GP2 adds Jerez to 2017 calendar, Bahrain returns

Organisers of the GP2 Series have confirmed the category’s 11-round calendar for the 2017 season.

As revealed by Motorsport Week earlier on Friday, the season will start alongside Formula 1 in Bahrain, which returns to the calendar after a year's absence, and also incorporates a standalone round at the Circuito de Jerez, a new race venue for the series.

Jerez will be the penultimate round of the campaign in October, though clashes with Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix, which takes place at Suzuka on the same weekend.

The GP3 calendar has also been confirmed, with the category joining GP2 at eight of the 11 events, missing rounds in Bahrain, Monaco and Baku, a reduction on the nine-round 2016 roster.

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“I am pleased to reveal this season’s calendar which is made of eleven race weekends again, including ten events alongside Formula One and the return of Sakhir,” said GP2 and GP3 series boss Bruno Michel.

“We’re delighted to race in Jerez between Monza and Abu Dhabi.

“We wanted to have the same number of events (11) including three flyaway rounds in 2017 as in the previous year, but we were mindful of freight costs.

“This meant not adding a fourth flyaway round and staying in Europe for a standalone event.

"[In GP3] in order to control the costs, we have decided to have only one flyaway event this year, which will be Abu Dhabi in November.

"We are also delighed to take GP3 racing alongside GP2 in Jerez in October between Monza and the final round of the season."

Events in Germany and Malaysia have been dropped from the calendar.

GP2 and GP3 calendars 2017:

*GP2 only