll   Lewis Hamilton   Lewis Hamilton   ART Grand Prix Report
S   Lewis Hamilton   Lewis Hamilton   ART Grand Prix
7 F   Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours   José María López   Lewis Hamilton   Timo Glock   iSport International Report
S   José María López[g]   Giorgio Pantano   Petrol Ofisi FMS International
8 F   Hockenheimring   Gianmaria Bruni   Alexandre Prémat   Gianmaria Bruni   Trident Racing Report
S   Lucas di Grassi[h]   Timo Glock   iSport International
9 F   Hungaroring   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Piquet Sports Report
S   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Piquet Sports
10 F   Istanbul Racing Circuit   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Piquet Sports Report
S   Lewis Hamilton   Andreas Zuber   Trident Racing
11 F   Autodromo Nazionale Monza   Nelson Piquet Jr.   Lewis Hamilton   Giorgio Pantano   Petrol Ofisi FMS International Report
S   Lewis Hamilton   Giorgio Pantano   Petrol Ofisi FMS International

Championship standings

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Scoring system

Points are awarded to the top 8 classified finishers in the Feature race, and to the top 6 classified finishers in the Sprint race. The pole-sitter in the feature race will also receive two points, and one point is given to the driver who set the fastest lap in the feature and sprint races. The driver also had to start the race from his allocated grid position to be eligible to claim the fastest lap and has to drive 90% of race laps. No extra points are awarded to the pole-sitter in the sprint race.

Feature race points
Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   Pole   FL 
Points 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 1
Sprint race points

Points are awarded to the top 6 classified finishers.

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   FL 
Points 6 5 4 3 2 1 1

Drivers' Championship

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Pos Driver VAL
 
IMO
 
NÜR
 
CAT
 
MON
 
SIL
 
MAG
 
HOC
 
HUN
 
IST
 
MNZ
 
Points
1   Lewis Hamilton 2 6 DSQ 10 1 1 2 4 1 1 1 19 5 2 3 10 2 2 2 3 2 114
2   Nelson Piquet Jr. 1 4 5 2 Ret 19† 4 2 12† 4 5 4 2 13† DNS 1 1 1 5 2 6 102
3   Alexandre Prémat 9 Ret 4 Ret 2 17 1 3 3 6 Ret 2 3 19 Ret 6 3 3 7 5 Ret 66
4   Timo Glock 16 8 7 4 17 Ret 11 10 Ret 2 6 1 4 3 1 2 5 4 4 Ret DNS 58
5   Giorgio Pantano 9 7 Ret 5 4 6 1 5 5 3 13 Ret Ret 1 1 44
6   Ernesto Viso 8 2 6 1 6 11 8 1 Ret Ret 8 10 Ret 4 4 4 4 Ret 13 Ret 8 42
7   Gianmaria Bruni 6 5 1 Ret Ret 16 Ret 17 Ret Ret 15 Ret Ret 1 6 Ret 8 Ret 15 Ret 9 33
8   Adam Carroll 14 Ret Ret 12 3 5 10 12 Ret 3 2 20 14 6 8 7 Ret 6 3 Ret Ret 33
9   Nicolas Lapierre 4 3 3 7 5 2 Ret Ret Ret 20 7 Ret Ret 14 6 6 4 32
10   José María López 5 Ret Ret 19† 4 3 Ret Ret NC Ret 14 3 Ret 7 2 8 Ret 9 11 Ret Ret 30
11   Michael Ammermüller 7 1 2 Ret 10 6 3 8 7 Ret Ret 12 8 9 Ret Ret 11 13 Ret 12 Ret 25
12   Clivio Piccione Ret Ret Ret 16 11 8 16† Ret 4 7 3 13 Ret 8 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 7 3 18
13   Alexandre Negrão 13 7 Ret 11 7 7 7 18 Ret Ret 12 5 Ret 16 9 5 Ret 8 Ret Ret Ret 13
14   Andreas Zuber Ret 13 Ret 8 14 Ret Ret 11 5 Ret Ret Ret 18 Ret 14 14 9 7 1 Ret NC 12
15   Hiroki Yoshimoto Ret 12 8 3 8 4 Ret Ret Ret Ret 17† 9 Ret 23† Ret Ret Ret Ret 19 8 5 12
16   Franck Perera 11 14 Ret 14 Ret 15 13 Ret 2 Ret 10 Ret 12 14 11 9 Ret 12 8 15† 15† 8
17   Lucas di Grassi 17 16† Ret Ret 18 13 12 9 11 Ret EX 7 6 DNS Ret 13 Ret 5 9 10 14 8
18   Adrián Vallés 3 Ret 9 Ret Ret 14 18 16 Ret 9 Ret 15 13 18 Ret Ret 7 Ret 14 Ret 11 7
19   Luca Filippi Ret Ret 11 5 Ret Ret Ret 9 Ret Ret 21 16 12 Ret 10 Ret 4 7 7
20   Tristan Gommendy Ret 11 Ret 17 13 12 5 5 Ret 6
21   Ferdinando Monfardini 12 Ret 12 9 Ret 10 6 6 9 Ret DNS 8 Ret Ret 12 11 6 18† 12 Ret Ret 6
22   Félix Porteiro Ret Ret 10 6 16 Ret 17 Ret 6 8 DSQ 18 10 12 18 Ret 12 19† Ret Ret NC 5
23   Sergio Hernández Ret DNS Ret 13 12 Ret Ret 13 8 10 EX 14 11 10 NC Ret Ret 11 10 13 Ret 1
24   Fairuz Fauzy 15 10 Ret 15 19 9 Ret 14 10 12 7 Ret 15 22 10 16 Ret Ret Ret 14 10 0
25   Neel Jani NC Ret 11 7 0
26   Javier Villa 18 9 13 18 9 20 14 15 Ret 14 13 17 16 11 13 Ret 15† 15 16 9 Ret 0
27   Olivier Pla 10 15 Ret 20† 15 Ret DSQ 20 Ret 16 9 0
28   Vitaly Petrov 15 15 15 10 16 18 Ret 12 0
29   Mike Conway 11 11 0
30   Jason Tahinci DNS Ret Ret Ret DSQ 18 15 19 Ret 13 16 Ret 17 17 17 Ret 14 17 17 11 13 0
Pos Driver VAL
 
