ART Grand Prix‘s Callum Ilott continued his dominate form from Circuit Paul Ricard to win the GP3 Series Feature Race at the Red Bull Ring.
The Briton converted pole into a lights-to-flag win and crossed the line 4.5s ahead of Leonardo Pulcini with Alessio Lorandi completing the podium.
Ilott now leads the championship over team-mate Anthoine Hubert after the Frenchman, having to start at the back was spun by their team-mate Nikita Mazepin whilst running in the points.
At the start, Ilott comfortably surged ahead of the field as Lorandi overtook front-row man Jake Hughes to run in second at the first corner.
Pulcini too quickly passed the Briton just moments before the safety car was deployed for a stranded Joey Mawson at Turn 1.
The drivers were ordered to drive through the pits but Lorandi was the only driver to do so whereas the rest of the field took to the main straight.
As a results the stewards allowed the Italian to retake his second place.
Racing resumed on lap four with Ilott easily maintaining his lead as Pulcini put Lorandi under pressure for second. The Trident driver defended strongly as Hughes and Pedro Piquet began to join the battle.
Pulcini was soon able to wrestle second off of his countryman and began to chase down Ilott.
Further back, Hubert was working on his recovery drive from nineteenth on the grid as he passed Simo Laaksonen to run in the top ten, with team-mate Mazepin behind after he had ran off the track on the opening lap.
At the half-way point of the race Hughes blasted past Lorandi at Turn 5 to take third place.
However, Hughes was not able to break away from the Italian, with Piquet and Friday practice pacesetter Ryan Tveter closing in as the battle intensified.
Piquet went to pass his team-mate into Turn 3 but aborted into and took to the run-off.
Sensing the reality of the threat behind, Lorandi repassed Hughes on the following lap and set about breaking the DRS gap.
After a difficult session in qualifying yesterday, Hubert’s fortune was not getting any better.
Having clipped the rear of Juan Manuel Correa after the American fended off an attack by the Frenchman; the former was left with a rear puncture whilst the ART driver had a damaged front wing.
Hubert was able to clear Correa and the American’s Jenzer Motorsport team-mate David Beckmann but the German was able to retake eighth the following lap.
As Hubert defended, Mazepin attempted to snatch the inside line but ran pout of room and sent the points leader – and his team-mate – into a spin.
Out front, Ilott was holding a 2.5 second lead over Pulcini heading into the final five laps which only continued to grow.
Lorandi, in third now had Piquet behind him was given a brief breathe before an assault in the final stages.
Having used all his DRS usage to push Hughes into fifth, Piquet had to come up with another way to overtake the Italian.
In the lead, it never looked a doubt that Ilott would clinch his second victory in a row and with it the championship lead.
Pulcini followed the Ferrari Drivers Academy member home, albeit 4.5 seconds down the road. Lorandi weathered the late onslaught from Piquet, as Hughes held on for fifth.
The other Ferrari Driver Academy Member in the field, Giuliano Alesi passed Tveter on the final lap to snatch sixth.
Beckmann came home in eighth, with reverse grid pole for tomorrow’s race, after a thrilling battle with Laaksonen.
Dorian Boccolacci rounded off the points scorers.
The Sprint Race gets underway at 9.45 local time tomorrow.
2018 GP3 Series Results: Red Bull Ring – Feature Race
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