2012 Bahrain 1st GP2 Series round
# 2012 Bahrain 1st GP2 Series round

The 2012 Bahrain 1st GP2 Series round was the second round of the 2012 GP2 Series. It was held on 21 and 22 April 2012 at Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain. The race supported the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix. The second round was held one week later as an independent round of the championship, the only one of its kind on the 2012 calendar.

The rounds were the first time the GP2 Series has visited the Bahrain International Circuit since 2007. The circuit was a regular fixture on the calendar of the now-defunct GP2 Asia Series from its inception in 2008 until 2011, when the race was cancelled due to anti-government protests. With the GP2 Asia series being discontinued at the end of the 2011 season and merged into its parent series, the Bahrain International Circuit returned to the larger GP2 Series as part of the series' expansion to include fly-away rounds.

In the week before the first race, Barwa Addax driver Josef Král was replaced by Dani Clos. Brendon Hartley also replaced Ocean Racing Technology's Jon Lancaster.

DAMS driver Davide Valsecchi qualified on pole for the first feature race, and won both the feature and sprint races.

The first race was also the first time that the series introduced the points system used by Formula One since 2010 for the feature race, with points awarded to the top ten drivers and twenty-five points awarded to the race winner. The points for the sprint race were changed too, with the winner receiving fifteen points and the top eight drivers scoring points. The points for pole and fastest lap were doubled as well.

## Classification

### Qualifying

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 3 | Davide Valsecchi | DAMS | 1:41.200 | 1 |
| 2 | 10 | Esteban Gutiérrez | Lotus GP | 1:41.479 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | Felipe Nasr | DAMS | 1:41.785 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | Fabio Leimer | Racing Engineering | 1:41.798 | 4 |
| 5 | 1 | Johnny Cecotto Jr. | Barwa Addax Team | 1:41.858 | 5 |
| 6 | 16 | Stéphane Richelmi | Trident Racing | 1:41.862 | 6 |
| 7 | 7 | Marcus Ericsson | iSport International | 1:41.933 | 17 |
| 8 | 9 | James Calado | Lotus GP | 1:41.939 | 7 |
| 9 | 23 | Luiz Razia | Arden International | 1:41.962 | 8 |
| 10 | 26 | Max Chilton | Carlin | 1:41.980 | 9 |
| 11 | 27 | Rio Haryanto | Carlin | 1:42.097 | 10 |
| 12 | 12 | Giedo van der Garde | Caterham Racing | 1:42.139 | 11 |
| 13 | 8 | Jolyon Palmer | iSport International | 1:42.156 | 12 |
| 14 | 2 | Dani Clos | Barwa Addax Team | 1:42.158 | 13 |
| 15 | 21 | Tom Dillmann | Rapax | 1:42.190 | 14 |
| 16 | 15 | Fabio Onidi | Scuderia Coloni | 1:42.374 | 15 |
| 17 | 11 | Rodolfo González | Caterham Racing | 1:42.409 | 16 |
| 18 | 6 | Nathanaël Berthon | Racing Engineering | 1:42.427 | 18 |
| 19 | 17 | Julián Leal | Trident Racing | 1:42.456 | 19 |
| 20 | 18 | Fabrizio Crestani | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 1:42.706 | 20 |
| 21 | 24 | Brendon Hartley | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:42.782 | 26 |
| 22 | 14 | Stefano Coletti | Scuderia Coloni | 1:42.853 | 21 |
| 23 | 25 | Nigel Melker | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:42.895 | 22 |
| 24 | 22 | Simon Trummer | Arden International | 1:43.014 | 23 |
| 25 | 19 | Giancarlo Serenelli | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 1:43.907 | 24 |
| 26 | 20 | Ricardo Teixeira | Rapax | 1:44.078 | 25 |

Notes:

* ^1 — Marcus Ericsson was given a ten-place grid penalty for causing an avoidable accident with Davide Valsecchi at Sepang.
* ^2 — Brendon Hartley received a five-place grid penalty for causing a collision with Giedo van der Garde during the qualifying session.

