The 2011 Superleague season is the 12th GPVWC Superleague season.
2011 turned out to be another year in which the reigning Champion, Finnish Janne Tanskanen, would not be defending his title. Tanskanen announced his retirement officially in a press statement just before Christmas, on the 23rd of December, 2010.
While the league clearly loses out on one hand, on another hand some people considered that both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships to be thrown wide open. New talent had emerged at the end of the previous season and the rumour was that the league would be losing another of its top racing drivers and previous champion, Joe Consiglio, through retirement.
In the event, Consiglio didn't retire - signing another contract with Nordsjoen was surely going to keep the teams hopes high for consolidating a record-equalling three consecutive Constructors' titles in a row.
Pre-season
Testing
Report
Teams and drivers
Team
|
Base
|
Constructor
|
Chassis
|
Engine
|
Tyre
|
No.
|
Race Drivers
|
Rounds
|
Test/Reserve Driver(s)
|
Nordsjoen Racing
|
Cardiff, UK
|
Nordsjoen Racing
|
NR004
|
Mercedes-Benz FO-108X
|
P
|
0
|
Jyri Lylykorpi
|
1-4, 6-9
|
Georgios Davakos Pavel Loknovski
|
2
|
Joe Consiglio
|
1-9
|
Woods Racing
|
Croydon, UK
|
Woods Racing
|
WR11a
|
Mercedes-Benz FO-108X
|
P
|
3
|
Mark Wicks
|
1-9
|
Gregg Lawson Dan Rusu
|
4
|
Kieran Ryan
|
1-9
|
Red Archer Virtual Racing Team
|
Rethymno, Greece
|
Red Archer
|
|
Renault RS29
|
P
|
5
|
Jason Muscat
|
1–9
|
Leontin Nemet Nikos Evangelidakis
|
6
|
David Jundt
|
1–9
|
Constant Racing
|
St. Helens, UK
|
Constant Racing
|
CR-SL11
|
Renault RS29
|
P
|
7
|
Mark Stanton
|
1–9
|
Luis Fernando Laaff Robert Rose
|
8
|
William Ponissi
|
1–5, 8
|
Luis Fernando Laaff
|
6-9
|
Synergetic Motorsports
|
Belfast, UK
|
Synergetic Motorsports
|
SM-11
|
Ferrari 056
|
P
|
9
|
Christoph Lichtenstein
|
1–9
|
Ryan McConkey Liam Hatchell Mal McKee
|
10
|
Sam Millar
|
1–8
|
Computrac Motorsports
|
Zolder, Belgium
|
Computrac Motorsports
|
|
BMW P867
|
P
|
11
|
Gavin Thomas
|
1–3, 9
|
Marco Vandenbroeck
|
12
|
Ben Morgan
|
1–5, 8-9
|
Draig Racing
|
Maerdy, UK
|
Draig Racing
|
|
Ferrari 056
|
P
|
14
|
Lee Morris
|
1–9
|
Sean Scott
|
15
|
Ryan Walker
|
1–9
|
ST Racing
|
Chandler's Ford, UK
|
ST Racing
|
|
BMW P867
|
P
|
16
|
Mark Fuller
|
1–2, 4, 6-8
|
Luke McKee
|
Luke McKee
|
3, 5, 9
|
17
|
David Stanton
|
1–9
|
European Williamson Dynamics GP
|
Berlin, Germany
|
Williamson Dynamics
|
|
Mercedes-Benz FO-108X
|
P
|
18
|
Tim-Oliver Wagner
|
1-5
|
Adam Smith Teemu Toikka
|
Teemu Toikka
|
6-9
|
19
|
Ojay Clark
|
1–9
|
Nijo Racing
|
Nantwich, UK
|
Nijo Racing
|
NR11B
|
Toyota RVX-09
|
P
|
20
|
Ashley Walsh
|
5
|
Ben Warren Chris Williamson Tom Parker
|
Chris Williamson
|
2, 6, 9
|
Tom Parker
|
1, 3-4
|
Ben Warren
|
7-8
|
21
|
Abdel Damghi
|
2-9
|
Chris Williamson
|
1
|
Triple-Double Racing
|
Oxford, UK
|
TDR
|
TDR001
|
Toyota TVX-09
|
P
|
22
|
Phil Perkins
|
1–8
|
Philip Cullen Adam Rouse
|
23
|
Adam Rouse
|
1-6
|
Bart De Vos
|
7-9
|
Midnight Motorsport
|
UK
|
Midnight Motorsport
|
|
Renault RS29
|
P
|
24
|
Dave Carr-Smith
|
1–4, 6-8
|
|
25
|
Nick Rowland
|
1–4, 6, 9
|
† Mal McKee replaced himself as test/reserve driver with Liam Hatchell after the Japanese grand prix.
‡ Adam Rouse pulled out of the competition after the Austrian grand prix.
New entries
The first new team to secure a place in the Superleague was Nijo Racing, owned and managed by Chris Williamson. Nijo came straight in from a successful Masters season, bypassing the Supercup, and looking eager to carry that success into the Superleague. Initially having signed Tom Parker and Ashley Walsh, the team underwent many changes in driver line-up in the first half of the season, with Parker pulling out after only a few races.
