Germany replacement close for GP2, GP3

Organizers of the GP2 and GP3 series are close to adding an extra round to replace the canceled German Grand Prix support races.

At the Bahrain season opener, team bosses were informed that Qatar is the leading contender. But this would be contingent on being able to find funding for the freight of the teams and drivers to Qatar. An alternative would be to hold a standalone event in Europe, and Michel hopes to be able to inform the teams of the definitive plan at the next GP2 round at Barcelona next weekend.

"At the moment, it is not definite because we have several possibilities, but it is very likely we will put on another round and go back to 11 rounds for GP2 and eight rounds for GP3," Bruno Michel, boss of both series, told AUTOSPORT. "It's always a question of logistics and of costs. We are subsidizing the freight for the teams quite heavily and I don't want the teams to spend more money because of the economic situation.

"We have decreased the costs quite heavily in GP2 over the last two years and I want it to remain the same. Either it's in Europe, in which case the freight costs are zero, or if it's a flyaway we need to find a way to make sure we don't increase the costs for the teams."

The timing for the extra round is dependent on the location of the final venue. If the race is held in Qatar, it could slot in between the penultimate GP2 round at Sochi on Oct. 10-11 and the finale of both categories in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 28-29. But if it is a standalone event, it would be earlier in the year, potentially in the July slot originally slated for Germany.

"It depends," said Michel when asked about the timing. "If we stay in Europe [it could be at the same time as Germany] but if it's a flyaway it won't. It might be a standalone race, which we haven't done for a long time. It would be interesting."

A plan to go to Qatar could depend on the approval of existing venues Bahrain and Abu Dhabi because of the relationship between it and the region's two grand prix hosts.

Originally on Autosport.com