[R.J. O’Connell]

GP2’s penultimate round begins with the entire motorsport community focused on the health and well-being of GP2 alumni Jules Bianchi. In two seasons, the Frenchman finished third in the championship twice, recording one feature race win, four pole positions, and ten podiums – in addition to another feature win, one pole position, and three podiums in ten starts in the GP2 Asia Series.

There are championships to be decided, and Jolyon Palmer can clinch the 2014 GP2 championship if he leaves Sochi with a 48 point advantage over Felipe Nasr or Stoffel Vandoorne, the only other mathematically eligible drivers.

Likewise, Alex Lynn can clinch the GP3 series title if he leaves Sochi with a 65 point lead after the feature race, or 48 points after the sprint. Behind him, six drivers (Eriksson, Bernstorff, Kirchhoefer, Yelloly, Zamparelli, Stoneman) are within 28 points of 2nd place Richie Stanaway. Stoneman will drive this weekend’s race for Korainen GP, as a teammate to Jimmy Eriksson.

The other notable driver changes are Tio Ellinas replacing an injured Adrian-Quaife Hobbs at Rapax in GP2, while in GP3, Patrick Kujala races for Trident, and Nikolay Martsenko returns to Hilmer.

[Iestyn Davies]

In GP2, Vandoorne continues to prove how ready he is for F1, by securing his third consecutive pole position. Pic matches his time (1:45.402) for 2nd, while Izawa, Palmer, Marciello and Evans are all well clear of the chasing pack.

Evans had the pace, but couldn’t put a lap together, while Izawa’s strong showing proves how well ART have gotten their car setup again with the help of Vandoorne.

Nasr starts 10th, aiming for reverse grid pole and a strong sprint race, after a qualifying collision with Coletti, 8th. Gasly is now coming up to speed with the GP2 car, while Ellinas outqualifies his team-mate, Trummer, by 0.6s upon his return.

[R.J. O’Connell]

McLaren, please, loan Vandoorne out to some other team. It’s not as if Honda is going to want you to take youth any time soon.

[R.J. O’Connell]

Jolyon Palmer wins the feature, and with it, the GP2 title. Evans 2nd, Marciello 3rd, Vandoorne drove a fantastic race to finish 5th despite a tactical blunder under the safety car.

All of them deserve to be in F1 by 2016.

[hunocsi]

“All of them deserve to be in F1 by 2016.”
Agree with that. But I wouldn’t be too surprised if no more than one of them got in, sadly there isn’t too much place for them. I can’t imagine Palmer getting a better seat than a Marussia, Vandoorne might have a chance if Button retires and McLaren won’t sign Alonso, Evans should be a part of the RB junior team but sadly he isn’t, and Marciello won’t be put anywhere bigger than Marussia by Ferrari if we can learn anything from Bianchi’s case.

[Craig Woollard]

I absolutely agree @rjoconnell they are some really decent talents. Unfortunately however it looks as if for next year at least anybody hoping to jump into a top level of motorsports will have to either take the sportscar or America route…

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