2013 Sepang GP2 Series round

Motor race September 2018 September 2018 Malaysia Sepang 1 11 Sepang.svg Layout of the Sepang International Circuit 2013 Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malaysia Permanent racing facility 3.444 5.543 23 March 30 MCO Stefano Coletti Rapax 1:44.280 CHE Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering GBR James Calado ART Grand Prix MCO Stefano Coletti Rapax GBR Sam Bird Russian Time 1:48.777 16 24 March 22 MCO Stefano Coletti Rapax BRA Felipe Nasr Carlin NZL Mitch Evans Arden International MCO Stefano Coletti Rapax 1:50.253 5 The 2013 Sepang GP2 Series round was a pair of motor races held on 23 and 24 March 2013 at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malaysia as part of the one-make single seater GP2 Series. It was the first round of the 2013 GP2 Series and was run in support of the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix. The first event, a 30-lap feature race, was won by Racing Engineering driver Fabio Leimer from a fourth position start. James Calado finished second for ART Grand Prix and Rapax's Stefano Coletti took third. Coletti won the 22-lap sprint race held the following day. Carlin's Felipe Nasr took second and Mitch Evans of Arden International was third. Coletti won the first pole position of his career in the GP2 Series by posing the fastest lap in qualifying and he led the race until he made a pit stop for the hard compound tyres at the conclusion of lap six following pressure by Leimer. Coletti retook the lead after all drivers made their pit stops but he lost the position to Leimer on lap 25 because of tyre degradation. Leimer held the lead for the rest of the race to achieve his first victory in the GP2 Series since the 2011 Catalunya sprint race and the third of his career. Stéphane Richelmi began the sprint race from pole position but he lost the lead to Coletti at the second corner on the first lap. Although Nasr caught him in the closing laps, Coletti kept the lead to take his third GP2 Series career win. The results of the first round of the season gave Coletti the early lead in the Drivers' Championship with 36 points and Leimer's victory in the feature race put him eleven points behind in second. Nasr was third and Calado fourth. In the Teams' Championship, Rapax took the lead with 42 points, 7 points ahead of Racing Engineering in second. Carlin in third were a further three points behind with ten rounds left in the season. Background The 2013 Sepang GP2 Series round was the first of eleven scheduled one-make, single seater motor racing events of the 2013 GP2 Series. It was held on 23 and 24 March 2013 at the 5.543 km mi on long Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Selangor and was run in support of the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix.http://en.espn.co.uk/gp2/motorsport/story/97670.html 2013 GP2 calendar revealed 19 December 2012 ESPN https://web.archive.org/web/20170918204918/http://en.espn.co.uk/gp2/motorsport/story/97670.html 18 September 2017 live 15 September 2017 It was the second time in GP2 Series history that a race meeting was held in Malaysia after the 2012 round. The track is considered by drivers to be the toughest challenge of the season due to hot and unpredictable weather and the track's abrasive asphalt surface making tyre management necessary.2013 GP2 Series Round 1 Preview – Kuala Lumpur http://www.gp2series.com:80/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/2013-GP2-Series-Round-1-Preview--Kuala-Lumpur/ GP2 Series 21 March 2013 31 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20130325072017/http://www.gp2series.com/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/2013-GP2-Series-Round-1-Preview--Kuala-Lumpur/ 25 March 2013 dead dmy-all As in the 2012 round, tyre supplier Pirelli brought the yellow-banded soft compound tyres and the orange-banded hard dry compound tyres to Malaysia.https://www.pirelli.com/tyre/ww/en/news/2013/03/25/drivers-give-thumbs-up-to-new-pirelli-gp2-tyres/ Drivers give thumbs up to new Pirelli GP2 tyres 25 March 2013 Pirelli https://web.archive.org/web/20130407221854/http://www.pirelli.com/tyre/ww/en/news/2013/03/25/drivers-give-thumbs-up-to-new-pirelli-gp2-tyres/ 7 April 2013 18 November 2017 live dmy-all There were 26 drivers divided into 13 teams each entered for the round and every entrant utilised the Dallara GP2/11 vehicle.2013 GP2 Series Sepang https://results.motorsportstats.com/results/2013-sepang-2 live 8 September 2021 Motorsport Stats https://web.archive.org/web/20210908071725/https://results.motorsportstats.com/results/2013-sepang-2 8 September 2021 Bradley Charles Leimer plays the long game http://porschecarshistory.com/wp-content/old/lib/magazines/autosport/2013/3/AS2013.03.28.pdf Autosport 28 March 2013 23 June 