Alexander Rossi took his second career GP2 Series victory in the Sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps as he led a Racing Engineering 1-2 on Sunday morning.
The American driver took the lead on the opening lap from team-mate and pole-sitter Jordan King, and then controlled the race from the front to claim his first victory since the Feature race Abu Dhabi back in 2013.
King held on for second for his maiden GP2 podium, completing an excellent day for Racing Engineering who took their first victory since Stefano Coletti won the final race of 2014, also in Abu Dhabi.
Mitch Evans took his second podium finish of the season for Russian Time, capitalising on a late mistake by Feature race winner Stoffel Vandoorne, who locked up heading into the Bus Stop Chicane just after a virtual safety car to remove the stricken Campos Racing car of Arthur Pic from the gravel trap.
Vandoorne’s lock-up put him into the clutches of Evans, who then used the DRS to pass the Belgian down the Kemmel Straight, with the Russian Time driver then holding on for the final spot on the podium until the chequered flag ahead of the ART Grand Prix driver.
Artem Markelov had another strong race, adding a fifth place to his Feature race podium, and completing a strong afternoon for Russian Time, with the Russian driver finishing ahead of Rapax driver Sergey Sirotkin, who passed Daiko Team Lazarus driver Nathanael Berthon at the final corner on the final lap for sixth.
Berthon had been running third in the early stages behind Rossi and King, but as his tyres began to fade to dropped down behind Vandoorne, Evans, Markelov and ultimately at the end Sirotkin.
DAMS driver Alex Lynn made a late pass on the second Lazarus of Sergio Canamasas to claim the final point on offer in eighth.
Carlin driver Julian Leal could not match his fourth place in the Feature race, losing position after position down the Kemmel Straight as drivers used DRS to draft past the hapless Colombian, who would ultimately finish eleventh behind Campos Racing’s Rio Haryanto.
Spa-Francorchamps Sprint Race Result
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