2015 GP3 Series

2015 GP3 Series season
Previous:	2014	Next:	2016
Parent series: Formula One GP2 Series

The 2015 GP3 Series was the sixth season of the GP3 Series, a motor racing feeder series that was run in support of the 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship and sister series GP2. Thirty-one drivers represented eight teams over the course of the season's nine rounds, starting in Spain on 9 May and ending in Abu Dhabi on 29 November. It was the final season for the Dallara GP3/13-AER P57 V6 chassis and engine package that debuted in 2013. A new Dallara-built chassis was introduced for 2016 along with a Mecachrome normally-aspirated V6 engine.

French driver Esteban Ocon (ART Grand Prix) finished the campaign as the drivers' champion after a season-long battle with Trident driver Luca Ghiotto. Despite winning only one race in 2015 – the first race in Barcelona – Ocon took fourteen podium finishes, including a run of nine successive runner-up placings over the mid-course of the season. Ocon ultimately finished eight points clear of Ghiotto, who won a season-high five races. Another five-time winner, Marvin Kirchhöfer, completed the championship top three, some fifty-three points behind team-mate Ocon. The performances of Ocon and Kirchhöfer were more than enough for ART Grand Prix to regain the teams' championship title they had missed out on for the first time in 2014. Five other drivers took race victories during the 2015 season; Arden International pairing Emil Bernstorff and Kevin Ceccon each took two victories, while Jimmy Eriksson, Álex Palou and Óscar Tunjo each took sprint race victories, which were held with partially-reversed grids – an inversion of the top eight finishers in the previous day's feature race.

Teams and drivers

The following teams competed in the 2015 season:^[1]

Team	No.	Drivers	Rounds
Carlin[1]	1	Antonio Fuoco[2]	All
	2	Jann Mardenborough[3]	1–5, 7–8
		Adderly Fong[4]	9
	3	Mitchell Gilbert[5]	All
ART Grand Prix[1]	4	Alfonso Celis Jr.[6]	1–5, 7–9
	5	Marvin Kirchhöfer[7]	All
	6	Esteban Ocon[8]	All
Status Grand Prix[1]	7	Seb Morris[9]	All
	8	Alex Fontana[10]	All
	9	Sandy Stuvik[11]	All
Koiranen GP[1]	10	Adderly Fong[12]	1–5, 7
		Matevos Isaakyan[13]	8–9
	11	Jimmy Eriksson[14]	All
	12	Matt Parry[12]	All
Arden International[1]	14	Kevin Ceccon[15]	All
	15	Emil Bernstorff[16]	All
	16	Aleksander Bosak[17]	All
Jenzer Motorsport[1]	20	Pål Varhaug[18]	All
	21	Mathéo Tuscher[19]	All
	22	Ralph Boschung[19]	All
Campos Racing[20]	23	Zaid Ashkanani[21]	All
	24	Álex Palou[21]	All
	25	Samin Gómez[22]	1–2, 4
		Christopher Höher[23]	3
		Brandon Maïsano[24]	6
		Konstantin Tereshchenko[25]	7–9
Trident[1]	26	Artur Janosz[26]	All
	27	Luca Ghiotto[27]	All
	28	Óscar Tunjo[28]	1–3
		Beitske Visser[29]	5
		Amaury Bonduel[30]	6
		Michele Beretta[31]	7–9

Driver changes

Changing teams

• Emil Bernstorff switched from Carlin to Arden International.^[16]
• Kevin Ceccon switched from Jenzer Motorsport to Arden International.^[15]
• Alfonso Celis Jr., who raced for Status Grand Prix switched to ART Grand Prix.^[6]
• Adderly Fong moved from Jenzer Motorsport to Koiranen GP.^[12]
• Alex Fontana left ART Grand Prix to join Status Grand Prix.^[10]
• Mitchell Gilbert and Jann Mardenborough, who raced for Trident and Arden International respectively in 2014, raced for Carlin.^[3][5]