2026 44–45 211 13 Practice and qualifying One practice session lasting half an hour was held on the Thursday before the two races.http://www.gp2series.com/Guide-to/The-regulations/ The Regulations GP2 Series https://web.archive.org/web/20131017034411/http://www.gp2series.com/Guide-to/The-regulations/ 17 October 2013 15 September 2017 dead James Calado set the fastest lap time for ART Grand Prix ten minutes in hot weather conditions at 1:45.403. Simon Trummer was second-fastest for Rapax and Russian Time's Tom Dillmann placed third.Allen Peter Calado starts 2013 on top in Malaysian practice http://www.paddockscout.com:80/calado-starts-2013-on-top-in-malaysian-practice/ Paddock Scout 22 March 2013 31 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20130506115107/http://www.paddockscout.com/calado-starts-2013-on-top-in-malaysian-practice/ 6 May 2013 dead dmy-allJames Calado leads in Free Practice http://www.gp2series.com:80/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/James-Calado-leads-in-Free-Practice/ GP2 Series 22 March 2013 31 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20130325082503/http://www.gp2series.com/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/James-Calado-leads-in-Free-Practice/ 25 March 2013 dead dmy-all 2012 GP3 Series champion Mitch Evans of Arden International was the best-placed rookie in fourth and Marcus Ericsson in the faster of the two DAMS cars was fifth.Malaysia GP2: James Calado fastest in first practice of 2013 http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106230 Autosport 22 March 2013 31 August 2018 live https://web.archive.org/web/20130603090112/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106230 3 June 2013 dmy-all The rest of the top ten were Felipe Nasr, Johnny Cecotto Jr., Stefano Coletti, Rio Haryanto and Stéphane Richelmi, who had a shoulder injury. While the session passed relatively peacefully, Julián Leal went into a gravel trap at turn four and Kevin Ceccon had to drive onto the run-off area to avoid hitting Sergio Canamasas. Friday afternoon's qualifying session ran for half an hour. The drivers' fastest lap times determined the starting order for the first race. The pole position winner scored four points in the Drivers' and Teams' Championships Rain during the second practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix created a wet track but it completely dried up before the GP2 qualifying session began.Coletti claims maiden pole at Sepang http://www.gpupdate.net/en/gp2-news/292085/coletti-claims-maiden-pole-at-sepang/ GPUpdate 22 March 2013 31 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20150317173436/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/gp2-news/292085/coletti-claims-maiden-pole-at-sepang/ 17 March 2015 dead Sam Bird, in his first GP2 Series qualifying session since the 2011 season,Allen Peter Coletti edges Calado and Nasr for Malaysia pole http://www.paddockscout.com:80/coletti-edges-calado-and-nasr-for-malaysia-pole/ Paddock Scout 22 March 2013 31 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20130506115528/http://www.paddockscout.com/coletti-edges-calado-and-nasr-for-malaysia-pole/ 6 May 2013 live dmy-all was the early pace setter and held pole position until Nasr went faster.Coletti files to Malaysia maiden pole http://www.gp2series.com:80/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Coletti-flies-to-Malaysia-maiden-pole/ GP2 Series 22 March 2013 31 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20130325072030/http://www.gp2series.com/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Coletti-flies-to-Malaysia-maiden-pole/ 25 March 2013 dead dmy-all It was taken by Fabio Leimer midway through the session,Bradley Charles Sepang GP2: Stefano Coletti takes pole for 2013 season opener http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106238 Autosport 22 March 2013 31 August 2018 live https://web.archive.org/web/20130603091512/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106238 3 June 2013 dmy-all until Coletti set a time of 1:48.850 and improved it by more than four seconds to a 1:44.280 which was never bettered despite a small error putting him into the grass.https://www.crash.net/gp2/news/189113/1/coletti-on-pole-for-sepang-season-opener Coletti on pole for Sepang season opener Lewin Andrew 22 March 2013 Crash https://web.archive.org/web/20180902133640/https://www.crash.net/gp2/news/189113/1/coletti-on-pole-for-sepang-season-opener 2 September 2018 live 31 August 2018 Coletti took his first GP2 Series career pole position. He was joined on the grid's front row by Calado who was prevented from taking pole position because of a minor mistake late on his lap. Nasr started from third after locking his tyres entering the turn 15 hairpin and had an oversteer leaving the corner. Leimer