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