Triple-Double Racing was the next team to secure a place in the Superleague, founded and initially managed by Ben Warren before Phil Perkins took the reins scant days before the opening race. Driver Jyri Lylykorpi was initially linked with the team, however the team secured GPVWC stalwarts Adam Rouse and Phil Perkins.
The final new team to secure a place was Midnight Motorsport. Driver Nick Rowland's brainchild, the team managed to secure both himself and experienced racing driver and manager Dave Carr-Smith, which seemed to promise a strong team in bid for the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships. Reliability problems and bad luck were the order of the day for the beginning of the season for Midnight, however.
Team changes
Driver changes
2011 Calendar
Round
|
Race Title
|
Grand Prix
|
Circuit
|
Conditions
|
Mod
|
Date
|
Time
|
Track time
|
GMT
|
1
|
Australian Grand Prix
|
Australian GP
|
Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
24th March
|
???
|
19:00
|
2
|
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
|
Abu Dhabi GP
|
Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
31st March
|
???
|
19:00
|
3
|
Japanese Grand Prix
|
Japanese GP
|
Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Mie
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
7th April
|
???
|
19:00
|
4
|
Chinese Grand Prix
|
Chinese GP
|
Shanghai International Circuit
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
21st April
|
???
|
19:00
|
5
|
South African Grand Prix
|
South African GP
|
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
5th May
|
???
|
19:00
|
6
|
Austrian Grand Prix
|
Austrian GP
|
A1-Ring
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
12th May
|
???
|
19:00
|
7
|
French Grand Prix
|
French GP
|
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
19th May
|
???
|
19:00
|
8
|
Monaco Grand Prix
|
Monaco GP
|
Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
2nd June
|
12:30 pm
|
19:00
|
9
|
British Grand Prix
|
British GP
|
Silverstone Circuit
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
16th June
|
???
|
19:00
|
10
|
Bahrain Grand Prix
|
Bahrain GP
|
Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
23rd June
|
???
|
19:00
|
11
|
San Marino Grand Prix
|
San Marino GP
|
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, San Marino
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
7th July
|
???
|
19:00
|
12
|
Turkish Grand Prix
|
Turkish GP
|
Istanbul Park
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
14th July
|
???
|
19:00
|
13
|
Mexican Grand Prix
|
Mexican GP
|
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
28th July
|
???
|
19:00
|
14
|
Canadian Grand Prix
|
Canadian GP
|
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
25th August
|
???
|
19:00
|
15
|
Brazilian Grand Prix
|
Brazilian GP
|
Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
1st September
|
???
|
19:00
|
16
|
Italian Grand Prix
|
Italian GP
|
Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
15th September
|
???
|
19:00
|
17
|
Spanish Grand Prix
|
Spanish GP
|
Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
29th September
|
???
|
19:00
|
18
|
Belgian Grand Prix
|
Belgian GP
|
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
6th October
|
???
|
19:00
|
19
|
Dutch Grand Prix
|
Dutch GP
|
Circuit Park Zandvoort
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
13th October
|
???
|
19:00
|
20
|
Singapore Grand Prix
|
Singapore GP
|
Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore
|
Sunny
|
rFactor v1255
|
20th October
|
???
|
19:00
|
Changes
Rule changes
Qualifying
Results and standings
Grands Prix
Scoring system
Points are awarded to the top 10 classified finishers.
Position
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
6th
|
7th
|
8th
|
9th
|
10th
|
Points
|
15
|
12
|
10
|
8
|
6
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
Drivers standings
|
Key
Colour |
Result
|
Gold |
Winner
|
Silver |
2nd place
|
Bronze |
3rd place
|
Green |
Points finish
|
Blue
|
Non-points finish
|
Non-classified finish (NC)
|
Purple |
Did not finish (Ret)
|
Red
|
Did not qualify (DNQ)
|
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
|
Black |
Disqualified (DSQ)
|
White
|
Did not start (DNS)
|
Race cancelled (C)
|
Light blue
|
Practiced only (PO)
|
Blank
|
Did not participate (-)
|
Excluded (EX)
|
Withdrew entry before the event (WD)
|
Bold - Pole
Italics - Fastest lap
|
† Drivers did not finish the Grand Prix, but were classified as they completed over 75% of the race distance.
Constructors standings
|
Key
Colour |
Result
|
Gold |
Winner
|
Silver |
2nd place
|
Bronze |
3rd place
|
Green |
Points finish
|
Blue
|
Non-points finish
|
Non-classified finish (NC)
|
Purple |
Did not finish (Ret)
|
Red
|
Did not qualify (DNQ)
|
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
|
Black |
Disqualified (DSQ)
|
White
|
Did not start (DNS)
|
Race cancelled (C)
|
Light blue
|
Practiced only (PO)
|
Blank
|
Did not participate (-)
|
Excluded (EX)
|
Withdrew entry before the event (WD)
|
Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap
|
† Cars did not finish the Grand Prix, but were classified as they completed over 75% of the race distance.