2008 GP2 Asia Series

Last updated September 19, 2024

The 2008 GP2 Asia Series season was the first GP2 Asia Series season. It started on 25 January and ended on 12 April.

Season summary

Romain Grosjean became the champion despite his teammate Stephen Jelley scoring no points, with their team, ART Grand Prix, winning the teams' title.

In this season, only two drivers scored pole positions. Grosjean took pole in all but one race in Sentul, where Vitaly Petrov secured the first position on the grid. The Frenchman also won four races, including a clean sweep in Dubai and the feature race in Sakhir.

Kamui Kobayashi won two sprint races in Sepang and Sakhir, while Sébastien Buemi won the feature race in Sentul. Marco Bonanomi and Fairuz Fauzy won a sprint race each.

Teams and drivers

All of the teams used the Dallara GP2/05 chassis with Renault-badged 4.0 litre (244 cu in) naturally-aspirated Mecachrome V8 engines order and with tyres supplied by Bridgestone.

Team	No.	Driver	Rounds
iSport International	1	Karun Chandhok	All
iSport International	2	Bruno Senna	All
ART Grand Prix	3	Stephen Jelley	All
ART Grand Prix	4	Romain Grosjean	All
Barwa International Campos Team	5	Vitaly Petrov	All
	6	Diego Nunes	1
	6	Ben Hanley	2–5
Super Nova Racing	7	Christian Bakkerud	All
Super Nova Racing	8	Fairuz Fauzy	All
DAMS	9	Jérôme d'Ambrosio	All
DAMS	10	Kamui Kobayashi	All
Trust Team Arden ^{[lower-alpha 1]}	11	Sébastien Buemi	All
	12	Adam Khan	1–2
	12	Yelmer Buurman	3–5
Durango	14	Davide Valsecchi	All
Durango	15	Alberto Valerio	All
Fisichella Motor Sport International	16	Adrián Vallés	All
	17	Michael Herck	1–4
	17	Roldán Rodríguez	5
Trident Racing	18	Harald Schlegelmilch	All
Trident Racing	19	Ho-Pin Tung	All
Piquet Sports	20	Marcello Puglisi	All
Piquet Sports	21	Marco Bonanomi	All
DPR	22	Armaan Ebrahim	All
	23	Andy Soucek	1
	23	Diego Nunes	2–5
BCN Competicion	24	Miloš Pavlović	All
BCN Competicion	25	Jason Tahincioglu	All
Qi-Meritus Mahara	26	Hiroki Yoshimoto	All
Qi-Meritus Mahara	27	Luca Filippi	All

Results

Round		Circuit	Date	Pole position	Fastest Lap	Winning Driver	Winning Team	Report
1	F	Dubai Autodrome (International Circuit)	25 January	Romain Grosjean	Bruno Senna	Romain Grosjean	ART Grand Prix	Report
1	S	Dubai Autodrome (International Circuit)	26 January		Romain Grosjean	Romain Grosjean	ART Grand Prix	Report
2	F	Sentul International Circuit	16 February	Vitaly Petrov	Bruno Senna	Sébastien Buemi ^{[lower-alpha 2]}	Trust Team Arden	Report
2	S	Sentul International Circuit	17 February		Fairuz Fauzy	Fairuz Fauzy	Super Nova Racing	Report
3	F	Sepang International Circuit	22 March	Romain Grosjean	Romain Grosjean	Vitaly Petrov	Barwa International Campos Team	Report
3	S	Sepang International Circuit	23 March		Bruno Senna	Kamui Kobayashi	DAMS	Report
4	F	Bahrain International Circuit	5 April	Romain Grosjean	Romain Grosjean	Romain Grosjean	ART Grand Prix	Report
4	S	Bahrain International Circuit	6 April		Sébastien Buemi	Kamui Kobayashi	DAMS	Report
5	F	Dubai Autodrome (Grand Prix Circuit)	11 April	Romain Grosjean	Romain Grosjean	Romain Grosjean	ART Grand Prix	Report
5	S	Dubai Autodrome (Grand Prix Circuit)	12 April		Kamui Kobayashi ^{[lower-alpha 3]}	Marco Bonanomi	Piquet Sports	Report

Championship standings

Scoring system

Points are awarded to the top 8 classified finishers in the Feature race, and to the top 6 classified finishers in the Sprint race. The pole-sitter in the feature race will also receive two points, and one point is given to the driver who set the fastest lap inside the top ten in both the feature and sprint races. No extra points are awarded to the pole-sitter in the sprint race.