did not improve on his second timed lap and was fourth. Bird was provisionally fifth as Evans continued to be the highest-placed rookie in sixth.http://www1.skysports.com/news/25031/8582930/ Stefano Coletti takes GP2 Malaysia pole Esler William 24 March 2013 Sky Sports https://web.archive.org/web/20130720044915/http://www1.skysports.com/news/25031/8582930/ 20 July 2013 dead 1 September 2018 In positions seven through ten were Haryanto, René Binder, Trummer and Dillmann. Leal was the fastest driver not to enter the top ten. Behind him the rest of the provisional field was Canamasas, Ericsson, Johnny Cecotto Jr., Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, Richelmi, Conor Daly, the Trident duo of Nathanaël Berthon, Ceccon, Ma Qinghua, Daniël de Jong, Daniel Abt, Jolyon Palmer, Jake Rosenzweig, Pål Varhaug and Kevin Giovesi. Post-qualifying After qualifying, Berthon and Canamasas physically remonstrated about on-track etiquette as they waited in the weighbridge area for undisclosed reasons. The stewards deleted Cecotto's lap times because they deemed him to have made an "unacceptable" reaction and Bird was given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Cecotto.https://www.crash.net/gp2/news/189126/1/cecotto-sent-to-back-after-clash-with-angry-bird Cecotto sent to back after clash with angry Bird Lewin Andrew 22 March 2013 Crash https://web.archive.org/web/20180902134323/https://www.crash.net/gp2/news/189126/1/cecotto-sent-to-back-after-clash-with-angry-bird 2 September 2018 live 1 September 2018 With five minutes left of qualifying, Bird delayed Cecotto at turns five and six because he was warming his tyres. He turned off the racing line to allow Cecotto through leaving turn six. Cecotto drew alongside Bird and retaliated for the latter's earlier impediment by swerving to his right into turn seven. putting Bird into the outside grass area.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106259 Cecotto, Bird penalised after Sepang GP2 qualifying Bradley Charles 22 March 2013 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20130603090906/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106259 3 June 2013 live 1 September 2018 dmy-all Qualifying classification Pos. Position No. Car number Driver Team Time Grid Final grid position 1 18 Monaco Stefano Coletti Rapax 1:44.280 1 2 3 United Kingdom James Calado ART Grand Prix 1:44.284 2 3 9 Brazil Felipe Nasr Carlin 1:44.288 3 4 8 Switzerland Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1:44.463 4 5 11 United Kingdom Sam Bird Russian Time 1:44.598 81 1 6 6 New Zealand Mitch Evans Arden International 1:44.618 5 7 17 Indonesia Rio Haryanto Barwa Addax Team 1:44.681 6 8 24 Austria René Binder Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:44.687 7 9 19 Switzerland Simon Trummer Rapax 1:44.692 9 10 12 France Tom Dillmann Russian Time 1:44.731 10 11 7 Colombia Julián Leal Racing Engineering 1:44.732 11 12 14 Spain Sergio Canamasas Caterham Racing 1:44.761 12 13 1 Sweden Marcus Ericsson DAMS 1:44.766 13 14 5 Venezuela Johnny Cecotto Jr. Arden International 1:44.788 EX Excluded2 2 15 26 United Kingdom Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP Motorsport 1:45.191 14 16 2 Monaco Stéphane Richelmi DAMS 1:45.262 15 17 22 USA Conor Daly Hilmer Motorsport 1:45.289 16 18 20 France Nathanaël Berthon Trident Racing 1:45.378 17 19 21 Italy Kevin Ceccon Trident Racing 1:45.491 18 20 15 China Ma Qinghua Caterham Racing 1:45.497 19 21 27 Netherlands Daniël de Jong MP Motorsport 1:45.522 20 22 4 Germany Daniel Abt ART Grand Prix 1:45.593 21 23 10 United Kingdom Jolyon Palmer Carlin 1:45.662 22 24 16 USA Jake Rosenzweig Barwa Addax Team 1:45.708 23 25 23 Norway Pål Varhaug Hilmer Motorsport 1:45.830 24 26 19 Italy Kevin Giovesi Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:45.985 25 Source: Notes 1 1 — Sam Bird was given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Johnny Cecotto Jr. during Cecotto's final flying lap. 2 2 — Johnny Cecotto Jr. was excluded from qualifying and moved to the back of the grid for forcing Bird off the circuit in retaliation for blocking him, which race stewards described as "an unacceptable reaction". Races The first race was held over 170 km mi on or 60 minutes (which ever came first) and all drivers were required by regulations to make one pit stop. The first ten finishers scored points, with two given to the fastest lap holder. The grid for the second race was determined by the finishing order of the first but the first eight drivers were in reverse order of where they finished. It was run for 120 km mi on or 45 minutes (which ever came first). In contrast to the prior race drivers were not required to make pit stops. The top eight finishers earned points towards their respective championships. Feature race The feature