GP2 unveils 2017 calendar, adds Jerez
The GP2 Series will feature a standalone round in Jerez in 2017, as the Spanish venue replaces Sepang in the schedule.
Photo by: GP2 Series Media Service
The series will continue with an 11-round calendar, with all but Sepang and Hockenheim retained from the 2016 schedule.
Instead of the latter two tracks, the schedule will feature the previously confirmed season opener in Bahrain – where GP2 last raced in 2015, twice – and Jerez.
GP2 had never previously held a round at the Spanish venue, although it has been a site for official testing. In 2017, it will host GP2's first weekend away from F1 since it supported WEC's 6 Hours of Bahrain in November 2015.
The pre-season tests this year will be held in Barcelona and Bahrain in March, both venues hosting three days of running.
“We’re delighted to race in Jerez between Monza and Abu Dhabi,” said GP2 boss Bruno Michel.
“We wanted to have the same number of events (11) including three flyaway rounds in 2017 as in the previous year, but we were mindful of freight costs.”
The 2017 campaign is set to be the last for GP2's long-serving Dallara GP2/11 chassis before the introduction of a new car for 2018.
GP3 down to eight rounds
Having lost Sepang from its schedule and with no German Grand Prix to support, the GP3 calendar is down to eight, the series having run over nine rounds for the past three seasons.
The series will contest seven rounds in support of Formula 1 grands prix and will also accompany parent category GP2 to Jerez for the standalone October meeting.
"In order to control the costs, we have decided to have only one flyaway event this year, which will be Abu Dhabi in November," Michel said.
The 2017 GP3 campaign will be the second contested with GP3/16 chassis and will see the introducton of DRS to the series.
2017 GP2 calendar:
| Date | Venue |
|---|---|
| 14-16 April |  Bahrain |
| 12-14 May |  Catalunya (alongside GP3) |
| 25-27 May |  Monaco |
| 23-25 June |  Baku |
| 7-9 July |  Red Bull Ring (alongside GP3) |
| 14-16 July |  Silverstone (alongside GP3) |
| 28-30 July |  Hungaroring (alongside GP3) |
| 25-27 August |  Spa (alongside GP3) |
| 1-3 September |  Monza (alongside GP3) |
| 6-8 October | Jerez (alongside GP3) |
| 24-26 November |  Abu Dhabi (alongside GP3) |
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