Point system for Feature Race
Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	Pole	FL
Points	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1	2	1

Point system for Sprint Race
Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	FL
Points	6	5	4	3	2	1	1

Drivers' Championship

Pos	Driver	DUB1		SEN		SEP		BHR		DUB2		Points
1	Romain Grosjean	1	1	4	4	9	2	1	Ret	1	Ret	61
2	Sébastien Buemi	DSQ	Ret	1	7	Ret	Ret	2	2	2	2	37
3	Vitaly Petrov	DNS	9	5	3	1	3	10	3	4	Ret	33
4	Fairuz Fauzy	8	2	8	1	2	6	Ret	Ret	11	6	24
5	Bruno Senna	2	19	7	2	Ret	8	4	DNS	DSQ	11	23
6	Kamui Kobayashi	13	Ret	DNS	15	5	1	3	1	20	14	22
7	Adrián Vallés	4	Ret	2	5	Ret	20	5	Ret	Ret	10	19
8	Davide Valsecchi	17	6	Ret	19	4	4	6	6	14	4	17
9	Yelmer Buurman					6	5	9	8	3	5	13
10	Hiroki Yoshimoto	6	4	Ret	20	Ret	10	12	4	5	13	13
11	Jérôme d'Ambrosio	11	8	Ret	Ret	3	Ret	11	12	7	3	12
12	Marco Bonanomi	20	13	Ret	8	Ret	15	Ret	Ret	6	1	9
13	Karun Chandhok	7	3	Ret	13	Ret	7	8	Ret	Ret	Ret	7
14	Andy Soucek	3	7									6
15	Ben Hanley			3	16	Ret	14	Ret	10	Ret	Ret	6
16	Miloš Pavlović	10	14	6	Ret	7	12	19	15	8	Ret	6
17	Luca Filippi	5	Ret	DSQ	21	Ret	Ret	Ret	11	12	Ret	4
18	Harald Schlegelmilch	14	18	Ret	Ret	8	Ret	14	5	16	7	3
19	Alberto Valerio	9	5	Ret	Ret	Ret	17	DNS	17	13	15	2
20	Diego Nunes	12	DNS	Ret	10	10	13	7	Ret	17	12	2
21	Ho-Pin Tung	22	10	Ret	6	Ret	16	Ret	7	10	DSQ	1
22	Jason Tahincioglu	19	16	Ret	17	12	Ret	17	13	9	8	0
23	Michael Herck	Ret	17	9	12	11	11	15	14			0
24	Christian Bakkerud	Ret	11	Ret	14	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	Ret	9	0
25	Stephen Jelley	15	12	DSQ	Ret	Ret	18	16	9	18	DNS	0
26	Marcello Puglisi	16	Ret	DNS	18	13	9	18	Ret	Ret	Ret	0
27	Armaan Ebrahim	21	Ret	Ret	9	Ret	19	13	16	19	Ret	0
28	Adam Khan	18	15	Ret	11							0
29	Roldán Rodríguez									15	Ret	0
Pos	Driver	DUB1		SEN		SEP		BHR		DUB2		Points

Key
Colour	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	2nd place
Bronze	3rd place
Green	Other points position
Blue	Other classified position
Blue	Not classified, finished (NC)
Purple	Not classified, retired (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Red	Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
White	Race cancelled (C)
Blank	Did not practice (DNP)
	Excluded (EX)
	Did not arrive (DNA)
	Withdrawn (WD)
Text formatting	Meaning
Bold	Pole position point(s)
Italics	Fastest lap point(s)

Notes:

† — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.