race began in hot and humid weather at 11:15 Malaysian Standard Time (UTC+08:00) on 23 March.http://www.fiaformula2.com/Global/GP2_2013/11_Release/Preview013_1KualaLumpur.pdf GP2 Series – Kuala Lumpur – Preview 2013 GP2 Series https://web.archive.org/web/20180902133641/http://www.fiaformula2.com/Global/GP2_2013/11_Release/Preview013_1KualaLumpur.pdf 2 September 2018 live 1 September 2018Fabio Leimer and Racing Engineering win the first race of the 2013 GP2 season http://www.racing-engineering.com/GP2/news/128/128-e.html Racing Engineering 23 March 2013 1 September 2018 live https://web.archive.org/web/20140816032408/http://www.racing-engineering.com/GP2/news/128/128-e.html 16 August 2014 dmy-all Leimer made a fast start from fourth place to slalom straight past Calado and Nasr.Lewin Andrew Leimer takes first win of 2013 https://www.crash.net/gp2/race-report/189150/1/leimer-takes-first-win-of-the-season-at-sepang Crash 23 March 2013 1 September 2018 live https://web.archive.org/web/20180702083311/https://www.crash.net/gp2/race-report/189150/1/leimer-takes-first-win-of-the-season-at-sepang 2 July 2018 dmy-all He drew to the outside of Coletti to contest the lead into the first corner but lost the duel.Leimer lights up Malaysia feature race http://www.gp2series.com:80/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Leimer-lights-up-Malaysia-feature-race/ GP2 Series 23 March 2013 1 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20130327175106/http://www.gp2series.com/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Leimer-lights-up-Malaysia-feature-race/ 27 March 2013 dead dmy-allBradley Charles Sepang GP2: Fabio Leimer wins season opener from James Calado http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106278 Autosport 23 March 2013 31 August 2018 live https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001650/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106278 4 March 2016 dmy-all Evans, ill with food poisoning,https://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=10873722 Motorsport: World's fastest teenager Thompson Eric 27 March 2013 The New Zealand Herald 1 September 2018 https://archive.today/20180902134101/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=10873722 2 September 2018 live dmy-all took over fourth as an overtake from Calado on Nasr at turn four put both drivers wide.http://www1.skysports.com:80/news/25031/8590445 Racing Engineering's Fabio Leimer wins GP2 Feature Race in Malaysia Esler William 24 March 2013 Sky Sports https://web.archive.org/web/20130326010436/http://www1.skysports.com/news/25031/8590445 26 March 2013 dead 1 September 2018 dmy-all The first retirement came on lap one as the field braked for turn nine and Ericsson misjudged his braking point and ran into the rear of Palmer's car. Ericsson stopped his car in the barrier alongside the circuit. Once a rhythm was established, it became apparent that tyre wear would become a factor as Leimer put race leader Coletti under heavy pressure but he withstood all of his challenges,Leimer makes winning start to GP2 campaign http://en.espnf1.com/gp2/motorsport/story/103898.html#IsuAdeQqyROSEwBH.99 ESPN 23 March 2013 31 August 2018 live https://web.archive.org/web/20140222110955/http://en.espnf1.com/gp2/motorsport/story/103898.html#IsuAdeQqyROSEwBH.99 22 February 2014 dmy-allLeimer wins opening race of the season http://www.gpupdate.net/en/gp2-news/292132/leimer-wins-opening-race-of-the-season/ GPUpdate 23 March 2013 1 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20150318023208/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/gp2-news/292132/leimer-wins-opening-race-of-the-season/ 18 March 2015 dead giving Calado, Nasr and Evans, who were duelling over third, the opportunity to draw closer. On lap three, Quaife-Hobbs mistimed a pass on his teammate de Jong at turn 15 and two retired following a collision with each other. Calado struggled with tyre temperatures but repassed Evans on the same lap. thumb|Fabio Leimer (pictured in 2015) took his first victory in the GP2 Series since the 2011 Catalunya sprint race. Having been known for being hard on his tyres, Coletti struggled as his soft compound tyres degrading and he made a pit stop for the hard compound tyres as soon as drivers were permitted by series officials to do so at the end of lap six, three laps earlier than he aimed for. That allowed Leimer into the lead who immediately began setting a series of consecutive fast laps in clear air in the hope of providing himself with a small lead over Coletti after his pit stop. However Leimer's tactic greatly slowed him compared to Coletti. In the meantime, Abt triggered localised yellow flags on lap ten when he spun off the track and marshals were required to move his car. Leimer emerged close behind Coletti