IMO
 
NÜR
 
CAT
 
MON
 
SIL
 
MAG
 
HOC
 
HUN
 
IST
 
MNZ
 
Points
Key
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green Other points position
Blue Other classified position
Not classified, finished (NC)
Purple Not classified, retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Excluded (EX)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Withdrawn (WD)
Text formatting Meaning
Bold Pole position point(s)
Italics Fastest lap point(s)

Notes:

  • Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed more than 90% of the race distance.
  • Lewis Hamilton was disqualified during the first race at Imola for passing the safety car. Team ART Grand Prix's statement on this is that he was following the Campos Racing cars which led him past the car.[7]
  • Olivier Pla was disqualified in Montmeló from 8th place for car being under weight limit.
  • Durango cars were excluded from second Silverstone race for illegal rear wing which caused di Grassi's accident in first race.
  • Felix Porteiro was disqualified from 2nd place in Silverstone sprint race for illegal position of steering rack.

Teams' Championship

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Pos Team Car
No.
VAL
 
IMO
 
NÜR
 
CAT
 
MON
 
SIL
 
MAG
 
HOC
 
HUN
 
IST
 
MNZ
 
Points
1   ART Grand Prix 1 9 Ret 4 Ret 2 17 1 3 3 6 Ret 2 3 19 Ret 6 3 3 7 5 Ret 180
2 2 6 DSQ 10 1 1 2 4 1 1 1 19 5 2 3 10 2 2 2 3 2
2   Piquet Sports 11 1 4 5 2 Ret 19† 4 2 12† 4 5 4 2 13† DNS 1 1 1 5 2 6 115
12 13 7 Ret 11 7 7 7 18 Ret Ret 12 5 Ret 16 9 5 Ret 8 Ret Ret Ret
3   iSport International 7 8 2 6 1 6 11 8 1 Ret Ret 8 10 Ret 4 4 4 4 Ret 13 Ret 10 101
8 Ret 11 Ret 17 13 12 5 5 Ret 2 6 1 4 3 1 2 5 4 4 Ret DNS
4   Arden International Ltd 3 7 1 2 Ret 10 6 3 8 7 Ret Ret 12 8 9 Ret Ret 11 13 Ret 12 Ret 57
4 4 3 3 7 5 2 Ret Ret Ret NC Ret 11 7 20 7 Ret Ret 14 6 6 4
5   FMS International (1–2)
  Petrol Ofisi FMS International (3–11)
16 Ret Ret 11 5 Ret Ret 9 7 Ret 5 4 6 1 5 5 3 13 Ret Ret 1 1 46
17 DNS Ret Ret Ret DSQ 18 15 19 Ret 13 16 Ret 17 17 17 Ret 14 17 17 11 13
6   Trident Racing 26 6 5 1 Ret Ret 16 Ret 17 Ret Ret 15 Ret Ret 1 6 Ret 8 Ret 15 Ret 9 45
27 Ret 13 Ret 8 14 Ret Ret 11 5 Ret Ret Ret 18 Ret 14 14 9 7 1 Ret NC
7   Racing Engineering 9 14 Ret Ret 12 3 5 10 12 Ret 3 2 20 14 6 8 7 Ret 6 3 Ret Ret 33
10 18 9 13 18 9 20 14 15 Ret 14 13 17 16 11 13 Ret 15† 15 16 9 Ret
8   Super Nova International 5 5 Ret Ret 19† 4 3 Ret Ret NC Ret 14 3 Ret 7 2 8 Ret 9 11 Ret Ret 30
6 15 10 Ret 15 19 9 Ret 14 10 12 7 Ret 15 22 10 16 Ret Ret Ret 14 10
9   BCN Competición 18 Ret 12 8 3 8 4 Ret Ret Ret Ret 17† 9 Ret 23† Ret Ret Ret Ret 19 8 5 22
19 16 8 7 4 17 Ret 11 10 Ret Ret 9 Ret Ret 21 16 12 Ret 10 Ret 4 7
10   DPR (1–2, 8–11)
  DPR Direxiv (3–7)
