GP2 Series announces 2017 calendar including Jerez debut
The GP2 Series will race at Jerez for the first time in 2017, a standalone event replacing Sepang on its calendar
The series will continue with an 11-round schedule, with all but Sepang and Hockenheim retained from the 2016 tracks.
Hockenheim has been lost along with Formula 1's German Grand Prix, while the return to Sakhir and the Bahrain GP bill takes Malaysian GP venue Sepang's place among GP2's preferred quota of three flyaway events.
Though GP2 has never previously held races at Jerez, the sometime F1 track has been used for official tests - including one last year.
Series chief Bruno Michel said: "We're delighted to race in Jerez between Monza and Abu Dhabi.
"We wanted to have the same number of events, including three flyaway rounds, in 2017 as in the previous year, but we were mindful of freight costs.
"This meant not adding a fourth flyaway round and staying in Europe for a standalone event."
The Jerez meeting will be GP2's first event off the F1 bill since it supported the World Endurance Championship at Sakhir in November 2015, its most recent Bahrain appearance.
The pre-season tests this year will be held at Barcelona and Sakhir in March, both venues hosting three days of running.
2017 GP2 CALENDAR
April 14-16: Sakhir
May 12-14: Barcelona
May 25-27: Monaco
June 23-25: Baku
July 7-9: Red Bull Ring
July 14-16: Silverstone
July 28-30: Hungaroring
August 25-27: Spa
September 1-3: Monza
October 6-8: Jerez
November 24-26: Yas Marina
Previous article
GP2 2017: Race winners Nato, King and Ghiotto set for seat switches
Next article
GP2 team boss questions Formula 1 feeder ladder structure
The Red Bull F1 junior aiming to defy geographical odds
It's a long way from Pukekohe New Zealand to Milton Keynes, but Red Bull's Kiwi protege Liam Lawson has defied plenty of odds to reach the rung below F1. He's endured disappointment since winning on his F2 debut in Bahrain, but is determined to turn his season around and prove himself worthy of a place in F1
How Red Bull's next F1 hopeful turned around his season
Having impressed in Formula 3, Juri Vips looked to be next cab off the rank in Red Bull's prestigious Junior Team before his 2020 schedule was dealt a heavy blow by the COVID-19 pandemic. After a tough start to life in Formula 2, Vips is showing signs of a recovery - could he be the first Estonian to reach Formula 1?
The making of an F1 hopeful re-writing the F2 record books
He'd marked himself out as a star of the future in last year's FIA Formula 3 championship, but 17-year-old Theo Pourchaire underlined his credentials by winning his first Formula 2 race in the Monaco feature. Sauber junior status gives him a clear route to the top, but with wisdom beyond his years, he's not getting caught up in his own hype
The 10 greatest F2 races contested by F1 drivers
Formula 2 used to be about more than providing a stepping stone to F1. For three decades it often provided another setting for the world’s best to fight it out. Autosport picks out the very best races
The F1 hopeful living two lives to keep his dream alive
Having lost his backing from Red Bull, Richard Verschoor has had to graft to continue his ascent up the single-seater ladder. An impressive Formula 2 debut in Bahrain, despite the lateness of his deal, shows his unorthodox approach is paying dividends
Was Formula 2’s radical format switch a success?
Going into the 2021 Formula 2 season the biggest talking point wasn’t about any drivers or teams, but the new race weekend format. Created partly out of financial necessity but also to spice up the action, the Bahrain opener provided a snapshot of the positives and negatives to come
Why 2021 is make-or-break for the driver F1 needs
He was tipped for glory in FIA Formula 2 last year, but was hampered by reliability woes at inopportune moments. Guanyu Zhou knows he won't get too many more chances if he is to become China's first F1 driver, with fierce competition within the ranks of Alpine's junior stable
How Schumacher Jr earned his Haas F1 chance
Michael Schumacher may have won seven Formula 1 titles, but he didn't even compete for a crown at the second tier. Son Mick put that right in 2020, and proved to Ferrari that he was deserving of a shot at motorsport's elite category in 2021