Entering GP3

• 2014 European Formula 3 Championship winner Esteban Ocon stepped up to the series with ART Grand Prix.^[8]
• Zaid Ashkanani, the 2014 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East champion, moved into the series with Campos Racing.^[21]
• Aleksander Bosak graduated from the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps series, joining Arden International.^[17]
• Seb Morris stepped up to the series from Formula Renault 2.0 NEC, joining Status Grand Prix.^[9]
• Matt Parry graduated to the series with Koiranen GP, having competed in various Formula Renault series in 2014.^[12]
• ADAC Formel Masters driver Ralph Boschung graduated to the series with Jenzer Motorsport.^[19]
• Antonio Fuoco, who finished fifth in the 2014 European Formula 3 Championship, moved into the series – as a Ferrari Driver Academy member – with Carlin.^[2]
• The top three drivers from the 2014 Euroformula Open Championship competed in the GP3 Series in 2015. Sandy Stuvik, Artur Janosz and Álex Palou made their débuts with Status Grand Prix, Trident and Campos Racing respectively.^[11][21][26]
• 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Series driver Óscar Tunjo moved to the GP3 Series with Trident.^[28]

Leaving GP3

• 2014 series champion Alex Lynn left the series to compete in GP2 with DAMS.^[32]
• 2014 series runner-up Dean Stoneman left the series to compete in Formula Renault 3.5 with DAMS, after joining the Red Bull Junior Team.^[33]
• Kang Ling left the series to compete in the European Formula 3 Championship with kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport.^[34]
• Patric Niederhauser left the GP3 Series and moved to the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe with the Raton Racing team.^[35]
• Santiago Urrutia left the series to compete in the Pro Mazda Championship with Team Pelfrey.^[36]
• Robert Vișoiu left the series to compete in GP2 with Rapax.^[37]
• Dino Zamparelli left the series to compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain with Parr Motorsport.^[38]
• Richie Stanaway left the series to compete in GP2 with Status Grand Prix.^[39]

Team changes

• Following the bankruptcy of the Marussia F1 team, Marussia Manor Racing decided to leave the GP3 Series.^[40] With no replacement team found, the number of teams competing in the 2015 season was reduced to eight.
• Campos Racing entered the series, replacing Hilmer Motorsport.^[20]

Calendar

In December 2014, the full 2015 calendar was revealed with nine events.^[41]

Round		Circuit/Location	Country	Date	Supporting
1	Feature	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona	Spain	9 May	Spanish Grand Prix
	Sprint			10 May
2	Feature	Red Bull Ring, Spielberg	Austria	20 June	Austrian Grand Prix
	Sprint			21 June
3	Feature	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	United Kingdom	4 July	British Grand Prix
	Sprint			5 July
4	Feature	Hungaroring, Budapest	Hungary	25 July	Hungarian Grand Prix
	Sprint			26 July
5	Feature	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps	Belgium	22 August	Belgian Grand Prix
	Sprint			23 August
6	Feature	Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza	Italy	5 September	Italian Grand Prix
	Sprint			6 September
7	Feature	Sochi Autodrom, Sochi	Russia	11 October	Russian Grand Prix
	Sprint
8	Feature	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir	Bahrain	20 November	6 Hours of Bahrain
	Sprint			21 November
9	Feature	Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi	United Arab Emirates	28 November	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
	Sprint			29 November

Calendar changes

• The series was scheduled to run in support of the German Grand Prix, at a venue that, at the time of the calendar's publication, had not yet been decided. With the cancellation of the German Grand Prix, the planned GP2 meeting was rescheduled to Bahrain International Circuit in the 2015 6 Hours of Bahrain weekend.^[42]

