2008 GP2 Asia Series

The 2008 GP2 Asia Series, otherwise known as the 2008 FIA GP2 Asia Series, was the inaugural season of the FIA GP2 Asia Series, staged between 25 January and 12 April 2008 across ten races. The season would see Romain Grosjean claim the inaugural title at a canter, as the majority of teams who entered the 2007 GP2 Series entered the first Asian version of GP2.

The Asia Series would base itself at the Dubai Autodrome in the United Arab Emirates, and staged two tests before the opening round. The first race weekend was subsequently staged at the Dubai circuit, with Grosjean going on to claim victory in both races for ART Grand Prix.

The second round saw the Asia Series head to Indonesia, where Sébastien Buemi and Fairuz Fauzy claimed wins. The Series then supported its first Formula One Grand Prix in Malaysia, with Vitaly Petrov and Kamui Kobayashi adding their names to the winner's list.

Round four saw GP2 Asia again support F1, with the field racing around the Bahrain International Circuit, the first time that it had used a circuit that the main GP2 Series had used. Grosjean and Kobayashi would win those races, before the Series returned to Dubai for its finale a week later.

Grosjean sealed the title a week later at the finale, claiming victory in the UAE Feature before Marco Bonanomi claimed his maiden victory in the corresponding Sprint. Buemi and Petrov would subsequently finish in second and third in the Championship behind Grosjean, while ART Grand Prix secured the Teams' Championship.

Calendar
The inaugural FIA GP2 Asia Series calendar was unveiled on 17 September 2007, which confirmed that 2008 season would feature five rounds and ten races, using the same format as the senior series. The season would start with two tests at the Dubai Autodrome in mid-January, before the opening round at the Emirati circuit on 25 - 26 January, as part of the first "Grand Racing Event". The Series would then head to Indonesia and the Sentul International Circuit for its second round in mid-February, with the Series again forming part of a "Grand Racing" meeting.

Round three would be staged in mid-March, with GP2 Asia supporting Formula One and the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit. The Series would then remain on the F1 undercard for its fourth round in Bahrain, racing at the Bahrain International Circuit, marking the first time that the Asia Series had raced on a circuit the main GP2 Series had used. The inaugural GP2 Asia Series would then conclude a week later on 11-12 April back at Dubai, with the Series again forming part of the "Grand Racing" schedule.

Schedule
The full calendar for the 2008 FIA GP2 Asia Series Championship is shown below:

Entry List
The full 2008 FIA GP2 Asia Series entry list is outlined below:

Rules and Regulations
The GP2 Asia Series would follow the same sporting rulebook as the main GP2 Series, using the same race weekend format, scoring system, and base car.

Technical
For the inaugural GP2 Asia Series all 26 drivers would use identical Dallara-Renault GP2/05 cars, which were grandfathered over from the end of the 2007 GP2 Series to reduce costs. Furthermore, Bridgestone would supply all drivers with tyres, while Mecachrome/Renault would supply the same V8 engines as used by the main GP2 Series.

Sporting
For 2008 the GP2 Asia Series would use the same race format as the main GP2 Series, with practice and qualifying for the Feature Race on the Friday, the 180 km Feature Race on a Saturday, and a 120 km Sprint Race on a Sunday. Likewise, the Asia Series would use the same point scoring system, awarding ten points to the race winner, down to one point for eighth in the Feature Race, with the pole sitter and fastest lap sitter receiving bonus points. The grid for the Sprint Race would then be set with the top eight finishers from the Feature Race reversed, while points would be awarded for those that claimed first through sixth in the Sprint.

Championship Points
Outlined below is a full breakdown of the point scoring system for the 2006 FIA GP2 Asia Series:
 * * The fastest lap points were only awarded to a driver who set the fastest lap and completed 90% of the race distance.

2008 GP2 Asia Series Championship for Drivers
The full Championship standings from the 2008 GP2 Asia Series Championship for Drivers is outlined below:

2008 GP2 Asia Series Championship for Teams
The full Championship standings from the 2008 GP2 Asia Series Championship for Teams is outlined below: