2012 Bahrain 1st GP2 Series round

{{Infobox GP2 round report

| Country = Bahrain

| Grand Prix = 1st Bahrain

| Round_No = 2

| Season_No = 12

| Image = Bahrain International Circuit--Grand Prix Layout.svg

| Caption =

| Year = 2012

| Location = Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain

| Course = Permanent racing facility

| Course_mi = 3.359

| Course_km = 5.412

| Date_r1 = 21 April

| Laps_r1 = 32

| Pole_driver_country = Italy

| Pole_driver = Davide Valsecchi

| Pole_team = DAMS

| Pole_time = 1:41.200

| First_driver_country_r1 = Italy

| First_driver_r1 = Davide Valsecchi

| First_team_r1 = DAMS

| Second_driver_country_r1 = Brazil

| Second_driver_r1 = Luiz Razia

| Second_team_r1 = Arden International

| Third_driver_country_r1 = Mexico

| Third_driver_r1 = Esteban Gutiérrez

| Third_team_r1 = Lotus GP

| Fast_driver_country_r1 = Italy

| Fast_driver_r1 = Davide Valsecchi

| Fast_team_r1 = DAMS

| Fast_time_r1 = 1:44.380

| Fast_lap_r1 = 25

| Date_r2 = 22 April

| Laps_r2 = 23

| First_driver_country_r2 = Italy

| First_driver_r2 = Davide Valsecchi

| First_team_r2 = DAMS

| Second_driver_country_r2 = Mexico

| Second_driver_r2 = Esteban Gutiérrez

| Second_team_r2 = Lotus GP

| Third_driver_country_r2 = GBR

| Third_driver_r2 = James Calado

| Third_team_r2 = Lotus GP

| Fast_driver_country_r2 = Netherlands

| Fast_driver_r2 = Giedo van der Garde

| Fast_team_r2 = Caterham Racing

| Fast_time_r2 = 1:45.650

| Fast_lap_r2 = 3

}}

The 2012 Bahrain 1st GP2 Series round was the second round of the 2012 GP2 Series. It was held on 21 and 22 April 2012 at Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain.{{cite news|title=GP2 to support F1 in Singapore, Bahrain and Malaysia|url=http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/12/16/gp2-support-f1-singapore-bahrain-malaysia/|first=Keith|last=Collantine|work=F1 Fanatic|publisher=Keith Collantine|date=16 December 2011|accessdate=25 March 2012}} The race supported the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix. The second round was held one week later as an independent round of the championship, the only one of its kind on the 2012 calendar.

The rounds were the first time the GP2 Series has visited the Bahrain International Circuit since 2007. The circuit was a regular fixture on the calendar of the now-defunct GP2 Asia Series from its inception in 2008 until 2011, when the race was cancelled due to anti-government protests.{{cite news|url=http://www.gp2series.com/News-Room/News/2011/02_Feb/Bahrain-withdraw-from-2011-GP2-Asia-Series-calendar/|title=Bahrain withdraw from 2011 GP2 Asia Series calendar|date=21 February 2011|accessdate=25 March 2012|work=GP2 Series|publisher=GP2 Motorsport Limited}} With the GP2 Asia series being discontinued at the end of the 2011 season and merged into its parent series,{{cite news|title=GP2 to drop Asia Series in 2012|url=http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/07/12/gp2-drop-asia-series-2012/|first=Keith|last=Collantine|work=F1 Fanatic|publisher=Keith Collantine|date=12 July 2011|accessdate=25 March 2012}} the Bahrain International Circuit returned to the larger GP2 Series as part of the series' expansion to include fly-away rounds.

In the week before the first race, Barwa Addax driver Josef Král was replaced by Dani Clos.{{cite news|url=http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2012/04/clos-replaces-kral-at-addax-for-bahrain/|title=Clos replaces Kral at Addax for Bahrain|last=Allen|first=Peter|date=18 April 2012|work=The Checkered Flag|publisher=BlackEagleMedia Network|accessdate=18 April 2012}} Brendon Hartley also replaced Ocean Racing Technology's Jon Lancaster.{{cite news|url=http://www.autohebdo.fr/monoplaces/gp2-gp3/breve-28-9-23115/190412-gp2-brendon-hartley-rejoint-ocean|language=French|title=Brendon Hartley rejoint Ocean|trans-title=Brendon Hartley joins Ocean|date=19 April 2012|work=AUTOhebdo|publisher=Groupe Hommell|accessdate=19 April 2012|archive-date=23 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423124112/http://www.autohebdo.fr/monoplaces/gp2-gp3/breve-28-9-23115/190412-gp2-brendon-hartley-rejoint-ocean|url-status=dead}}

DAMS driver Davide Valsecchi qualified on pole for the first feature race, and won both the feature and sprint races.

The first race was also the first time that the series introduced the points system used by Formula One since 2010 for the feature race, with points awarded to the top ten drivers and twenty-five points awarded to the race winner. The points for the sprint race were changed too, with the winner receiving fifteen points and the top eight drivers scoring points. The points for pole and fastest lap were doubled as well.