From gp3series.com
Jenzer Motorsport driver Nico Müller claimed his first GP3 victory at the Valencia Street Circuit after a dominant race win from the front row of the grid.
Müller made the perfect start streaking past pole sitter Manor Racing’s James Jakes to take the lead into turn one. The Swiss driver pulled away and never looked back, eventually finishing 3.2 seconds ahead of second place man Atech CRS GP Roberto Merhi, and moving him up the Series standings to fourth with 14 points.
Pole sitter Jakes had a less than perfect start today, and by the end of lap one the Brit had been passed by his teammate Rio Haryanto. To make matters worse Jakes then found himself defending from a racy Merhi in his #29 Atech car.
Lap one ended in disaster for Series points leader Esteban Gutiérrez and Robert Wickens. The ART Grand Prix and Status GP racers were locked in battle from the word go, but an overly aggressive move by the Canadian sent Gutiérrez spinning off the track. The Mexican recovered well, but found himself at the back of the grid behind teammate Pedro Nunes. Wickens was soon handed a drive through penalty. Back at the front Jakes and Haryanto continued to swap places with Jakes eventually getting the better of his teammate. Indonesian Haryanto then lost a second spot in quick succession when charging local man Merhi slipped past. The impressive Spaniard then went on to take Jakes for second, and his second podium of the weekend at only his first ever GP3 Series race weekend.
It was status quo at the front with Müller leading to the chequered flag. Jakes held off teammate Haryanto for the final podium spot, and Adrian Quaife-Hobbs finished in fifth spot rounding off a perfect points finish for Manor Racing. Stefano Coletti and Tobias Hegewald fought for the final point of the race. The Tech 1 Racing man hounded the RSC Mücke driver, who eventually succumbed to the pressure and his #12 car ended up in the barrier. Wickens rounded out his day with a bit more contact, this time with RSC Mücke driver Nigel Melker. The Status GP driver eventually finished out of the points in sixteenth.
Gutiérrez recovered well but just missed out on a points position finishing in seventh spot. The Mexican still leads the Series by 16 points. Wickens’ race went from bad to worse when the Canadian punted off teammate Ivan Lukashevich, but Status GP driver has held on to this second place in the standings with 19 points heading to Silverstone. ART’s Alexander Rossi is third with 17 points after a dismal weekend for the American driver.
Classification
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Nico Muller Jenzer 28m01.567s
2. Roberto Merhi Atech CRS + 3.208s
3. James Jakes Manor + 6.641s
4. Rio Haryanto Manor + 15.423s
5. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Manor + 17.054s
6. Stefano Coletti Tech 1 + 18.172s
7. Esteban Gutierrez ART + 18.779s
8. Pal Varhaug Jenzer + 24.997s
9. Pablo Sanchez Lopez Addax + 26.149s
10. Mirko Bortolotti Addax + 29.817s
11. Pedro Nunes ART + 31.100s
12. Daniel Morad Status + 31.455s
13. Miki Monras MW Arden + 31.598s
14. Michael Christensen MW Arden + 35.706s
15. Nigel Melker RSC Mucke + 37.647s
16. Robert Wickens Status + 39.002s
17. Jean-Eric Vergne Tech 1 + 39.118s
18. Felipe Guimaraes Addax + 41.936s
19. Oliver Oakes Atech CRS + 45.869s
20. Doru Sechelariu Tech 1 + 46.030s
21. Leonardo Cordeiro MW Arden + 47.519s
22. Vittorio Ghirelli Atech CRS + 48.557s
23. Dean Smith Carlin + 54.615s
24. Renger van der Zande RSC Mucke + 1m06.160s
25. Ivan Lukashevich Status + 1m06.493s
26. Josef Newgarden Carlin + 1m14.601s
27. Simon Trummer Jenzer + 1 laps
28. Lucas Foresti Carlin + 1 laps
29. Tobias Hegewald RSC Mucke + 2 laps
Retirements:
Alexander Rossi ART 3 laps
Non official results
Jenzer Motorsport driver Nico Müller claimed his first GP3 victory at the Valencia Street Circuit after a dominant race win from the front row of the grid.
