Calado storms to GP2 sprint race victory, Russian Time crowned Champions
James Calado has ended his GP2 season in tremendous style with sprint race victory around the Yas Marina Circuit, after only just holding off the advancing Spaniard of Dani Clos. The duo were joined on the podium by newly-crowned Champion Fabio Leimer, as rookie outfit Russian Time secured the Team’s Championship ahead of Carlin.
At the start James Calado produced a sensational getaway off of the line, storming from 3rd to 1st into Turn 1. Behind the Briton utter mayhem ensued, as Felipe Nasr collided with initial poleman Johnny Cecotto and tipped the Venezuelan into a spin. Luckily the remainder of the field managed to avoid the stricken car, as Rio Haryanto and Alexander Rossi made light contact in the process. This damaged the Indonesian ace’s front-wing, and gave the Caterham a puncture which saw him spiral into retirement at the second corner.
After the freneticism of the first two corners, the field managed to avoid further mayhem through Turns 5 and 6, as James Calado enjoyed a huge lead at the front ahead of Dani Clos and Champion Fabio Leimer. Despite starting from a positive 2nd on the grid, Felipe Nasr’s chances of a competitive result were dashed after the opening lap, as the Brazilian driver limped back to the pits for a new front-wing. Meanwhile Sam Bird was up to 5th position behind the ART Grand Prix of Daniel Abt, with the Briton still striving to secure Russian Time the Teams’ Championship from Carlin.
With the marshals clearing both Johnny Cecotto and Alexander Rossi’s stricken machines, the safety car was deployed for just one lap. This saw James Calado’s dominant lead reduced to nothing as the field bunched up behind the safety car, before the race was resumed on Lap 3. Despite the resumption of the race, marshals were still sweeping the run-off area at Turn 2, creating a perilous few seconds as the field sprinted through the first few corners with yellow flags still flying. Eventually the marshals returned to their posts behind the barriers, allowing the yellow flags to be withdrawn and the race to well and truly be resumed.
With the Teams’ Championship still wide open between both Carlin and Russian Time, Sam Bird’s result would be pivotal in deciding the eventual Champions with team-mate Tom Dillmann not competing due to minor injuries sustained during the feature race. With Felipe Nasr struggling at the back of the pack after his first lap altercation with Johnny Cecotto, Carin’s hopes of Championship success lied heavily on the shoulders of Jolyon Palmer. The Briton had unfortunately endured a far from competitive start, and had slipped from 7th to 11th during the restart.
Russian Time managed to clinch the Teams’ Championship.
Sam Bird, on the other hand, had managed to gain a position over Daniel Abt for 4th position at Turns 11 and 12. The Briton now had his sights firmly set on former Championship rival Fabio Leimer for 3rd, with the Championship pendulum currently swinging in favour of Russian Time. Meanwhile James Calado was continuing to dominate at the front of the pack, producing the fastest lap of the race leaving Dani Clos a distant 2nd. After already enduring a tough start to his sprint race, Felipe Nasr was then struck with a drive-thru penalty for causing the incident. This fully ended any hopes he had of mounting a resurgence.
On Lap 9 a second safety car period was caused when the Hilmer Motorsport of Jon Lancaster misjudged an overtaking maneuver on the DAMS of Stephane Richelmi at Turns 8 and 9. Instead of taking to the extensive run-off areas, the Briton elected to run alongside the Monegasque driver which resulted in a race ending collision and subsequent spin. Luckily for Stephane Richelmi he managed to remain circulating, after sustaining hardly any damage in the process. Once again James Calado’s lead was reduced to nothing, with Dani Clos still 2nd ahead of Fabio Leimer.
At the restart James Calado simply catapulted himself back into a commanding lead at the front, as Julian Leal and Jolyon Palmer began battling hard for 10th position. At Turn 14 the duo made light contact after running side-by-side, resulting in minor front-wing damage for the Colombian driver. At first Jolyon Palmer seemed to have escaped unscathed, however the Briton’s race and his team’s Championship hopes were brought to a sudden conclusion when a left-rear puncture materialized. Although the Briton managed to limp back to the pits, he later retired from proceedings.
This meant Sam Bird needed to only remain in 4th position to clinch the Teams’ Championship for Russian Time, with Daniel Abt still clinging on the rear of his car in hope of retaking the 4th position from the Briton. With only several laps remaining, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs became the latest retirement for Hilmer Motorsport after suffering from rear-suspension failure on his car.