after he made his pit stop on the 11th lap. The yet-to-pit Bird became the new leader when Leimer made his pit stop but his opportunity of claiming a strong result was diminished when he received a drive-through penalty for overtaking under yellow flag conditions.http://www.paddockscout.com:80/leimer-takes-victory-in-malaysia-gp2-season-opener/ Leimer takes victory in Malaysia GP2 season opener Allen Peter 23 March 2013 Paddock Scout https://web.archive.org/web/20130506114638/http://www.paddockscout.com/leimer-takes-victory-in-malaysia-gp2-season-opener/ 6 May 2013 dead 1 September 2018 dmy-all Palmer took the lead on lap 12 and held it until his lap 21 pit stop for the soft compound tyres. On lap 23, Evans and Richelmi ran wide at turn one and Bird overtook them for seventh. Leal overtook Cecotto for fifth on the next lap. Coletti re-took the lead but began to struggle on the hard compound tyres, allowing Leimer to close up as his tyres degraded and frequently locked his wheels. However, Leimer could not immediately overtake Coletti because he lacked the straightline speed on the straight linking turns 14 and 15. Leimer's awareness of Calado getting closer grew more as the race progressed and he knew he had to pass Coletti as soon as possible. He tried doing this leaving the final corner on lap 25 but was unsuccessful despite exiting faster than Coletti. On the next lap, Coletti put Leimer onto the outside but Leimer overtook him on the racing line at the exit of turn four for the lead. By this point, Calado got close to Coletti and out-braked him at the final corner in attempting to pass but ran deep. Coletti got back through but Calado then tucked into his slipstream and had the grip to overtake him on the inside at the first corner for second place. Further down the order, Haryanto hit Varhaug while battling for position and Dillmann swerved to avoid getting involved in the duel. Evans locked his tyres, allowing Trummer to pass him for ninth place. At the front, Leimer set a series of lap times under the 1 minute, 50 seconds range in clear air to grow his lead over Calado to two seconds. Leimer crossed the start/finish line at the end of lap 30 to achieve his third victory in the GP2 Series and his first since the 2011 Catalunya sprint race. Calado was second and Coletti completed the podium in third. Off the podium, Nasr took fourth, Leal had the best series result at the time in fifth, Palmer finished sixth and Bird recovered from his penalty to finish seventh, earning Russian Time points on their GP2 Series debut. Richelmi finished eighth and took the pole position for the sprint race. Completing the top ten were Trummer and Evans. The final classified finishers were Binder, Cecotto, Daly, Dillmann, Varhaug, Giovesi, Ceccon, Rosenzweig, Canamasas, Haryanto and Ma. After the race, the stewards deemed Quaife-Hobbs responsible for the collision with his teammate de Jong on lap three and imposed a five-place grid penalty on him for the sprint race.http://www.gp2series.com:80/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Quaife-Hobbs-issued-with-grid-penalty-in-Kuala-Lumpur/ Quaife-Hobbs issued with grid penalty for Kuala Lumpur 23 March 2013 GP2 Series https://web.archive.org/web/20130712111038/http://www.gp2series.com/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Quaife-Hobbs-issued-with-grid-penalty-in-Kuala-Lumpur/ 12 July 2013 dead 2 September 2018 dmy-all Feature race classification Drivers who scored championship points are denoted in bold. Pos. Position No. Car number Driver Team Laps Laps completed Time/Retired Grid Final grid position Points 1 8 CHE Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 31 57:49.385 4 25 2 3 GBR James Calado ART Grand Prix 31 +2.045 2 18 3 18 MCO Stefano Coletti Rapax 31 +11.271 1 (15+4 15 points for third place, 4 points for pole position) 4 9 BRA Felipe Nasr Carlin 31 +12.810 3 12 5 7 COL Julián Leal Racing Engineering 31 +28.837 11 10 6 10 GBR Jolyon Palmer Carlin 31 +34.209 22 8 7 11 GBR Sam Bird Russian Time 31 +41.183 8 (6+2 6 points for seventh place, 2 points for fastest lap) 8 2 MCO Stéphane Richelmi DAMS 31 +58.941 15 4 9 19 CHE Simon Trummer Rapax 31 +1:02.853 9 2 10 6 NZL Mitch Evans Arden International 31 +1:13.730 5 1 11 24 AUT René Binder Venezuela GP Lazarus 31 +1:16.137 7 12 5 VEN Johnny Cecotto Jr. Arden International 31 +1:18.357 26 13 22 USA Conor Daly Hilmer Motorsport 31 +1:20.096 16 14 12 FRA Tom Dillmann Russian Time 31 +1:21.812 10 15 23 NOR Pål Varhaug Hilmer Motorsport 31 +1:23.754 24 16 25 ITA Kevin Giovesi Venezuela GP Lazarus 31 +1:35.775 25 17 21 ITA Kevin Ceccon Trident Racing 31 +1:37.928 18 18 16 USA Jake Rosenzweig Barwa Addax Team 31 +1:43.252 23 19 14 ESP Sergio Canamasas Caterham Racing 31 +2:00.257 12 20 17 INA Rio Haryanto Barwa Addax Team 30 +1 