Results

Round		Circuit	Pole position	Fastest lap	Winning driver	Winning team	Report
1	F	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya	Luca Ghiotto	Esteban Ocon	Esteban Ocon	ART Grand Prix	Report
	S			Marvin Kirchhöfer	Marvin Kirchhöfer	ART Grand Prix
2	F	Red Bull Ring	Luca Ghiotto	Luca Ghiotto	Luca Ghiotto	Trident	Report
	S			Luca Ghiotto	Óscar Tunjo	Trident
3	F	Silverstone Circuit	Marvin Kirchhöfer	Luca Ghiotto	Marvin Kirchhöfer	ART Grand Prix	Report
	S			Kevin Ceccon	Kevin Ceccon	Arden International
4	F	Hungaroring	Luca Ghiotto	Luca Ghiotto	Luca Ghiotto	Trident	Report
	S			Esteban Ocon	Kevin Ceccon	Arden International
5	F	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps	Luca Ghiotto	Luca Ghiotto	Emil Bernstorff	Arden International	Report
	S			Luca Ghiotto	Luca Ghiotto	Trident
6	F	Autodromo Nazionale Monza	Luca Ghiotto	Emil Bernstorff	Emil Bernstorff	Arden International	Report
	S			Luca Ghiotto	Marvin Kirchhöfer	ART Grand Prix
7	F	Sochi Autodrom	Esteban Ocon	Esteban Ocon	Luca Ghiotto	Trident	Report
	S			Esteban Ocon	Jimmy Eriksson	Koiranen GP
8	F	Bahrain International Circuit	Esteban Ocon	Luca Ghiotto	Marvin Kirchhöfer	ART Grand Prix	Report
	S			Luca Ghiotto	Luca Ghiotto	Trident
9	F	Yas Marina Circuit	Esteban Ocon	Esteban Ocon	Marvin Kirchhöfer	ART Grand Prix	Report
	S			Álex Palou	Álex Palou	Campos Racing

Championship standings

Scoring system

Points were awarded to the top 10 classified finishers in the Feature race, and to the top 8 classified finishers in the Sprint race. The pole-sitter in the feature race also received four points, and two points were given to the driver who set the fastest lap inside the top ten in both the feature and sprint races. No extra points were awarded to the pole-sitter in the sprint race.

Feature race points

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	Pole	FL
Points	25	18	15	12	10	8	6	4	2	1	4	2

Sprint race points

Points were awarded to the top 8 classified finishers.

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	FL
Points	15	12	10	8	6	4	2	1	2

Drivers' championship

Pos. Driver ESP AUT GBR HUN BEL ITA RUS BHR ABU Points 1 Esteban Ocon 1 7 3 DSQ 6 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 4 3 253 2 Luca Ghiotto 2 8 1 3 4 7 1 4 5 1 Ret 3 1 8 4 1 5 4 245 3 Marvin Kirchhöfer 5 1 6 2 1 8 3 5 3 Ret 4 1 9 7 1 6 1 7 200 4 Emil Bernstorff 3 5 4 4 2 6 4 Ret 1 Ret 1 Ret 3 6 2 4 2 6 194 5 Jimmy Eriksson 6 2 20† 10 5 4 6 6 13 16 5 5 8 1 5 7 3 5 118 6 Antonio Fuoco 8 4 2 Ret 18 23 8 Ret 4 Ret Ret 11 6 4 9 5 7 2 88 7 Kevin Ceccon 7 6 Ret DNS 7 1 7 1 Ret 13 3 4 Ret DNS 14 18 Ret 10 77 8 Matt Parry 13 9 13 7 3 5 5 3 Ret Ret DSQ Ret 7 Ret 11 3 6 24 67 9 Jann Mardenborough         4 3 5 13 17 15 Ret 17 Ret 12 5 3 7 Ret 58 10 Álex Palou 12 20 14 Ret Ret 13 19 18 7 5 7 10 4 9 Ret 10 8 1 51 11 Ralph Boschung Ret 14 8 8 8 3 13 8 9 8 9 7 11 DNS 10 9 12 11 28 12 Alfonso Celis Jr. 10 10 15 Ret 13 11 18 15 6 3 13 12 8 8 Ret 19 24 13 Mathéo Tuscher 14 13 12 DSQ 10 9 10 9 Ret 4 6 6 Ret Ret 12 Ret 16 14 22 14 Artur Janosz 15 12 21 9 9 17 16 Ret 12 7 16 Ret 10 5 6 12 10 9 20 15 Óscar Tunjo 16 11 9 1 11 10 17 16 Alex Fontana 9 16 10 6 19 18 14 13 10 6 8 16 19 11 19 19 15 13 16 17 Sandy Stuvik 18 17 7 Ret 22 20 22 14 Ret 17 11 8 16 17 13 Ret 17 16 7 18 Seb Morris Ret 24 19 5 15 12 12 12 Ret 14 DSQ Ret 14 10 16 Ret 13 15 6 19 Pål Varhaug 21 18 11 Ret 16 19 9 7 Ret 10 Ret 14 Ret 14 Ret Ret 11 8 5 20 Aleksander Bosak 19 23 16 15 14 16 17 19 8 Ret 15 Ret Ret 20 Ret 16 18 23 4 21 Matevos Isaakyan Ret 14 9 12 2 22 Mitchell Gilbert 22† 22 Ret 11 20 21 11 10 11 11 10 9 12 15 15 11 14 17 1 23 Adderly Fong 17 21 17 12 12 14 15 11 15 9 15 18 Ret 22 0 24 Zaid Ashkanani 11 15 18 14 21 22 20 16 14 18 13 15 20 19 17 13 19 21 0 25 Brandon Maïsano 12 13 0 26 Amaury Bonduel 14 12 0 27 Michele Beretta 18 13 20 15 20 18 0 28 Beitske Visser Ret 15 0 29 Konstantin Tereshchenko 17 16 18 17 Ret 20 0 30 Samin Gómez 20 19 Ret 16 21 Ret 0 31 Christopher Höher 23 24 0 Pos. Driver ESP AUT GBR HUN BEL ITA RUS BHR ABU Points

Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not participate (DNP) Excluded (EX) Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap

Notes

• † — Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.

Teams' championship

Pos.	Team	No.	ESP		AUT		GBR		HUN		BEL		ITA		RUS		BHR		ABU		Points
1	ART Grand Prix	4	10	10	15	Ret	13	11	18	15	6	3			13	12	8	8	Ret	19	477
		5	5	1	6	2	1	8	3	5	3	Ret	4	1	9	7	1	6	1	7
		6	1	7	3	DSQ	6	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	2	4	3
2	Trident	26	15	12	21	9	9	17	16	Ret	12	7	16	Ret	10	5	6	12	10	9	282
		27	2	8	1	3	4	7	1	4	5	1	Ret	3	1	8	4	1	5	4
		28	16	11	9	1	11	10			Ret	15	14	12	18	13	20	15	20	18
3	Arden International	14	7	6	Ret	DNS	7	1	7	1	Ret	13	3	4	Ret	DNS	14	18	Ret	10	275
		15	3	5	4	4	2	6	4	Ret	1	Ret	1	Ret	3	6	2	4	2	6
		16	19	23	16	15	14	16	17	19	8	Ret	15	Ret	Ret	20	Ret	16	18	23
4	Koiranen GP	10	17	21	17	12	12	14	15	11	15	9			15	18	Ret	14	9	12	187
		11	6	2	20†	10	5	4	6	6	13	16	5	5	8	1	5	7	3	5
		12	13	9	13	7	3	5	5	3	Ret	Ret	DSQ	Ret	7	Ret	11	3	6	24
5	Carlin	1	8	4	2	Ret	18	23	8	Ret	4	Ret	Ret	11	6	4	9	5	7	2	147
		2	4	3	5	13	17	15	Ret	17	Ret	12			5	3	7	Ret	Ret	22
		3	22†	22	Ret	11	20	21	11	10	11	11	10	9	12	15	15	11	14	17
6	Jenzer Motorsport	20	21	18	11	Ret	16	19	9	7	Ret	10	Ret	14	Ret	14	Ret	Ret	11	8	55
		21	14	13	12	DSQ	10	9	10	9	Ret	4	6	6	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	16	14
		22	Ret	14	8	8	8	3	13	8	9	8	9	7	11	DNS	10	9	12	11
7	Campos Racing	23	11	15	18	14	21	22	20	16	14	18	13	15	20	19	17	13	19	21	51
		24	12	20	14	Ret	Ret	13	19	18	7	5	7	10	4	9	Ret	10	8	1
		25	20	19	Ret	16	23	24	21	Ret			12	13	17	16	18	17	Ret	20
8	Status Grand Prix	7	Ret	24	19	5	15	12	12	12	Ret	14	DSQ	Ret	14	10	16	Ret	13	15	29
		8	9	16	10	6	19	18	14	13	10	6	8	16	19	11	19	19	15	13
		9	18	17	7	Ret	22	20	22	14	Ret	17	11	8	16	17	13	Ret	17	16
Pos.	Team	No.	ESP		AUT		GBR		HUN		BEL		ITA		RUS		BHR		ABU		Points