During the final laps Dani Clos began to gradually reel in the ART Grand Prix of James Calado, but to no avail as the Briton crossed the line to secure his fourth race victory of the season to cement his 3rd position in the Drivers’ Championship. Meanwhile Sam Bird managed to cling on to 4th position to clinch Russian Time the Teams’ Championship, after a superlative debut season for the outfit who will venture into GP3 as well next season.
Once again the GP2 Series season managed to fully entertain and enthrall many throughout the year, with a staggering 11 different drivers taking race victories including the likes of Fabio Leimer, Sam Bird, Robin Frijns and Nathaniel Berthon. The GP2 season will return next year for what will surely be another extremely entertaining affair, as the next generation of Formula 1 drivers prove their worth.
Results - 22 laps:
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. James Calado ART 44m04.124s
2. Dani Clos MP +0.787s
3. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering +4.965s
4. Sam Bird Russian Time +9.440s
5. Daniel Abt ART +9.957s
6. Marcus Ericsson DAMS +11.981s
7. Simon Trummer Rapax +13.188s
8. Sergio Canamasas Caterham +16.432s
9. Stefano Coletti Rapax +18.117s
10. Julian Leal Racing Engineering +18.487s
11. Jake Rosenzweig Addax +24.753s
12. Rio Haryanto Addax +33.689s
13. Nathanael Berthon Trident +34.153s
14. Mitch Evans Arden +34.485s
15. Gianmarco Raimondo Trident +36.123s
16. Rene Binder Lazarus +36.884s
17. Daniel de Jong MP +37.471s
18. Felipe Nasr Carlin +40.271s
19. Vittorio Ghirelli Lazarus +41.869s
20. Stephane Richelmi DAMS +1m19.122s
21. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Hilmer +3 laps*
*Not running at finish
Retirements:
Jolyon Palmer Carlin 17 laps
Jon Lancaster Hilmer 9 laps
Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden 0 laps
Alexander Rossi Caterham 0 laps
Picture(s) Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Daniil Kvyat ends the GP3 season in style with Championship success
Daniil Kvyat has ended his GP3 campaign in style after storming to Championship glory with a lights to flag victory around Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, eventually finishing ahead of the Carlin duo of Alexander Sims and Nick Yelloly. Next season the Russian sensation will make the big step up to Formula 1 with Toro Rosso.
At the start Daniil Kvyat glided into a commanding lead ahead of the Carlins’, as further behind fellow Championship rival Kevin Korjus stalled on the grid. Miraculously the entire field safely managed to avoid the stricken Estonian driver, as the usual freneticism ensued throughout the first few corners. As Daniil Kvyat stormed into the lead of the race, Nick Yelloly and Alexander Sims settled into 2nd and 3rd behind the Russian ace. Further behind mayhem ensued at the chicane, as Carmen Jorda brought her race to a premature conclusion after bumping over the high kerbs.
Although the Spanish driver managed to avoid collision with fellow female driver Alice Powell, Carmen Jorda was still forced into an unfortunate retirement after sustaining damage to her steering column. With her car stranded at the apex of Turn 6, the safety car was deployed to allow the marshals to safely clear the stricken machine. After only several laps behind the safety car, the race was resumed with Daniil Kvyat once again storming into the lead of the race ahead of the Carlin duo.
Further down the order, Daniil Kvyat’s fellow Championship competitors of Tio Ellinas and Facu Regalia battled hard for 9th position. At Turn 12 the Cypriot ran extensively wide in a bid to avoid a collision with his rival, and was subsequently forced to hand the position back after illegally gaining an advantage in the process. After enduring an uncompetitive season at Jenzer Motorsport throughout the year, Patric Niederhauser steadily began to drop through the order as the race ensued with Conor Daly quick to pounce upon the ailing Swiss driver.
The 22-year-old Münsingen-born driver continued to struggle as the laps slowly began to tick away, with Carlos Sainz now swarming all over the rear of his Jenzer Motorsport machine. As the duo jostled for position down the back straight, they collided at high speed. Amazingly Carlos Sainz managed to keep his MW Arden car out of the barriers, as he spun a full 360 degrees and luckily sustained minimal damage. The same, unfortunately, could not be said for Patric Niederhauser who was forced into retirement with damage sustained to his front-right suspension.