Teams' Championship

Pos	Team	Car No.	DUB1		SEN		SEP		BHR		DUB2		Points
1	ART Grand Prix	3	15	12	DSQ	Ret	Ret	18	16	9	18	DNS	61
1	ART Grand Prix	4	1	1	4	4	9	2	1	Ret	1	Ret	61
2	Trust Team Arden	11	DSQ	Ret	1	7	Ret	Ret	2	2	2	2	50
2	Trust Team Arden	12	18	15	Ret	11	6	5	9	8	3	5	50
3	Barwa International Campos Team	5	DNS	9	5	3	1	3	10	3	4	Ret	39
3	Barwa International Campos Team	6	12	DNS	3	16	Ret	14	Ret	10	Ret	Ret	39
4	DAMS	9	11	8	Ret	Ret	3	Ret	11	12	7	3	34
4	DAMS	10	13	Ret	DNS	15	5	1	3	1	19	14	34
5	iSport International	1	7	3	Ret	13	Ret	7	8	Ret	Ret	Ret	30
5	iSport International	2	2	19	7	2	Ret	8	4	DNS	DSQ	11	30
6	Super Nova Racing	7	Ret	11	Ret	14	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	Ret	9	24
6	Super Nova Racing	8	8	2	8	1	2	6	Ret	Ret	11	6	24
7	Fisichella Motor Sport International	16	4	Ret	2	5	Ret	20	5	Ret	Ret	10	19
7	Fisichella Motor Sport International	17	Ret	17	9	12	11	11	15	14	15	Ret	19
8	Durango	14	17	6	Ret	19	4	4	6	6	14	4	19
8	Durango	15	9	5	Ret	Ret	Ret	17	DNS	17	13	15	19
9	Qi-Meritus Mahara	26	6	4	Ret	20	Ret	10	12	4	5	13	17
9	Qi-Meritus Mahara	27	5	Ret	DSQ	21	Ret	Ret	Ret	11	12	Ret	17
10	Piquet Sports	20	16	Ret	DNS	18	13	9	18	Ret	Ret	Ret	9
10	Piquet Sports	21	20	13	Ret	8	Ret	15	Ret	Ret	6	1	9
11	DPR	22	21	Ret	Ret	9	Ret	19	13	16	19	Ret	8
11	DPR	23	3	7	Ret	10	10	13	7	Ret	17	12	8
12	BCN Competicion	24	10	14	6	Ret	7	12	19	12	8	Ret	6
12	BCN Competicion	25	19	16	Ret	17	12	Ret	17	13	9	8	6
13	Trident Racing	18	14	18	Ret	Ret	8	Ret	14	5	16	7	4
13	Trident Racing	19	22	10	Ret	6	Ret	16	Ret	7	10	DSQ	4
Pos	Team	Car No.	DUB1		SEN		SEP		BHR		DUB2		Points

Key
Colour	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	2nd place
Bronze	3rd place
Green	Other points position
Blue	Other classified position
Blue	Not classified, finished (NC)
Purple	Not classified, retired (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Red	Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
White	Race cancelled (C)
Blank	Did not practice (DNP)
	Excluded (EX)
	Did not arrive (DNA)
	Withdrawn (WD)
Text formatting	Meaning
Bold	Pole position point(s)
Italics	Fastest lap point(s)

Notes:

† — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.

Notes

↑ Arden International competed under a Dutch licence.
↑ Luca Filippi was stripped of the victory after stewards found out he had used tyres allocated to his teammate Hiroki Yoshimoto.^[1]
↑ Kamui Kobayashi set the fastest lap, but did not finish in the top 10, so was ineligible to be the point-scorer for the fastest lap. Davide Valsecchi ^[2] was the point-scorer instead for setting the fastest lap of those finishing in the top 10.

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References

↑ "Filippi excluded, Buemi wins at Sentul". autosport.com. 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
↑ "Sprint race - GP2 Asia: UAE 2008". Pitpass.com. Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2022.

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[1] Arden International competed under a Dutch licence.

[3] Luca Filippi was stripped of the victory after stewards found out he had used tyres allocated to his teammate Hiroki Yoshimoto.^[1]

[5] Kamui Kobayashi set the fastest lap, but did not finish in the top 10, so was ineligible to be the point-scorer for the fastest lap. Davide Valsecchi ^[2] was the point-scorer instead for setting the fastest lap of those finishing in the top 10.

[2] "Filippi excluded, Buemi wins at Sentul". autosport.com. 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2008-02-16.

[4] "Sprint race - GP2 Asia: UAE 2008". Pitpass.com. Archived from the original on 14 June 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2022.

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v t e GP2, GP2 Asia and GP3 Series seasons
GP2 Series	2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Rebranded as the FIA Formula 2 Championship
GP3 Series	2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Rebranded as the FIA Formula 3 Championship
GP2 Asia Series	2008 2008–09 2009–10 2011
Lists of drivers	List of GP2 Series drivers GP2 race winners GP2 driver records List of GP3 Series drivers List of GP2 Asia Series drivers