GP2 unveils teams

After weeks of speculation about which teams would sign up for the championship, the organisers finally confirmed the 12 teams that will have franchises for the 2005 to 2007 seasons as well as the 12-race calendar for next year.

The teams that have been awarded entry to the championship are Arden International, ASM, BCN Competition, Campos, Coloni, DAMS, David Price Racing, Durango, HiTech Piquet, iSport International, P1 Motorsport and Supernova. One other team could also be added at a later date.

The calendar features 11 events that will support Formula 1 races, with the season finale taking place in Bahrain on September 25.

Series organiser Bruno Michel said: "It has been quite difficult to make a choice between all the applications we have received over the past few months. First of all, we wanted to make sure that every single team could commit for at least three years.

"We were also looking for strong teams, who have proved their competitiveness in other championships in the past. Then, we wanted the grid to be as international as possible. In the end, we managed to select what, I think, will be a fantastic grid for 2005.

"It is exactly the grid we dreamt of having when we first thought about the series."

The teams are due to take delivery of their first cars at the end of January with the first official tests schedule for February and early March.



France
San Marino
Spain
Monaco
Europe
Britain
Germany
Hungary
Turkey
Italy
Belgium
Bahrain