Whilst Carlos Sainz continued to circulate despite his incident with Patric Niederhauser, Alexander Sims soon managed to overtake his Carlin team-mate further up the track to assume 2nd position. Despite the impressive overtaking maneuver, the Carlin driver was unable to make any inroads to Daniil Kvyat’s dominant lead. Further down the order the battle between Facu Regalia and Tio Ellinas raged on, with the Cypriot running extensively wide once again in his bid to catch his rival, this time at Turn 17.
Despite both Alexander Sims and Nick Yelloly’s impressive performances in 2nd and 3rd position, no-one was able to put a stop to the fearsome pace of Daniil Kvyat. The 19-year-old Russian eventually crossed the line just under five seconds ahead of the Carlin duo, to take his third victory of the season and the Drivers’ Title. Although one more race remains to be run tomorrow morning, both Championships have been settled. However, Series rookie Patrick Kujala will start the second race from the reverse grid pole alongside former Championship contender Tio Ellinas.
Results - 14 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Daniil Kvyat MW Arden 29m40.145s
2. Nick Yelloly Carlin +4.677s
3. Alexander Sims Carlin +7.053s
4. Conor Daly ART +7.411s
5. Jack Harvey ART +8.333s
6. Dean Stoneman Koiranen +14.900s
7. Tio Ellinas Manor +18.235s
8. Patrick Kujala Koiranen +26.882s
9. Carlos Sainz Jr MW Arden +32.830s
10. Dino Zamparelli Manor +33.215s
11. Robert Visoiu MW Arden +34.100s
12. Giovanni Venturini Trident +34.781s
13. Kevin Korjus Koiranen +35.528s
14. Alex Fontana Jenzer +36.041s
15. Emanuele Zonzini Trident +36.045s
16. Facu Regalia ART +36.957s
17. Robert Cregan Trident +38.133s
18. Adderly Fong Status +39.707s
19. Luis Sa Silva Carlin +40.829s
20. Alice Powell Bamboo +41.277s
21. Ryan Cullen Manor +44.591s
22. Josh Webster Status +49.911s
23. Samin Gomez Jenzer +1m30.470s
24. Jimmy Eriksson Status +1 lap
Retirements:
Carmen Jorda Bamboo 4 laps
Patric Niederhauser Jenzer 0 laps
Picture Copyright © Sam Bloxham/GP3 Series Media Service
Rossi takes maiden GP2 victory as Leimer is crowned Champion
Alexander Rossi has made GP2 history around the Yas Marina Circuit by becoming the first driver from America to win a race in the Series, whilst Fabio Leimer made history of his own by becoming the first Swiss driver to clinch the coveted Drivers’ Championship. Fellow rival Sam Bird suffered a disastrous race, after stalling on the grid.
Initially the start of the race was delayed after both Gianmarco Raimondo, Nathaniel Berthon and Adrian Quaife-Hobbs stalled on the grid as the five red lights came on. This saw the rest of the field once again circulate the Yas Marina Circuit on a second formation lap, as the three cars in question where wheeled into the pit-lane to start the race. With tensions running high, the five red flights once again illuminated over the grid as pole man Alexander Rossi prepared to sprint into action.
At the start utter mayhem ensued as Championship contender Sam Bird stalled on the grid, with the rest of the field including his main Championship rival Fabio Leimer miraculously avoiding the stranded Russian Time machine. As Sam Bird was wheeled back into the pits to restart his car and take to the track, carnage ensued at Turns 5 and 6 as Jon Lancaster was perilously launched into the air and onto the top of Tom Dillmann’s car. Luckily the front of the Briton’s machine only just missed the head of Tom Dillmann, as the rest of the field strove to avoid the melee.
Sam Bird is disconsolately wheeled back into the pits after stalling at the start.
This incident understandably saw the safety car deployed, which greatly assisted Sam Bird who managed to return to the action after stalling on the grid and not fall a lap down. At the front Jolyon Palmer managed to take the lead ahead of the Caterham of Alexander Rossi, with Championship leader Fabio Leimer a strong 3rd. As the marshals cleared away the stricken cars’ of Jon Lancaster and Tom Dillmann, Stephane Richelmi became the next retirement in his DAMS after returning to the pits. A replay of the Turn 5 incident showed the Monegasque driver also bouncing over the sharp kerbs behind the Lancaster and Dillmann incident, which could well have been a factor in his retirement.