lap 6 21 15 CHN Ma Qinghua Caterham Racing 30 +1 lap 19 Ret Retired 20 FRA Nathanaël Berthon Trident Racing 19 Mechanical 17 Ret Retired 4 DEU Daniel Abt ART Grand Prix 9 Off course 21 Ret Retired 27 NED Daniël de Jong MP Motorsport 3 Contact 20 Ret Retired 26 GBR Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP Motorsport 3 Contact 14 Ret Retired 1 SWE Marcus Ericsson DAMS 0 Accident 13 Fastest lap: Sam Bird (Russian Time) — 1:48.777 (on lap 16) Source: Sprint race The second race began in cloudy weather at 12:15 local time on 24 March.Opening lap incident ruins the day for both Racing Engineering drivers in the Sepang Sprint Race http://www.racing-engineering.com/GP2/news/129/129-e.html Racing Engineering 24 March 2016 1 September 2018 live https://web.archive.org/web/20140820100900/http://www.racing-engineering.com/GP2/news/129/129-e.html 20 August 2014 dmy-all Ma was ruled unfit to compete after the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile medical doctor diagnosed him with gastroenteritis which led to extreme dehydration.http://en.espn.co.uk/gp2/motorsport/story/104069.html Coletti wins sprint race in Malaysia 24 March 2013 ESPN https://web.archive.org/web/20180902133640/http://en.espn.co.uk/gp2/motorsport/story/104069.html 2 September 2018 live 31 August 2018 At the start of the formation lap, Palmer stalled his car and was required to start from the pit lane. As a result, Nasr used the vacant spot left by his teammate Palmer to pass the slow-starting Bird and Leal on the inside line going into the first turn. However it was the sixth-placed Coletti who took the lead away from Richelmi because he made a strong getaway and steered onto the outside to pass him leaving the second corner.https://www.crash.net/gp2/race-report/189211/1/coletti-collects-sprint-win-at-sepang Coletti collects sprint win at Sepang Lewin Andrew 24 March 2013 Crash https://web.archive.org/web/20180902133640/https://www.crash.net/gp2/race-report/189211/1/coletti-collects-sprint-win-at-sepang 2 September 2018 live 1 September 2018 Going into the braking zone for turn four, Calado got caught out by Leimer and mistimed a pass on him and hit the right-rear corner of his car.Bradley Charles Sepang GP2: Stefano Coletti denies Felipe Nasr sprint victory http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106333 Autosport 24 March 2013 31 August 2018 live https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215803/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106333 3 March 2016 dmy-all The impact dislodged Calado's front wing, which folded under his car's front wheels.http://www1.skysports.com/news/25031/8594387/ Stefano Coletti takes GP2 Sprint Race victory in Malaysia Esler William 24 March 2013 Sky Sports https://web.archive.org/web/20130722234824/http://www1.skysports.com/news/25031/8594387/ 22 July 2013 dead 1 September 2018 This rendered Calado unable to steer and had limited braking capabilities since he could not control his vehicle which launched over the grass on the inside. He struck Leal and Bird at high speed and all three drivers instantly retired in the turn four gravel trap.Allen Peter Coletti holds on under pressure from Nasr to win Malaysia sprint http://www.paddockscout.com:80/coletti-holds-on-under-pressure-from-nasr-to-win-malaysia-sprint/ Paddock Scout 24 March 2013 1 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20130506115821/http://www.paddockscout.com/coletti-holds-on-under-pressure-from-nasr-to-win-malaysia-sprint/ 6 May 2013 live dmy-all left|thumb|upright|Stefano Coletti (pictured in 2015) led every lap of the sprint race to claim his third victory in the GP2 Series. Richelmi was overtaken by Nasr at turn one at the start of the second lap and made it stick at the turn two switchback. Coletti, Nasr and Richelmi pulled out a one-second lead over Evans in fourth place with Cecotto in fifth and sixth-placed Leimer who continued to circulate the track despite the first lap contact with Calado. From then on Coletti opened his lead over Nasr to 2.5 seconds over the opening five laps with a series of fastest laps. However, he put himself a risk of putting his tyres under excess stress and creating an identical situation of him losing the chance of victory to a driver who better conserved their tyres. With the lead now stabilised, attention focused on Palmer further down the order as he moved his way through the field and got to 14th midway through the race while Ericsson gained two places to be in 16th. On lap 16, Richelmi out-braked himself and ran deep onto the run-off area at the turn 15 hairpin. Evans had conserved his tyres in the laps beforehand and overtook Richelmi for third.Lomas Gordon Coletti wins as Mitch Evans scales to Brilliant GP2 podium http://www.speedcafe.co.nz:80/2013/03/24/coletti-wins-as-mitch-evans-scales-to-brilliant-gp2-podium/ Speedcafe 24 March 2013 31 August 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20130327033146/http://www.speedcafe.co.nz/2013/03/24/coletti-wins-as-mitch-evans-scales-to-brilliant-gp2-podium/ 27 March 2013 dead dmy-all He then repelled a counter-attack from Richelmi into the first corner. On lap 17, Leimer found the damage to his car from the first lap incident with Calado caused too much rear tyre wear and a sudden loss of grip put him into the turn 11 gravel trap and out of the top ten.Coletti claims Sprint Race http://www.gp2series.com:80/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Coletti-claims-Sprint-Race/ GP2 Series 24 March 2013 1 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20130329013426/http://www.gp2series.com/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Coletti-claims-Sprint-Race/ 29 March 2013 dead dmy-all Tyre degradation became a factor in the final laps as Nasr lowered Coletti's lead to 1.2 seconds and then to six-tenths of a second by the start of the final lap. It was not enough for Nasr to get close enough to challenge Coletti who managed the gap and his tyres to achieve his third career series victory. Nasr followed eight-tenths of a second later in second and Evans became the youngest driver to claim a podium in the GP2 Series in third. Off the podium, Richelmi finished fourth and Cecotto benefited from the first lap crash to take fifth.Coletti triumphs in Sepang Sprint Race http://www.gpupdate.net/en/gp2-news/292245/coletti-triumphs-in-sepang-sprint-race/ GPUpdate 24 March 2013 1 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20150317181732/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/gp2-news/292245/coletti-triumphs-in-sepang-sprint-race/ 17 March 2015 dead Cecotto was ahead of Trummer and Daly who were separated by just four-tenths of a second in sixth and seventh. Daly scored Hilmer's first series points in their debut event. Binder finished sixth-tenths of a second ahead of Palmer for eighth. The final classified finishers were Giovesi, Dillmann, Leimer, Ericsson, de Jong, Canamasas, Abt, Quaife-Hobbs, Haryanto, Varhaug, Rosenzweig, Berthon and Ceccon. After the race, the stewards imposed a ten-place grid penalty on Calado for the next feature race of the season in Bahrain.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106335 Sepang GP2: James Calado penalised for causing race two pile-up Turner Kevin 24 March 2013 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20130603091547/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106335 3 June 2013 live 2 September 2018 dmy-all Sprint race classification Drivers who scored championship points are denoted in bold. Pos. Position No. Car number Driver Team Laps Laps completed Time/Retired Grid Final grid position Points 1 18 MCO Stefano Coletti Rapax 22 40:49.455 6 (15+2) 15 points for first place, 2 points for fastest lap 2 9 BRA Felipe Nasr Carlin 22 +0.832 5 12 3 6 NZL Mitch Evans Arden International 22 +8.358 10 10 4 2 MCO Stéphane Richelmi DAMS 22 +11.935 1 8 5 5 VEN Johnny Cecotto Jr. Arden International 22 +15.874 12 6 6 19 CHE Simon Trummer Rapax 22 +17.072 9 4 7 22 USA Conor Daly Hilmer Motorsport 22 +17.479 13 2 8 24 AUT René Binder Venezuela GP Lazarus 22 +23.726 11 1 9 10 GBR Jolyon Palmer Carlin 22 +24.326 3 10 25 ITA Kevin Giovesi Venezuela GP Lazarus 22 +29.020 16 11 12 FRA Tom Dillmann Russian Time 22 +30.522 14 12 8 CHE Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 22 +30.802 8 13 1 SWE Marcus Ericsson DAMS 22 +31.342 26 14 27 NED Daniël de Jong MP Motorsport 22 +32.391 24 15 14 ESP Sergio Canamasas Caterham Racing 22 +35.336 19 16 4 DEU Daniel Abt ART Grand Prix 22 +36.339 23 17 26 GBR Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP Motorsport 22 +37.033 253 1 18 17 INA Rio Haryanto Barwa Addax Team 22 +43.468 20 19 23 NOR Pål Varhaug Hilmer Motorsport 22 +46.092 15 20 16 USA Jake Rosenzweig Barwa Addax Team 22 +51.244 18 21 20 FRA Nathanaël Berthon Trident Racing 22 +53.777 22 22 21 ITA Kevin Ceccon Trident Racing 21 +1 lap 17 Ret Retired 11 GBR Sam Bird Russian Time 0 Mechanichal 2 Ret Retired 7 COL Julián Leal Racing Engineering 0 Contact 4 Ret Retired 3 GBR James Calado ART Grand Prix 0 Contact 7 DNS Did not start 15 CHN Ma Qinghua Caterham Racing 0 Did not start4 2 DNS Did not start Fastest lap: Stefano Coletti (Rapax) — 1:50.253 (on lap 5) Source: Notes: 3 1 — Adrian Quaife-Hobbs was given a five place grid penalty for the sprint race after colliding with his teammate Daniël de Jong in the feature race. 4 2 — Ma Qinghua was ruled unfit to take part in the sprint race after being diagnosed with gastroenteritis. Post-round The top three drivers in both races appeared on the podium to collect their trophies and in separate press