GP2 Series

Review: TCF’s Top 10 GP2 Series Drivers of 2014

13 Mins read

1) Jolyon Palmer

In his fourth season, Jolyon Palmer finally put it all together to take the title, and it was one of the most consistently strong and impressive seasons seen in GP2 Series history. Driving for DAMS, Palmer took four race wins during the season, and the first time he failed to finish inside the points was after he had clinched the title in Sochi.

He started the year with a pole position in Bahrain, and although he couldn’t convert that into a win after a disappointing start, he showed that he was on the pace from the get-go, and despite starting the Sakhir Sprint race from sixth, took his first win of the season.

He took a couple of runners-up spot finishes in Spain before returning to the top step of the podium in Monaco; his move on Mitch Evans to take the lead during the Feature race was sublime and certainly deserving of the victory, and although his run of five consecutive podium finishes ended in the Sprint race, he was already beginning to hold a commanding lead in the championship.

Perhaps his finest and most defining weekend of the season however was in Monza. He was initially disqualified from qualifying due to a shortage of fuel in his tank, but put in a storming drive from last on the grid to finish eighth in the Feature race, which gave him pole position for the Sprint race, which he then converted that into victory.

After taking the victory in the Feature race at Sochi that confirmed the title, he had his first non-points finish in the Sprint race after being spun around at turn two, and then spun out of the final race of the year in Abu Dhabi, but nothing could hide his delight at becoming Champion.

He now leaves the series, with the champion not able to return to defend his title, and is aiming for Formula 1, but he could be the third GP2 Series champion in a row, after David Valsecchi and Fabio Leimer, to miss out on a race seat. He tested with the Sahara Force India team in the post-Abu Dhabi test, and could be in with a chance of taking the third driver’s role there that has proved beneficial for many drivers in the past.

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Long time motorsport fanatic, covering Formula 1 and the occassional other series. Feel free to give him a follow on Twitter at @Paul11MSport.
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