After only a short period of time behind the safety car, the race was resumed with Jolyon Palmer in a dominant lead ahead of Alexander Rossi and Fabio Leimer. Further down the order saw Sam Bird scything his way through the order in a bid to redeem himself after his torrid start. At Turns 8 and 9, the British sensation managed to pass both Nathaniel Berthon and Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, before the first few scheduled pit-stops ensued. After enduring a tough qualifying session in his Rapax, Stefano Coletti’s race failed to improve, as the Monegasque driver lightly collided with the ART Grand Prix of James Calado before pitting a lap later.
On Lap 7 yellow flags began appearing in the first few corners, after bollard was knocked loose and onto the circuit. Luckily it was residing off of the racing line, allowing it to be retrieved without the necessity for a safety car intervention. A lap later Sam Bird returned to the pits for a new set of tyres along with Indonesian star Rio Haryanto, whilst race leader Jolyon Palmer continued to produce fastest laps in the lead of the race. Several laps later the other Championship contender of Fabio Leimer pitted along with Felipe Nasr, Sergio Canamasas and Dani Clos, whilst James Calado’s miserable weekend continued as was heard complaining of no power. A replay indicated that the Briton’s bargeboard had worked its way loose and had become stuck in his air intake.
After making his mandatory pit-stop, Championship leader Fabio Leimer began scything his way through the field with half of the drivers ahead of him still yet to stop. This saw the Swiss sensation breeze around Gianmarco Raimondo, who strove to make his car as wide as possible in his defense. Meanwhile further freneticism ensued further back, as Simon Trummer and Jake Rosenzweig collided at Turns 8 and 9. This saw both drivers come under investigation, with Simon Trummer eventually struck with a drive-thru penalty.
As the final feature race of the season continued, Vittorio Ghirelli became the latest retirement after returning to the pits. Meanwhile out on track Stefano Coletti continued to make minor mistakes, as the 24-year-old lightly tapped the rear of Gianmarco Raimondo’s Trident Racing. After loosing the lead at the start to Jolyon Palmer, Alexander Rossi eventually made his stop on Lap 18. In a bid to overtake the Briton when he made his pit-stop, the Caterham mechanics elected to only change the rear tyres.
Alexander Rossi made GP2 history for America.
This tactic proved sensational, as Jolyon Palmer pitted for his stop a lap later and returned to the track frustratingly behind the bright green Caterham of Alexander Rossi. However, the British driver had super-soft tyres bolted to his Carlin, which would give him a slight advantage for several laps before tyre wear intervened. Although Alexander Rossi was now in a net 1st place after rising ahead of Jolyon Palmer, Marcus Ericsson had in fact assumed the lead as he had yet to make his mandatory stop. Eventually the top three of Marcus Ericsson, Mitch Evans and James Calado all peeled off into the pits several laps later, thus allowing Daniel Abt to lead his first laps of the season.
Eventually the final two drivers of Daniel de Jong and Daniel Abt pitted on Lap 22, which released Alexander Rossi into the lead of the race ahead of the hard-charging Jolyon Palmer. With the race drawing to a climactic conclusion with Fabio Leimer on course to securing the Drivers’ Championship, the safety car was deployed for a second time after Mitch Evans collided with the Caterham of Sergio Canamasas at Turn 21. This saw the reigning GP3 Champion forced into retirement, as the field bunched up with Alexander Rossi still at the front.
As absolute confusion ensued in the Rapax pits as both Stefano Coletti and Simon Trummer pitted together without informing the team, Sam Bird had managed to rise up to 10th and a points-paying position. With Fabio Leimer running in 3rd position, all Bird required was a 7th place finish or higher to keep his Championship hopes alive. At the restart Alexander Rossi catapulted himself into a commanding lead, as Marcus Ericsson brought the Championship tension to breaking-point by overtaking Fabio Leimer for 3rd.
