Rio Haryanto claimed his second GP3 Series win in the space of just over a week, again stealing a last-gasp victory on a wet track just as he did at the Nurburgring last weekend.
Nigel Melker began the race from pole position in the rain, and held onto the lead at the start ahead of Tom Dillmann. Lewis Williamson held third early on, but spun out in the treacherous conditions on the second lap. The safety car was also deployed after Vittorio Ghirelli crashed.
Starting from ninth, Haryanto had made up a number of places at the start, and moved past Nico Muller for third after the restart. A few laps later he took second place from Dilmann, but Melker as already out front by himself.
The Dutchman had a lead of 7.9 seconds by lap 12, when the safety car came out again after Thomas Hylkema crashed. Haryanto got past Melker on the restart to steal the win.
Melker dropped two more places before the checkered flag, with the ART duo of Valtteri Bottas and James Calado, who had been the pacesetters for the whole weekend, claiming podium spots. Bottas had moved through from eighth on the grid following his Race 1 win, while Calado stormed through from 25th on the grid after his contact with Mitch Evans at the start of the first race.
Muller finished behind Melker in fifth, with Dillmann taking the final point in sixth. Alexander Sims fought his way through from the last slot on the grid to 11th after his exclusion yesterday.
Bottas' second place strengthens his championship lead over Sims to seven points. Melker is a further two points behind in third place, with Williamson and Calado tied for fourth just another point further back. The penultimate round of the season takes place at Spa-Francorchamps on 27/28 August.
Race results – 14 laps:
Pos. | Driver | Team | Time/Gap |
1 | Rio Haryanto | Marussia Manor Racing | 30:06.456 |
2 | Valtteri Bottas | Lotus ART | 1.344 |
3 | James Calado | Lotus ART | 3.799 |
4 | Nigel Melker | RSC Mücke Motorsport | 5.264 |
5 | Nico Müller | Jenzer Motorsport | 7.158 |
6 | Tom Dillmann | Addax Team | 8.808 |
7 | Antonio Felix da Costa | Status Grand Prix | 9.991 |
8 | Aaro Vainio | Tech 1 Racing | 10.741 |
9 | Maxim Zimin | Jenzer Motorsport | 11.336 |
10 | Alexander Sims | Status Grand Prix | 13.059 |
11 | Adrian Quaife-Hobbs | Marussia Manor Racing | 13.339 |
12 | Conor Daly | Carlin | 15.057 |
13 | Simon Trummer | MW Arden | 16.949 |
14 | Michael Christensen | RSC Mücke Motorsport | 18.071 |
15 | Pedro Nunes | Lotus ART | 19.075 |
16 | Leonardo Cordeiro | Carlin | 19.986 |
17 | Zoël Amberg | Atech CRS Grand Prix | 21.114 |
18 | Marlon Stockinger | Atech CRS Grand Prix | 21.636 |
19 | Callum Macleod | Carlin | 22.551 |
20 | Dean Smith | Addax Team | 22.845 |
21 | Tamás Pál Kiss | Tech 1 Racing | 25.458 |
22 | Matias Laine | Marussia Manor Racing | 27.214 |
23 | Ivan Lukashevich | Status Grand Prix | 42.863 |
24 | Mitch Evans | MW Arden | + 2 laps |
Ret | Thomas Hylkema | Tech 1 Racing | 9 laps |
Ret | Luciano Bacheta | RSC Mücke Motorsport | 8 laps |
Ret | Nick Yelloly | Atech CRS Grand Prix | 2 laps |
Ret | Lewis Williamson | MW Arden | 1 lap |
Ret | Vittorio Ghirelli | Jenzer Motorsport | 1 lap |
Ret | Gabby Chaves | Addax Team | 0 laps |
Drivers' standings after 6 of 8 rounds:
1. Valtteri Bottas, 41
2. Alexander Sims, 34
3. Nigel Melker, 32
4. Lewis Williamson, 31
5. James Calado, 31
6. Mitch Evans, 28