References

1. "GP3 Series announce line up for 2013–15". GP3Series.com (GP2 Series Limited). 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
2. "Fuoco to Carlin for GP3". GP3 Series (GP2 Series Limited). 23 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
3. "Mardenborough completes Carlin GP3 line-up". GP3 Series (GP2 Series Limited). 18 March 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
4. Allen, Peter (26 November 2015). "Mardenborough replaced by Fong at Carlin for GP3 finale". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
5. "Carlin add Gilbert to GP3 line-up". GP3 Series (GP2 Motorsport Limited). 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
6. "ART GP announce Alfonso Celis.Jr as first driver for 2015". GP3 Series (GP2 Motorsport Limited). 9 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
7. Simmons, Marcus (3 March 2015). "GP3 racer Marvin Kirchhofer to race in European F3 as well in 2015". Autosport (Haymarket). Retrieved 3 March 2015. Kirchhofer will also remain in GP3 for a second season with ART Grand Prix, and that this programme will take priority when there are any date clashes.
8. Simmons, Marcus (11 March 2015). "Esteban Ocon completes move into GP3 with ART". Autosport (Haymarket). Retrieved 11 March 2015.
9. "McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award finalist Seb Morris to GP3 with Status". Autosport (Haymarket). 9 March 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
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19. David, Gruz (6 March 2015). "Jenzer retain Matheo Tuscher, add Ralph Boschung for GP3". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
20. "Campos Racing joins GP3 Series line-up in 2015". GP3 Series. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
21. Rook, Aaron (12 February 2015). "Alex Palou and Zaid Ashkanani Join Campos Racing in GP3". thecheckeredflag.co.uk (The Checkered Flag). Retrieved 12 February 2015.
22. Allen, Peter (7 May 2015). "Samin Gomez secures GP3 return with Campos Racing". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
23. "Campos Racing add Hoeher to Silverstone round line-up". GP3 Series (GP2 Motorsport Limited). 1 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
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26. "Trident adds Artur Janosz to GP3 line-up". GP3 Series (GP2 Motorsport Limited). 2 March 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
27. Costa, Massimo (9 January 2015). "Ghiotto e Trident trovano l'accordo" [Agreement between Ghiotto and Trident]. ItaliaRacing.net (in Italian) (Inpagina). Retrieved 9 January 2015.
28. Khorounzhiy, Valentin (16 March 2015). "Oscar Tunjo secures GP3 drive with Trident". PaddockScout. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
29. "Trident set to field Beitske Visser". GP3 Series (GP2 Motorsport limited). 19 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
30. "2015 Season: Round 6 Preview: Monza, Italy". GP2 Series. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
31. Allen, Peter (2015-10-08). "Michele Beretta Joins Trident GP3 Team for Sochi". Paddock Scout.com. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
32. "Reigning Champions DAMS confirm 2015 line-up". GP2 Series (GP2 Motorsport Limited). 8 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
33. Hensby, Paul (12 February 2015). "Briton Stoneman joins Red Bull Stable". thecheckeredflag.co.uk (The Checkered Flag). Retrieved 12 February 2015.
34. David, Gruz (6 March 2015). "FIA entry list firms up 35-car European F3 field for 2015". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
35. David, Gruz (16 March 2015). "GP3 graduate Niederhauser enters Lamborghini Super Trofeo". PaddockScout. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
36. "O'Ward, Urratia join Team Pelfrey". Racer (Haymarket Publications). 19 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
37. "Robert Visoiu completes Rapax 2015 line up". GP2 Series (GP2 Motorsport Limited). 6 March 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
38. "Bristol Sport racing driver Dino Zamparelli ready to take on Porsche Carrera Cup challenge". Bristol Post (Local World). 9 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
39. "Stanaway to start GP2 season with Status Grand Prix". GP2 Series (GP2 Motorsport Limited). 13 April 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
40. Simmons, Marcus (7 November 2014). "Marussia Manor won't return to GP3 after F1 team closes doors". Autosport (Haymarket). Retrieved 7 November 2014.
41. "2015 International Series" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
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External links

• Official website