Callum Ilott recovered from two difficult races at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza to take victory in race three, with the British driver holding back the charging Lando Norris.
The Prema Powerteam driver had finishes of ninth and seventh in the opening two races having found himself shuffled down the pack, with damage to his front nose not helping him in the opening race after contact.
But Ilott was quick when in free air, and after he hit the front in the final race of the weekend he was able to make it count to take his second victory of the season, 0.736 seconds clear of Carlin Motorsport’s Norris.
“In qualifying and free practice we were quite happy but in the races with all the others we struggled and that made my life difficult,” said Ilott. “In race 3 I knew that in free air I was relatively quick so I made the most out of it with a really good start.
“Having changed something on the brakes I locked up sometimes during the first laps and I was a little bit worried about having flatspotted the tires. After that I calmed down and maintained the gap.
“I knew I was quicker than Lando in the second sector and the gap I made there was enough to keep him behind until the following lap. I’m happy to win with the team at their home track. It’s a really good result for us.”
Ilott knows he has to maximise his performances this season if he is to be a serious contender for the championship, and this win will go a long way in reaffirming him a part of the battle for the title.
“I’m really happy to get a win here, especially as it’s the home race for Prema,” said Ilott. “We knew we had good pace but I delivered a mixed performance over the weekend and it was important I delivered a strong result in race 3.
“Looking at the quality of drivers in this year’s Championship I need to maximise opportunities in each race as every point is going to count.”