GP2, GP3 titles set to be decided in Abu Dhabi - MotorSportsTalk

While the battle for the Formula 1 drivers’ championship between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will take center stage in Abu Dhabi, two other titles are also set to be decided this weekend.

Both the GP2 and GP3 Series, the first and second rungs below F1 on the single-seater ladder, will crown new champions at Yas Marina as their seasons come to a close.

The battle for the GP2 title has been one of the closest in recent years, with Prema Racing teammates Antonio Giovinazzi and Pierre Gasly set to lock horns at Yas Marina.

Giovinazzi heads into the final round with a seven-point lead over Gasly, with 48 on offer across the Feature and Sprint races at Yas Marina.

Red Bull junior Gasly had been in the running for a seat in F1 with Toro Rosso for 2017, but was passed over in favor of retaining Daniil Kvyat.

The Frenchman is expected to remain part of Red Bull’s plans, with a move into the Japanese Super Formula series being mooted for 2017.

Giovinazzi could become the first rookie since Nico Hulkenberg in 2009 to win the GP2 title, but his future is also unclear. The Italian is not affiliated with any F1 team, although he did recently enjoy a run in Ferrari’s simulator at Maranello. His next move, for now, is hard to predict.

An outsider for the championship is ex-Ferrari junior Raffaele Marciello, but the 39-point gap to Giovinazzi means the odds are stacked well against the Italian.

Both the feature and sprint GP2 races are live on the NBC Sports app this weekend.

GP2 Abu Dhabi – Live Stream Times

FEATURE RACE Saturday 11/26 10:40am ET – LIVE STREAM/NBC Sports app
SPRINT RACE Sunday 11/27 6:20am ET – LIVE STREAM/NBC Sports app

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In GP3, Ferrari youngster and Haas development driver Charles Leclerc could wrap up the series title on Saturday thanks to his 29-point advantage heading into the final double-header round.

Leclerc has enjoyed an impressive year spearheading ART Grand Prix’s domination in GP3, taking three wins. His nearest rival is teammate Alexander Albon, while Trident’s Antonio Fuoco also stands a chance of winning the title in Abu Dhabi.

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Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.

Seattle Supercross numbers — *Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports*

For the fifth time in 10 rounds. Sexton, Webb, and Eli Tomac shared the podium in Detroit. Between them, the trio has taken 23 podiums, leaving only seven for the remainder of the field. Jason Anderson, Ken Roczen and Justin Barcia have two each with Aaron Plessinger scoring the other.

Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.

Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.

Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.

The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.

In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.

Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.

Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.

Last Five Seattle Winners

450s
2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto

250s
2022: Hunter Lawrence
2019: Dylan Ferrandis
2018: Aaron Plessinger
2017: Aaron Plessinger
2014: Cole Seely

By the Numbers

Detroit
Indianapolis
Daytona
Arlington
Oakland
Tampa
Houston
Anaheim 2
San Diego

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Results and points after Detroit
Chase Sexton wins in Detroit, penalized seven points

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