Richie Stanaway took his second GP3 Series victory of the season but had to fight off the strong challenge of Robert Visoiu at the Hungaroring to move into second place in the championship.
Stanaway led away from the start but it was Arden International driver Visoiu who made the best getaway, moving up onto the Status Grand Prix drivers tail, and was never more than six tenths of a second adrift from there on in.
With his tyres fading in the closing laps, Stanaway became under increasing pressure from the Romanian, but ultimately it was a mistake from the New Zealander that saw Visoiu make a move at the turn 6 chicane, but the Romanian got too much wheelspin and almost spun the car but was lucky to hold on. However he lost second place to the second Status Grand Prix car of Nick Yelloly, and the Briton held on to complete a Status 1-2, with Visoiu third.
Championship leader Alex Lynn was fourth for Carlin after making a bad start from the front row, while his team-mate Emil Bernstorff was fifth after a late race move on the Arden International machine of Patric Niederhauser.
The third Arden of Jann Mardenborough also made a good start to take seventh, while reverse grid pole position for race two went to Dino Zamparelli, who had a relatively lonely race in his ART Grand Prix machine to finish eighth.
Dean Stoneman took ninth place for Marussia Manor Racing ahead of Jimmy Eriksson of Koiranen GP, who could only take one point away from the opening race of the weekend as he continues to fall away from the championship battle. The Swede is now third, 41 points behind Lynn, and 14 behind Stanaway.
Hungaroring Race 1 Result
POS | DRIVER | NAT | TEAM | TIME/Laps |
1 | Richie Stanaway | NZL | Status Grand Prix | 27m36.453s |
2 | Nick Yelloly | GBR | Status Grand Prix | +2.606s |
3 | Robert Visoiu | ROM | Arden International | +2.833s |
4 | Alex Lynn | GBR | Carlin | +3.997s |
5 | Emil Bernstorff | GBR | Carlin | +4.314s |
6 | Patric Niederhauser | SWI | Arden International | +5.762s |
7 | Jann Mardenborough | GBR | Arden International | +6.352s |
8 | Dino Zamparelli | GBR | ART Grand Prix | +12.039s |
9 | Dean Stoneman | GBR | Marussia Manor Racing | +18.093s |
10 | Jimmy Eriksson | SWE | Koiranen GP | +18.762s |
11 | Marvin Kirchhofer | GER | ART Grand Prix | +20.182s |
12 | Santiago Urrutia | URU | Koiranen GP | +20.361s |
13 | Patrick Kujala | FIN | Marussia Manor Racing | +21.650s |
14 | Alex Fontana | SWI | ART Grand Prix | +22.048s |
15 | Roman de Beer | RSA | Trident Racing | +24.933s |
16 | Alfonso Celis Jr | MEX | Status Grand Prix | +26.700s |
17 | Luis Sa Silva | MAC | Carlin | +26.976s |
18 | Riccardo Agostini | ITA | Hilmer Motorsport | +27.363s |
19 | Nelson Mason | CAN | Hilmer Motorsport | +29.576s |
20 | Mitchell Gilbert | AUS | Trident Racing | +30.627s |
21 | Pal Varhaug | NOR | Jenzer Motorsport | +30.946s |
22 | Matheo Tuscher | SWI | Jenzer Motorsport | +31.655s |
23 | Christopher Hoher | AUT | Jenzer Motorsport | +31.922s |
24 | Ryan Cullen | GBR | Marussia Manor Racing | +33.168s |
25 | Carmen Jorda | ESP | Koiranen GP | +1m12.000s |
RET | Sebastian Balthasar | GER | Hilmer Motorsport | 11 Laps |