Now all Sam Bird required was a 9th place finish, as he lay in 10th position stuck behind the ART Grand Prix of Daniel Abt. As Nathaniel Berthon retired in a plume of smoke after his engine expired, Alexander Rossi crossed the line to take his and America’s maiden victory in the GP2 Series. Despite his jubilation, all eyes were focused on the Racing Engineering of Fabio Leimer and Russian Time of Sam Bird, whose positions remained unchanged as they crossed the line. This meant Fabio Leimer had secured the coveted GP2 title in nail-biting fashion, with Sam Bird 10th and only just unable to make the move for 9th.
On the last lap Stefano Coletti’s incident-filled race continued after he collided with the MP Motorsport of Daniel de Jong, which forced both drivers into retirement. Despite the Championship celebrations down in the Racing Engineering garages, tomorrow’s final sprint race still awaits the GP2 fraternity. Johnny Cecotto has managed to secure the reverse grid pole for Arden International, and will start the race alongside Felipe Nasr.
Results - 29 laps:
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Alexander Rossi Caterham 1h00m16.414s
2. Jolyon Palmer Carlin +2.130s
3. Marcus Ericsson DAMS +3.075s
4. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering +4.687s
5. Dani Clos MP +5.218s
6. James Calado ART +6.370s
7. Felipe Nasr Carlin +8.873s
8. Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden +12.142s
9. Daniel Abt ART +13.102s
10. Sam Bird Russian Time +13.568s
11. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Hilmer +14.852s
12. Sergio Canamasas Caterham +15.896s
13. Simon Trummer Rapax +15.919s
14. Rio Haryanto Addax +19.021s
15. Rene Binder Lazarus +19.229s
16. Julian Leal Racing Engineering +21.039s
17. Gianmarco Raimondo Trident +23.308s
18. Nathanael Berthon Trident +1 lap*
19. Stefano Coletti Rapax +1 lap*
20. Daniel de Jong MP +1 lap*
21. Jake Rosenzweig Addax +3 laps*
*Not running at finish
Retirements:
Mitch Evans Arden 22 laps
Vittorio Ghirelli Lazarus 9 laps
Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1 lap
Tom Dillmann Russian Time 0 laps
Jon Lancaster Hilmer 0 laps
Picture(s) Copyright © Sam Bloxham & Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Palmer heads a Carlin 1-2 after thrilling GP2 feature race at Singapore
Jolyon Palmer has continued his dominance around the streets of Singapore, after storming to a sensational victory during the GP2 feature race ahead of team-mate Felipe Nasr, despite enduring a torrid start off of the line. The Carlin duo were followed by the ART Grand Prix of James Calado, who just managed to remain ahead of Stephane Richelmi.
At the start poleman Jolyon Palmer endured a slow getaway off of the line, as team-mate Felipe Nasr and Championship leader Fabio Leimer stormed around the Briton on the run down to Turns 1 and 2. Despite the tight and twisty confines of the Marina Bay Street Circuit the 26-car field negotiated the opening lap without major incident, as various drivers jostled for position. After his poor start Palmer found himself down in 4th, however the Carlin driver soon managed to begin his resurgence with a passing maneuver around James Calado for 3rd.
Whilst Fabio Leimer set his sights on race leader Felipe Nasr, fellow Championship rival Sam Bird found himself way down in 13th position after starting only 10th. After the opening lap of the race, Felipe Nasr managed to open up a strong lead ahead of Fabio Leimer and team-mate Jolyon Palmer which consisted of a continuous string of fastest laps at the front. Despite the Brazilian ace’s strong pace at the front, Jolyon Palmer was soon up to 2nd position after overtaking Fabio Leimer, with his sights firmly set on catching his Carlin team-mate.
As the 22-year-old Briton began producing fastest laps of the race, fellow countryman and Championship contender Sam Bird gradually started his rise through the order after an overtaking maneuver on the Caterham of Sergio Canamasas and then Stefano Coletti soon afterwards at Turn 7. As soon as the pit-stop window opened on Lap 6, many drivers immediately stormed into the pits to switch from the super-soft to the soft tyre compound, including Stefano Coletti, Sergio Canamasas, Julian Leal, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, Rio Haryanto and Nathaniel Berthon.
A lap later further drivers elected to pit, including Fabio Leimer and Stephane Richelmi. Marcus Ericsson, Dani Clos and Sam Bird pitted on Lap 8, with the latter struggling with a slow rear-right tyre change which only added to his miserable feature race. Julian Leal and Nathaniel Berthon became the first retirements of the race on Lap 8, as the duo collided on the run down to Turn 13. Berthon failed to offer the Columbian sufficient room on the inside of the hairpin, which resulted in their race-ending collision.