20 10 15 Ret 20† 15 Ret DSQ 20 Ret 11 11 16 9 15 15 15 10 16 18 Ret 12 18
21 Ret Ret Ret 16 11 8 16† Ret 4 7 3 13 Ret 8 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 7 3
11   DAMS 14 12 Ret 12 9 Ret 10 6 6 9 Ret DNS 8 Ret Ret 12 11 6 18† 12 Ret Ret 14
15 11 14 Ret 14 Ret 15 13 Ret 2 Ret 10 Ret 12 14 11 9 Ret 12 8 15† 15†
12   Campos Racing 24 3 Ret 9 Ret Ret 14 18 16 Ret 9 Ret 15 13 18 Ret Ret 7 Ret 14 Ret 11 12
25 Ret Ret 10 6 16 Ret 17 Ret 6 8 DSQ 18 10 12 18 Ret 12 19† Ret Ret NC
13   Durango 22 17 16† Ret Ret 18 13 12 9 11 Ret EX 7 6 DNS Ret 13 Ret 5 9 10 14 9
23 Ret DNS Ret 13 12 Ret Ret 13 8 10 EX 14 11 10 NC Ret Ret 11 10 13 Ret
Pos Team Car
No.
VAL
 
IMO
 
NÜR
 
CAT
 
MON
 
SIL
 
MAG
 
HOC
 
HUN
 
IST
 
MNZ
 
Points

Notes

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  1. ^ Arden International competed under a Dutch licence.
  2. ^ Zuber is an Austrian driver who competed under an Emirati racing licence.
  3. ^ Andreas Zuber set the fastest lap, but he started from the pitlane, so the points were given to Nelson Piquet Jr.[3]
  4. ^ Adrián Vallés set the fastest lap, but he started from the pitlane, so the points were given to Gianmaria Bruni.[4]
  5. ^ Alexandre Prémat set the fastest lap, but he started from the pitlane, so the points were given to Gianmaria Bruni.[5]
  6. ^ Lewis Hamilton recorded the fastest time in qualifying, but received a penalty for disregarding yellow flags. Nelson Piquet Jr. was recognised as the pole-sitter for the race.[6]
  7. ^ José María López did not finish the race so the points were given to Timo Glock.
  8. ^ Lucas di Grassi did not finish the race so the points were given to José María López.

References

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  1. ^ "Belgian GP officially off the 2006 calendar". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  2. ^ "GP2 Fastest laps". results.motorsportstats.com. Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 3 September 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Valencia 2006: Ammermuller wins, Carroll rolls". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 9 April 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Imola 2006: Bruni on his own". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 22 April 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Nurburgring 2006: Hamilton does 'Ring double". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 7 May 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Hamilton loses pole due to penalty". Autosport.com. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Bruni takes clean sweep in Imola Race 1". McLaren.com. Archived from the original on 7 August 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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