Müller made the perfect start streaking past pole sitter Manor Racing’s James Jakes to take the lead into turn one. The Swiss driver pulled away and never looked back, eventually finishing 3.2 seconds ahead of second place man Atech CRS GP Roberto Merhi, and moving him up the Series standings to fourth with 14 points.
Pole sitter Jakes had a less than perfect start today, and by the end of lap one the Brit had been passed by his teammate Rio Haryanto. To make matters worse Jakes then found himself defending from a racy Merhi in his #29 Atech car.
Lap one ended in disaster for Series points leader Esteban Gutiérrez and Robert Wickens. The ART Grand Prix and Status GP racers were locked in battle from the word go, but an overly aggressive move by the Canadian sent Gutiérrez spinning off the track. The Mexican recovered well, but found himself at the back of the grid behind teammate Pedro Nunes. Wickens was soon handed a drive through penalty. Back at the front Jakes and Haryanto continued to swap places with Jakes eventually getting the better of his teammate. Indonesian Haryanto then lost a second spot in quick succession when charging local man Merhi slipped past. The impressive Spaniard then went on to take Jakes for second, and his second podium of the weekend at only his first ever GP3 Series race weekend.
It was status quo at the front with Müller leading to the chequered flag. Jakes held off teammate Haryanto for the final podium spot, and Adrian Quaife-Hobbs finished in fifth spot rounding off a perfect points finish for Manor Racing. Stefano Coletti and Tobias Hegewald fought for the final point of the race. The Tech 1 Racing man hounded the RSC Mücke driver, who eventually succumbed to the pressure and his #12 car ended up in the barrier. Wickens rounded out his day with a bit more contact, this time with RSC Mücke driver Nigel Melker. The Status GP driver eventually finished out of the points in sixteenth.
Gutiérrez recovered well but just missed out on a points position finishing in seventh spot. The Mexican still leads the Series by 16 points. Wickens’ race went from bad to worse when the Canadian punted off teammate Ivan Lukashevich, but Status GP driver has held on to this second place in the standings with 19 points heading to Silverstone. ART’s Alexander Rossi is third with 17 points after a dismal weekend for the American driver.
Classification
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Nico Muller Jenzer 28m01.567s
2. Roberto Merhi Atech CRS + 3.208s
3. James Jakes Manor + 6.641s
4. Rio Haryanto Manor + 15.423s
5. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Manor + 17.054s
6. Stefano Coletti Tech 1 + 18.172s
7. Esteban Gutierrez ART + 18.779s
8. Pal Varhaug Jenzer + 24.997s
9. Pablo Sanchez Lopez Addax + 26.149s
10. Mirko Bortolotti Addax + 29.817s
11. Pedro Nunes ART + 31.100s
12. Daniel Morad Status + 31.455s
13. Miki Monras MW Arden + 31.598s
14. Michael Christensen MW Arden + 35.706s
15. Nigel Melker RSC Mucke + 37.647s
16. Robert Wickens Status + 39.002s
17. Jean-Eric Vergne Tech 1 + 39.118s
18. Felipe Guimaraes Addax + 41.936s
19. Oliver Oakes Atech CRS + 45.869s
20. Doru Sechelariu Tech 1 + 46.030s
21. Leonardo Cordeiro MW Arden + 47.519s
22. Vittorio Ghirelli Atech CRS + 48.557s
23. Dean Smith Carlin + 54.615s
24. Renger van der Zande RSC Mucke + 1m06.160s
25. Ivan Lukashevich Status + 1m06.493s
26. Josef Newgarden Carlin + 1m14.601s
27. Simon Trummer Jenzer + 1 laps
28. Lucas Foresti Carlin + 1 laps
29. Tobias Hegewald RSC Mucke + 2 laps
Retirements:
Alexander Rossi ART 3 laps
Non official results