GP3 SeriesOpen Wheel

Bottas Storms To First GP3 Win At A Wet Nurburgring

2 Mins read

Valtteri Bottas claimed his maiden GP3 Series victory after storming through from sixth on the grid into the lead of the race on the opening lap at a wet Nurburgring.

The Tech 1 Racing duo of Tamas Pal Kiss and Aaro Vainio started the race from the front row courtesy of the reverse grid, and maintained their positions at the start. Meanwhile, ART teammates James Calado and Bottas jumped up to third and fourth from fifth and sixth on the grid.

Vainio and Calado then came together, an incident that Vainio was later handed a drive-through penalty for. Bottas soon took the lead from Pal Kiss, who lost second to Alexander Sims on lap four.

The Briton, who had started 12th, then set about chasing down Bottas for the lead. He couldn't get close enough though as the Finn became the tenth different winner from as many races this season. Sims came under pressure from Nigel Melker at the very end but held on for second ahead of the Dutchman.

Pal Kiss came home in fourth place ahead of Tom Dillmann, while Calado took the final point in sixth.

Sims’ second place gives him a six point lead over MW Arden duo Lewis Williamson and Mitch Evans, with Calado and Melker tied for fourth just one point further behind. The next round takes place at the Hungaroring next weekend.

Race results – 14 laps:

Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1 Valtteri Bottas Lotus ART 30:25.297
2 Alexander Sims Status Grand Prix 1.473
3 Nigel Melker RSC Mucke Motorsport 2.717
4 Tamas Pal Kiss Tech 1 Racing 21.550
5 Tom Dillmann Addax Team 24.379
6 James Calado Lotus ART 32.578
7 Nico Muller Jenzer Motorsport 34.073
8 Conor Daly Carlin 39.255
9 Nick Yelloly Atech CRS GP 44.551
10 Rio Haryanto Marussia Manor Racing 46.898
11 Vittorio Ghirelli Jenzer Motorsport 49.147
12 Michael Christensen RSC Mucke Motorsport 50.967
13 Aaro Vainio Tech 1 Racing 51.244
14 Lewis Williamson MW Arden 54.054
15 Maxim Zimin Jenzer Motorsport 56.964
16 Simon Trummer MW Arden 59.224
17 Gabby Chaves Addax Team 60.668
18 Ivan Lukashevich Status Grand Prix 63.961
19 Leonardo Cordeiro Carlin 71.060
20 Zoel Amberg Atech CRS GP 78.562
21 Callum Macleod Carlin 78.647
22 Mitch Evans MW Arden 102.208
23 Matias Laine Marussia Manor Racing 124.432
24 Thomas Hylkema Tech 1 Racing + 1 lap
25 Luciano Bacheta RSC Mucke Motorsport + 1 lap
Ret Pedro Nunes Lotus ART 11 laps
Ret Antonio Felix da Costa Status Grand Prix 7 laps
Ret Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Marussia Manor Racing 5 laps
Ret Dean Smith Addax Team 1 lap
DNS Marlon Stockinger Atech CRS GP

Drivers’ standings after 5 of 8 rounds:

1. Alexander Sims, 34 points
2. Lewis Williamson, 28
3. Mitch Evans, 28
4. James Calado, 27
5. Nigel Melker, 27
6. Valtteri Bottas, 24

1882 posts

About author
Peter joined the TCF team in September 2010 and covers GP2 and GP3 along with WTCC and Formula Two. You can find him on twitter at @PeteAllen_
Articles
Related posts
IndyCarOpen WheelOpinion

OPINION: Exhibition races have a place in IndyCar. The Thermal Club wasn't the right choice.

2 Mins read
IndyCar is racing this weekend, but not for points. That’s a sentence that hasn’t been written since 2008.
IndyCarOpen Wheel

Dale Coyne Racing adds Harvey, Braun and Siegel in split 2024 schedule

2 Mins read
After months of speculation, DCR announced its 2024 driver lineup on Tuesday, just three days before cars are on track for the first race of the IndyCar season.
IndyCarOpen Wheel

Marco Andretti returns to the #98 for 2024 Indy 500

1 Mins read
IndyCar veteran Marco Andretti will attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 this year the same way he has for the past three: as a one-off affair with Andretti Global’s (formerly Andretti Autosport) #98 car.