Richie Stanaway took a fine victory in Race 2 at Spa-Francorchamps on his debut weekend in the series, leading an ART 1-2 as James Calado finished second. The team's third driver Valtteri Bottas, the championship leader, got himself up to fifth before mechanical problems dropped him down the order.
Starting from pole position courtesy of the reverse grid after climbing from 18th to eighth during yesterday's first race, Stanaway didn't get as good a start as the man alongside him, Nico Muller. The Swiss driver took the lead on the run down to La Source, but Stanaway took it back again before the end of the first lap.
While Stanaway ran away up front, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs took second place from Muller a few laps in. James Calado moved up to fourth place in the early stages from seventh, with teammate Valtteri Bottas climbing to fifth after battling his way past Nigel Melker. Contact between the two at Les Combes eventually resulted in the Dutchman retiring.
Muller managed to find his way back past Quaife-Hobbs at La Source a couple of laps later, with Calado then diving past Quaife-Hobbs for third into Eau Rouge. The Racing Steps Foundation-backed driver then got the run on Muller up the hill, taking him from second into Les Combes.
Calado chased down Stanaway but the New Zealander kept comfortably ahead to seal victory ahead of his British teammate. Muller completed the podium in third place.
Having lost his place on the podium, Quaife-Hobbs immediately fell back and into retirement after slowing with a mechanical problem. Bottas also slowed, initially falling out of the points to seventh before the problem appeared to return on the final lap, falling to 19th at the flag.
Michael Christensen inherited fourth place, ahead of Simon Trummer, who climbed from 19th on the grid, with fellow Swiss driver and another debutant Alex Fontana taking the final point in sixth.
Bottas' non-score cuts his lead to Calado from 11 points to just five, heading to the season finale at Monza in two weeks' time. Melker, Alexander Sims and Quaife-Hobbs are still mathematically in contention following their non-scores in the second race.
Race results – 12 laps:
Pos | Driver | Team | Time/Gap |
1 | Richie Stanaway | Lotus ART | 26:47.675 |
2 | James Calado | Lotus ART | 4.007 |
3 | Nico Müller | Jenzer Motorsport | 7.126 |
4 | Michael Christensen | RSC Mücke Motorsport | 16.441 |
5 | Simon Trummer | MW Arden | 17.081 |
6 | Alex Fontana | Jenzer Motorsport | 19.013 |
7 | Conor Daly | Carlin | 28.056 |
8 | Ivan Lukashevich | Status Grand Prix | 29.348 |
9 | Rio Haryanto | Marussia Manor Racing | 32.482 |
10 | Marlon Stockinger | Atech CRS Grand Prix | 32.534 |
11 | Antonio Felix da Costa | Status Grand Prix | 33.189 |
12 | Zoël Amberg | Atech CRS Grand Prix | 36.271 |
13 | Nick Yelloly | Atech CRS Grand Prix | 42.505 |
14 | Tamás Pál Kiss | Tech 1 Racing | 44.434 |
15 | Maxim Zimin | Jenzer Motorsport | 44.881 |
16 | Gabby Chaves | Addax Team | 45.707 |
17 | Daniel Mancinelli | RSC Mücke Motorsport | 46.160 |
18 | Leonardo Cordeiro | Carlin | 46.479 |
19 | Valtteri Bottas | Lotus ART | 48.235 |
20 | Dean Smith | Addax Team | 50.257 |
21 | Thomas Hylkema | Tech 1 Racing | 127.765 |
Ret | Adrian Quaife-Hobbs | Marussia Manor Racing | 7 laps |
Ret | Tom Dillmann | Addax Team | 7 laps |
Ret | Nigel Melker | RSC Mucke Motorsport | 2 laps |
Ret | Alexander Sims | Status Grand Prix | 1 lap |
Ret | Mitch Evans | MW Arden | 1 lap |
Ret | Aaro Vainio | Tech 1 Racing | 1 lap |
Ret | Callum MacLeod | Carlin | 1 lap |
Ret | Matias Laine | Marussia Manor Racing | 0 laps |
DNS | Lewis Williamson | MW Arden |
Drivers' standings after 7 of 8 rounds:
1. Valtteri Bottas, 52
2. James Calado, 47
3. Nigel Melker, 38
4. Alexander Sims, 34
5. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, 33
6. Lewis Williamson, 31