Drivers' Champion: Esteban Ocon Teams' Champion: ART Grand Prix
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Parent series: Formula One GP2 Series
The 2015 GP3 Series was the sixth season of the third-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also sixth season under the moniker of 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.[1] 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:[2]
Following the bankruptcy of the Marussia F1 team, Marussia Manor Racing decided to leave the GP3 Series.[41] With no replacement team found, the number of teams competing in the 2015 season was reduced to eight.
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.[43]
Points were awarded to the top 10 classified finishers in the race 1, and to the top 8 classified finishers in the race 2. The pole-sitter in the race 1 also received four points, and two points were given to the driver who set the fastest lap inside the top ten in both the race 1 and race 2. No extra points were awarded to the pole-sitter in the race 2.
Race 1 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
Race 2 points
Points were awarded to the top 8 classified finishers.
^Status Grand Prix competed under a Canadian license.
^Gómez competed under a state Venezuelan racing licence.
References
^"Palou wins race as Esteban Ocon crowned 2015 champion". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 29 November 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
^ abcdefgh"GP3 Series announce line up for 2013–15". GP3Series.com. GP2 Series Limited. 1 October 2012. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
^ ab"ART GP announce Alfonso Celis.Jr as first driver for 2015". GP3 Series. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 9 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
^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.
^ abSimmons, Marcus (11 March 2015). "Esteban Ocon completes move into GP3 with ART". Autosport. Haymarket. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
^ ab"McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award finalist Seb Morris to GP3 with Status". Autosport. Haymarket. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
^ ab"Fontana joins Status Grand Prix for 2015 GP3 campaign". GP3 Series. GP2 Series Limited. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
^ ab"Sandy Stuvik completes Status Gp3 line-up". GP3 Series. GP2 Series Limited. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
^ abcd"2015 GP3 line-up revealed for Koiranen GP". GP3 Series. GP2 Series Limited. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
^Allen, Peter (18 November 2015). "Matevos Isaakyan gets GP3 chance with Koiranen in Bahrain". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
^"Jimmy Eriksson joins Koiranen GP for 2014 campaign". GP3 Series. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
^ ab"Arden International confirms Ceccon for 2015 GP3 Series". GP3 Series. GP2 Series Limited. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
^ ab"Bernstorff completes Arden International's GP3 challenge". GP3 Series. GP2 Series Limited. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
^ ab"Pierwszy Polak w serii GP3. Aleksander Bosak dołącza do Arden International na sezon 2015" [The first Pole in the GP3 Series. Aleksander Bosak joins Arden International for 2015 season] (in Polish). Motorsport GP. 5 February 2015. Archived from the original on 9 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
^"Jenzer Motorsport complete team with Pal Varhaug". GP3 Series. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
^ abcDavid, Gruz (6 March 2015). "Jenzer retain Matheo Tuscher, add Ralph Boschung for GP3". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
^ ab"Campos Racing joins GP3 Series line-up in 2015". GP3 Series. 19 December 2014. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
^ abcdRook, Aaron (12 February 2015). "Alex Palou and Zaid Ashkanani Join Campos Racing in GP3". thecheckeredflag.co.uk. The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
^Allen, Peter (7 May 2015). "Samin Gomez secures GP3 return with Campos Racing". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
^"Campos Racing add Hoeher to Silverstone round line-up". GP3 Series. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
^Allen, Peter (1 September 2015). "Brandon Maisano joins Campos GP3 squad for Monza". PaddockScout. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
^Allen, Peter (7 October 2015). "Konstantin Tereshchenko to do Sochi GP3 round with Campos". PaddockScout. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
^ ab"Trident adds Artur Janosz to GP3 line-up". GP3 Series. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
^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.
^ abKhorounzhiy, Valentin (16 March 2015). "Oscar Tunjo secures GP3 drive with Trident". PaddockScout. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
^"Trident set to field Beitske Visser". GP3 Series. GP2 Motorsport limited. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
^"2015 Season: Round 6 Preview: Monza, Italy". GP2 Series. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
^Allen, Peter (8 October 2015). "Michele Beretta Joins Trident GP3 Team for Sochi". Paddock Scout.com. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
^"Reigning Champions DAMS confirm 2015 line-up". GP2 Series. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 8 January 2015. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
^Hensby, Paul (12 February 2015). "Briton Stoneman joins Red Bull Stable". thecheckeredflag.co.uk. The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
^David, Gruz (6 March 2015). "FIA entry list firms up 35-car European F3 field for 2015". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
^David, Gruz (16 March 2015). "GP3 graduate Niederhauser enters Lamborghini Super Trofeo". PaddockScout. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
^"O'Ward, Urratia join Team Pelfrey". Racer. Haymarket Publications. 19 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
^"Robert Visoiu completes Rapax 2015 line up". GP2 Series. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 6 March 2015. Archived from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
^"Bristol Sport racing driver Dino Zamparelli ready to take on Porsche Carrera Cup challenge". Bristol Post. Local World. 9 January 2015. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
^"Stanaway to start GP2 season with Status Grand Prix". GP2 Series. GP2 Motorsport Limited. 13 April 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
^Simmons, Marcus (7 November 2014). "Marussia Manor won't return to GP3 after F1 team closes doors". Autosport. Haymarket. Retrieved 7 November 2014.