Racing Engineering driver scores GP2 Asia Series win while Dams driver is crowned Champion

In the final race of the 2011 GP2 Asia Series in Imola, Dani Clos recovered from a poor qualifying on Friday by winning today's event in Imola, while Romain Grosjean sealed a second title with a fourth place finish. Clos took the lead of the race from P2 straight from the start while polesitter Fairuz Fauzy failed to pull away properly.

The Super Nova driver dropped several places and locked up going into the first corner hitting title contender Jules Bianchi who then could not avoid hitting Stefano Coletti's car.

Bianchi's early retirement meant that Grosjean was under no threat to pocket a second crown, but the Champion would still fight for another podium finish.

Fourth after the first lap, the Dams driver started chasing Barwa Addax's Giedo Van der Garde while Clos kept Rapax's Fabio Leimer at bay. As Grosjean was trying to find a way past the Dutchman, GP3 Series reigning Champion Esteban Gutierrez closed in on the Frenchman and started to put pressure on him. In the closing laps, the Lotus ART rookie tried a bold manoeuvre on Grosjean at Tamburello, but to no avail: both cars went across the grass and the Dams driver kept his position.

Clos never pulled away from Leimer, and the Swiss mainained a gap of less than a second from the Spaniard. Still, the Racing Engineering man drove flawlessly and was able to pocket a second GP2 win at the chequered flag, an encouraging result before the start of the main Series in Istanbul in May. Behind the two leaders, van der Garde eventually scored a second podium this weekend and with Coletti out of the race the Dutchman was guaranteed third place in the drivers' standings.

The final point for sixth place was taken by Michael Herck at Scuderia Coloni after Rodolfo Gonzalez retired mid-race following mechanical gremlins. With Grosjean's crown, Dams sealed a second Team title ahead of Lotus ART and Barwa Addax Team

‏   Imola - Sprint Race

Driver/Team

1.Dani Clos Racing Engineering2.Fabio LeimerRapax3.Giedo van der Garde Barwa Addax Team4.Romain Grosjean Dams5.Esteban GutierrezLotus ART6.Michael Herck Scuderia Coloni7.Pal Varhaug Dams8.Oliver Turvey Ocean Racing Technology9.Josef Kral Arden International10.Luca Filippi Scuderia Coloni11.Charles PicBarwa Addax Team12.Andrea Caldarelli Ocean Racing Technology13.Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering14.Luiz Razia Team AirAsia15.Max Chilton Carlin16.Marcus Ericsson iSport International17.Davide Valsecch iTeam AirAsia18.Julian Leal Rapax19.Johnny CecottoSuper Nova Racing20.Mikhail Aleshin Carlin

Not classified Sam BirdiSport International Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident Racing Jolyon PalmerArden International Jules Bianchi Lotus ART Stefano Coletti Trident Racing Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova Racing  

Fastest laptime : Romain Grosjean (Dams) - 1 :28.772 on lap 8 Drivers Standings DriverPoints1.Romain Grosjean272.Jules Bianchi183.