Kobayashi wins as Grosjean takes title
Kamui Kobayashi took the GP2 Asia sprint race win at Bahrain, but even though Romain Grosjean didn't score, it's the Frenchman who claimed the title
Front row starters Karun Chandhok and Diego Nunes collided at the first corner of the opening lap causing chaos behind them. Through the sand cloud stormed Grosjean to lead from eighth on the grid!
But he was out-dragged by Vitaly Petrov, who started 10th, into Turn 3.
But Grosjean was on a charge, and he took the lead back into the final corner. A lap later he was almost two seconds to the good and seemed to have the race in his pocket. As Petrov, Kobayashi, Adrian Valles and Sebastien Buemi fought a great battle for second, the ART man pulled further away.
However, at around the half distance mark his pace slowed dramatically, and he was easily caught and passed by Kobayashi, who had come out on top of the four-car fight. Grosjean appeared to be in serious brake trouble and pulled into the pits to retire.
Petrov was the only man who could keep the title fight alive, but he needed to score more than four points. He was on course for this until Buemi pulled a great move into Turn 1 to take second. Third was not enough for the Russian.
Hiroki Yoshimoto took fourth place after Valles retired. Harald Schlegelmilch had his best run of the season to take fifth, while the final point went to Durango's Davide Valsecchi.
Classified:
Pos Driver Team Time
1. Kobayashi DAMS 40:59.270
2. Buemi Trust Team Arden + 0.861
3. Petrov Campos Team + 6.526
4. Yoshimoto Qi-Meritus Mahara + 9.127
5. Schleghelmilch Trident Racing + 15.801
6. Valsecchi Durango + 17.016
7. Tung Trident Racing + 20.788
8. Buurman Trust Team Arden + 21.543
9. Jelley ART Grand Prix + 22.669
10. Hanley Campos Team + 28.217
11. Filippi Qi-Meritus Mahara + 29.337
12. D'ambrosio DAMS + 29.406
13. Tahinci BCN Competicion + 36.450
14. Herck FMS International + 39.022
15. Pavlovic BCN Competicion + 49.735
16. Ebrahim DPR + 99.993
17. Valerio Durango + 1 lap
Not classified:
Driver Team Laps
Bonanomi Piquet Sports 19
Grosjean ART Grand Prix 17
Chandhok iSport International 11
Valles FMS International 7
Bakkerud Super Nova Racing 3
Puglisi Piquet Sports 1
Nunes DPR 1
Fauzy Super Nova Racing 0
Senna iSport International 0
Fastest lap: Buemi, 1:45.455 on lap 19
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