### Feature Race

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 3 | Davide Valsecchi | DAMS | 32 | 59:31.115 | 1 | 31 (25+4+2) |
| 2 | 23 | Luiz Razia | Arden International | 32 | +7.770 | 8 | 18 |
| 3 | 10 | Esteban Gutiérrez | Lotus GP | 32 | +13.528 | 2 | 15 |
| 4 | 26 | Max Chilton | Carlin | 32 | +14.088 | 9 | 12 |
| 5 | 9 | James Calado | Lotus GP | 32 | +16.278 | 7 | 10 |
| 6 | 21 | Tom Dillmann | Rapax | 32 | +16.559 | 14 | 8 |
| 7 | 5 | Fabio Leimer | Racing Engineering | 32 | +17.243 | 4 | 6 |
| 8 | 15 | Fabio Onidi | Scuderia Coloni | 32 | +28.109 | 15 | 4 |
| 9 | 27 | Rio Haryanto | Carlin | 32 | +32.846 | 10 | 2 |
| 10 | 24 | Brendon Hartley | Ocean Racing Technology | 32 | +36.093 | 26 | 1 |
| 11 | 16 | Stéphane Richelmi | Trident Racing | 32 | +37.377 | 6 | |
| 12 | 17 | Julián Leal | Trident Racing | 32 | +38.677 | 19 | |
| 13 | 7 | Marcus Ericsson | iSport International | 32 | +40.627 | 17 | |
| 14 | 18 | Fabrizio Crestani | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 32 | +41.009 | 20 | |
| 15 | 11 | Rodolfo González | Caterham Racing | 32 | +44.028 | 16 | |
| 16 | 22 | Simon Trummer | Arden International | 32 | +44.552 | 23 | |
| 17 | 20 | Ricardo Teixeira | Rapax | 32 | +47.776 | 25 | |
| 18 | 19 | Giancarlo Serenelli | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 32 | +52.464 | 24 | |
| 19 | 2 | Dani Clos | Barwa Addax Team | 30 | Brakes | 13 | |
| 20 | 25 | Nigel Melker | Ocean Racing Technology | 30 | Accident damage | 22 | |
| 21 | 6 | Nathanaël Berthon | Racing Engineering | 29 | Accident damage | 18 | |
| Ret | 1 | Johnny Cecotto Jr. | Barwa Addax Team | 16 | Collision | 5 | |
| Ret | 4 | Felipe Nasr | DAMS | 16 | Collision | 3 | |
| Ret | 12 | Giedo van der Garde | Caterham Racing | 16 | Accident damage | 11 | |
| Ret | 14 | Stefano Coletti | Scuderia Coloni | 2 | Collision | 21 | |
| DNS | 8 | Jolyon Palmer | iSport International | | Electrical | 12 | |
| Fastest lap: Davide Valsecchi (DAMS) — 1:44.380 (lap 25) ||||||||

Notes:

* ^3 — Dani Clos, Nigel Melker and Nathanaël Berthon were classified as having finished the race, as they had completed 90% of the winners race distance.

### Sprint race

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 3 | Davide Valsecchi | DAMS | 22 | 39:22.363 | 8 | 15 |
| 2 | 10 | Esteban Gutiérrez | Lotus GP | 22 | +0.399 | 6 | 12 |
| 3 | 9 | James Calado | Lotus GP | 22 | +10.617 | 4 | 10 |
| 4 | 23 | Luiz Razia | Arden International | 22 | +12.463 | 7 | 8 |
| 5 | 26 | Max Chilton | Carlin | 22 | +13.573 | 5 | 6 |
| 6 | 4 | Felipe Nasr | DAMS | 22 | +15.414 | 26 | 4 |
| 7 | 8 | Jolyon Palmer | iSport International | 22 | +22.950 | 25 | 2 |
| 8 | 22 | Simon Trummer | Arden International | 22 | +30.425 | 16 | 1 |
| 9 | 12 | Giedo van der Garde | Caterham Racing | 22 | +31.976 | 23 | 2 |
| 10 | 21 | Tom Dillmann | Rapax | 22 | +32.545 | 3 | |
| 11 | 2 | Dani Clos | Barwa Addax Team | 22 | +32.632 | 19 | |
| 12 | 5 | Fabio Leimer | Racing Engineering | 22 | +32.856 | 2 | |
| 13 | 20 | Ricardo Teixeira | Rapax | 22 | +36.275 | 17 | |
| 14 | 15 | Fabio Onidi | Scuderia Coloni | 22 | +36.477 | 1 | |
| 15 | 27 | Rio Haryanto | Carlin | 22 | +39.988 | 9 | |
| 16 | 7 | Marcus Ericsson | iSport International | 22 | +40.386 | 13 | |
| 17 | 17 | Julián Leal | Trident Racing | 22 | +47.410 | 12 | |
| 18 | 25 | Nigel Melker | Ocean Racing Technology | 22 | +56.196 | 20 | |
| 19 | 18 | Fabrizio Crestani | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 22 | +59.488 | 14 | |
| 20 | 19 | Giancarlo Serenelli | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 22 | +1:53.295 | 18 | |
| 21 | 11 | Rodolfo González | Caterham Racing | 22 | +2:12.968 | 15 | |
| 22 | 1 | Johnny Cecotto Jr. | Barwa Addax Team | 21 | Retired | 22 | |
| 23 | 14 | Stefano Coletti | Scuderia Coloni | 20 | Retired | 24 | |
| Ret | 6 | Nathanaël Berthon | Racing Engineering | 15 | Retired | 21 | |
| Ret | 24 | Brendon Hartley | Ocean Racing Technology | 2 | Retired | 10 | |
| Ret | 16 | Stéphane Richelmi | Trident Racing | 0 | Retired | 11 | |
| Fastest lap: Giedo van der Garde (Caterham Racing) — 1:45.650 (lap 3) ||||||||

Notes:

* ^4 — Felipe Nasr was given a five-place grid penalty for causing an avoidable collision with Johnny Cecotto Jr. in the feature race. He later started from the pit lane.
* ^5 — Rodolfo González received a post-race 20-second penalty.
* ^6 — Johnny Cecotto Jr. and Stefano Coletti were both classified as having finished the race, as they had completed 90% of the winners race distance.
* ^7 — Tom Dillmann started from the pit lane.

## Standings after the round

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 1 | Davide Valsecchi | 70 |
| 1 | 2 | Luiz Razia | 57 |
| 1 | 3 | Esteban Gutiérrez | 45 |
| 1 | 4 | James Calado | 35 |
| 1 | 5 | Max Chilton | 22 |
| Pos | Team | Points |
| 1 | DAMS | 92 |
| 2 | Lotus GP | 84 |
| 3 | Arden International | 58 |
| 4 | Carlin | 39 |
| 5 | Racing Engineering | 23 |

* Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
