Round 8: Monza, Italy

Seven rounds have passed, 14 races have been completed and the championship decider is going down to the wire! The final round of the 2012 GP3 Series concludes in Monza, Italy and there are four drivers battling it out for their chance to take the prestigious GP3 Series Crown.

Just a few days ago, Round 7 of the GP3 Series took place at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit and it was Series leader Mitch Evans who took pole position and bagged himself a further four points advantage. It was a lively start to Race 1 with Daniel Abt and Antonio Felix Da Costa passing Evans but a crash for Ocean Racing Technology's Robert Cregan brought out the safety car. The race was red flagged due to extensive work required on the tyre barrier. Therefore Abt took his maiden victory in the Series after an amazing pass on both Felix Da Costa and Evans.

Race 2 was a thrilling encounter and it was MW Arden's Matias Laine who made an impressive start and became the ninth different winner during the season, which was also his debut win in the GP3 Series. Felix Da Costa and Conor Daly were on the rostrum whilst GP3 Series contenders Evans and Aaro Vainio failed to score.

The season finishes on a high at the historical Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Famous for it's long straights and fast corners, it's a race where even as the driver exits the final corner, you never know who is going to win due to the large tow you receive down the start/finish straight! A fitting circuit for the season finale and for two champions to be crowned as the Teams Championship be wrapped up this weekend, with Lotus GP on 329.5 and MW Arden on 276.5.

Evans has a 21.5 point margin over closest rival Antonio Felix Da Costa in the Drivers Standings. There are also two other fierce competitors in the hunt for glory with Aaro Vainio 24.5 points shy of the New Zealander and Daniel Abt 35 points back. With 48 points available to a driver in a race weekend, be sure not to miss the finale to one of the best ever GP3 Series seasons.

Pirelli's Racing Manager Mario Isola said, Having supplied the GP3 Series since 2010, it seems incredible that we are approaching the end of our third season in the category already. During that time, we have been able to accumulate a huge amount of experience, which has enabled us to fine-tune the compounds to best suit the demands of the championship and the needs of the young drivers that take part of it. For us it has been a privilege to see these young drivers move forward in their careers, and we hope that the knowledge they have picked up about tyre management and strategy will be useful to them as they aim for the pinnacle of the sport. Once more, the field has been exceptionally talented this year and we look forward to another exciting conclusion to the championship this weekend.