conferences. Leimer commented on his satisfaction over winning his first race for almost two years and said his goal was to win the opening race of the season, "I think it was important for me and the team that we’re already at the front. Everything worked really well today. Mentally, this win is a real boost for me and the team. We’ve worked really hard during the winter and it’s paid off."Kuala Lumpur post Feature Race quotes http://www.gp2series.com:80/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Kuala-Lumpur-post-Feature-Race-Quotes/ GP2 Series 23 March 2013 1 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20130327175050/http://www.gp2series.com/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Kuala-Lumpur-post-Feature-Race-Quotes/ 27 March 2013 dead dmy-all Calado stated his slow start was caused by cold tyres and him starting on the circuit's dirty side. Nevertheless, he congratulated Leimer on his victory and said he was still happy to finish in second. Third-placed Coletti said he was happy with the result despite problems with his tyres, "I scored good points. The championship is long and we have the time to find a solution to make sure the car is even better during the race. I’m pretty confident." He revealed his tyres began to degrade from the fourth lap which prompted him to make an early pit stop for the hard compound tyres because he feared losing time and Leimer overtaking him. After the sprint race, Coletti said work put into his car overnight helped him and emphasised the importance about racing in Malaysia's hot weather, "It was really hot out there and very difficult especially when you have to think about the tyres and concentrate on doing everything right because any little mistake can destroy your tyres and the race can be over. So it’s really not easy in the heat!"Kuala Lumpur Post Sprint Race quotes http://www.gp2series.com:80/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Kuala-Lumpur-post-Sprint-Race-Quotes/ GP2 Series 24 March 2013 1 September 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20130327032311/http://www.gp2series.com/News-Room/News/2013/03_March/Kuala-Lumpur-post-Sprint-Race-Quotes/ 27 March 2013 dead dmy-all Nasr said he was happy to finish second and revealed that was his goal for the sprint race before discussing his duel with Coletti, "What I could see from the car was that Stefano built a gap and was safe from there. After that I was mainly trying to save my tyres as best as I could. When it was eight laps to go, I started to push to try and catch up with him, but my rear tyres did not last long enough. I think that’s something we need to work on, but I’m still pleased with second place. I’ve scored good points for the championship." Third-placed Evans said his team adjusted his car to improve its balance for the sprint race and stated he did not try to get second because of the high level of tyre wear, "I was hoping maybe Felipe would have caught Stefano and maybe made contact with him but that did not happen (Laughs). I am satisfied with third in my debut. I think we’re in a good position for the rest of the championship." Since Sepang was the first round of the season, Coletti became the early leader of the Drivers' Championship with 36 points. Leimer's feature race victory put him eleven points behind in second and Nasr was a further point behind in third. Calado's second place in the feature race put him fourth and Richelmi was fifth.http://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/GP2-2013-standings,58436.html GP2 – 2013 Standings NextGen-Auto.com https://web.archive.org/web/20131214220709/http://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/GP2-2013-standings,58436.html 14 December 2013 dead 15 September 2017 dmy-all In the Teams' Championship, Rapax assumed the lead with 42 points, seven points ahead of Racing Engineering in second with Carlin another three points behind in third place. ART Grand Prix were fourth with Arden International fifth with ten rounds left in the season. Standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos. Position Driver Points 10px 1 MCO Stefano Coletti 36 10px 2 CHE Fabio Leimer 25 10px 3 BRA Felipe Nasr 24 10px 4 GBR James Calado 18 10px 5 MCO Stéphane Richelmi 12 Source: Teams' Championship standings Pos. Position Team Points 10px 1 ITA Rapax 42 10px 2 ESP Racing Engineering 35 10px 3 GBR Carlin 32 10px 4 FRA ART Grand Prix 18 10px 5 GBR Arden International 17 Source: Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings. References 30em External links http://www.gp2series.com Sepang GP2 round 2013 2012 Marina Bay GP2 Series round 2013 Bahrain GP2 Series round 2012 Sepang GP2 Series round 2016 Sepang GP2 Series round Malaysia Sports Category:2013 GP2 Series rounds Category:2013 in Malaysian motorsport