Esteban Gutiérrez took yet another GP3 series win to further extend his championship, unchallenged all race by second place man Robert Wickens.
Just like the GP2 race, there were incidents aplenty on the opening lap, notably Nigel Melker using Felipe Guimaraes‘s car as a launchpad at the first turn.
Michael Christensen was hounding Jean-Eric Vergne for the final podium spot in the opening laps, only for the Dane to crash out. With Vergne and Roberto Merhi left to battle for 3rd (which the latter would eventually take) a three way battle for 5th place emerged between Miki Monras, Rio Haryanto and Nico Muller. Monras would eventually break away from the the latter pair, and almost took fourth from Vergne but ran out of laps to try and pass.
James Jakes meanwhile was on a charge – after starting 27th on the grid he picked off drivers one by one, with Tobias Hegewald the only man standing between him and a point, plus pole for Race 2. His persistence paid off, taking the place with only a handful of laps remaining.
Race One Results
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Esteban Gutierrez ART 28m00.338s 2. Robert Wickens Status + 2.484s 3. Roberto Merhi Atech CRS + 8.699s 4. Jean-Eric Vergne Tech 1 + 11.634s 5. Miki Monras MW Arden + 12.030s 6. Rio Haryanto Manor + 20.832s 7. Nico Muller Jenzer + 21.415s 8. James Jakes Manor + 23.335s 9. Tobias Hegewald RSC Mucke + 29.646s 10. Stefano Coletti Tech 1 + 30.534s 11. Pal Varhaug Jenzer + 32.402s 12. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Manor + 33.021s 13. Simon Trummer Jenzer + 33.624s 14. Pablo Sanchez Lopez Addax + 34.886s 15. Pedro Nunes ART + 36.526s 16. Ivan Lukashevich Status + 45.654s 17. Dean Smith Carlin + 45.871s 18. Mirko Bortolotti Addax + 48.341s 19. Daniel Morad Status + 49.230s 20. Vittorio Ghirelli Atech CRS + 52.013s 21. Lucas Foresti Carlin + 53.293s Retirements: Michael Christensen MW Arden 3 laps Felipe Guimaraes Addax 0 laps Doru Sechelariu Tech 1 0 laps Josef Newgarden Carlin 0 laps Alexander Rossi ART 0 laps Renger van der Zande RSC Mucke 0 laps Leonardo Cordeiro MW Arden 0 laps Nigel Melker RSC Mucke 0 laps Oliver Oakes Atech CRS 0 laps