GP2 Champion Jolyon Palmer  was denied a chance to add to his record-breaking points tally in the Abu Dhabi Sprint Race this morning (Sunday), his final race in the category, after an accident on the opening lap.

Starting from seventh position, Palmer got away from the line well and overtook Mitch Evans into the first corner. He then immediately reigned-in DAMS team-mate Stephane Richelmi through the next sequence of corners, with a good run out of the turn seven hairpin allowing him to attack at the end of the long back straight. The two DAMS cars of Palmer and Richelmi ran wheel-to-wheel through turns eight and nine, allowing Evans and Stoffel Vandoorne to pressure them into turn 11. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for all of them to make the corner and Jolyon was the victim, spinning out into retirement.

This was an uncharacteristically disappointing result for Jolyon at the conclusion of a spectacularly successful year. Palmer finishes the season with an unprecedented 276 championship points, four wins, twelve podium finishes, and points finishes in all but two of the races, including every Feature Race.

Jolyon will return to action on the Yas Marina circuit this Tuesday (25 November), when he tests a Formula 1 car for the first time with Sahara Force India.

GP2 Abu Dhabi Sprint Race Result
1, S Coletti, Racing Engineering, 22 Laps
2, F Nasr, Carlin, +3.7s
3, A Pic, Campos, +5.3s
4, S Richelmi, DAMS, +9.2s
5, M Evans, Russian Time, +12.7s
6, S Vandoorne, ART Grand Prix, +13.7s
7, J Cecotto, Trident, +18.7s
8, R Marciello, Racing Engineering, +19.2s
9, S Canamasas, Trident, +24.3s
DNF, J Palmer

More to follow.