Whilst the Singapore marshals immediately began clearing away the stricken Racing Engineering and Trident Racing machines, race leader Felipe Nasr pitted for Carlin along with James Calado and Alexander Rossi. This allowed Jolyon Palmer to assume the lead of the race, as Nasr endured a frustratingly slow stop due to a delay on the rear-left tyre. As Jolyon Palmer opened up a considerable lead at the front, Vittorio Ghirelli became the next retirement after returning to the pits. On Lap 11 Jolyon Palmer finally pitted from the lead of the race, changing only his rear tyres in a slick pit-stop from the Carlin mechanics as Tom Dillmann took the lead of the race for Russian Time. The Frenchman had yet to pit for fresh tyres, and was therefore an easy target for Felipe Nasr who quickly retook the lead at Turn 7.
As Felipe Nasr strove to open up yet another gap at the front, Tom Dillmann eventually made his mandatory pit-stop on Lap 15 and therefore released the now hard-charging Jolyon Palmer into 2nd position. Further down the order Johnny Cecotto was once again at the centre of attention, with the Venezuelan driver proving a to be a tricky target to overtake. Eventually James Calado managed to do so, however his German team-mate Daniel Abt struggled and lost part of his front-wing during the nail-biting process. Eventually both Daniel Abt and Fabio Leimer managed to muscle their way around Johnny Cecotto, although the Championship leader in particular had already lost valuable time to James Calado in 3rd.
After enduring a tough start to the race, Jolyon Palmer’s true pace became apparent as the Briton began reeling in team-mate and race leader Felipe Nasr at a phenomenal rate, over a second faster than the Brazilian. Under the pressure of his charging team-mate, Felipe Nasr began making several errors under braking around the circuit, only allowing Jolyon Palmer the luxury of closing the gap even more. Whilst the Carlin duo became locked in a grueling battle for the lead of the race, Alexander Rossi’s feature race drew to a miserable conclusion as the American star ran straight on at Turn 18. Although the Caterham driver was able to continue circulating he soon returned to the pits, and eventually into retirement.
On Lap 24 Jolyon Palmer finally mastered an overtaking maneuver on Felipe Nasr for the lead of the feature race at Turn 7, as the 21-year-old Brazilian suffered a massive lock-up in his desperate attempt at keeping his team-mate at bay. As the last laps ticked away, Felipe Nasr’s front-right tyre continued to prove troublesome, as Jolyon Palmer simply scampered into the distance. Further down the order Sam Bird managed to produce an important overtaking maneuver on Dani Clos for 8th and the reverse grid pole for Sunday’s sprint race, as James Calado, Fabio Leimer and Stephane Richelmi all battled for the final podium position.
Eventually it was ART Grand Prix’s James Calado who joined the Carlin duo on the podium as the checkered flag was unfurled, with Jolyon Palmer victorious 13 seconds ahead of Felipe Nasr. Despite only finishing 4th, Fabio Leimer has managed to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship, with only three races remaining in what has become a highly unpredictable GP2 season.
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Daniil Kvyat storms to dominant victory in hectic GP3 race at Monza
Russian sensation Daniil Kvyat has stormed to a dominant lights-to-flag victory after a hectic and incident-filled opening GP3 race at Monza, eventually finishing ahead of Nick Yelloly in 2nd and Championship leader Facu Regalia in 3rd.
At the start a number of drivers initially struggled to get off of the line for the formation lap, with Kevin Korjus, David Fumanelli and Ryan Cullen all momentarily stalling before eventually joining the rest of the pack. The unusual action didn’t stop there, as Championship leader Facu Regalia half-spun on the exit of Turn 11 and Josh Webster unfortunately stalled just prior to lining up on the grid. Despite the stalled Status Grand Prix car in the background, the race began on time as Daniil Kvyat, Tio Ellinas and Robert Visoiu all jostled at the front into Turn 1.
Unlike the GP2 feature race earlier in the day, the GP3 drivers’ were unable to negotiate the opening chicane without incident. Marussia Manor Racing driver Dino Zamparelli was forced to cut the first corner, in doing so dangerously rejoining the circuit and T-boning his team-mate of Tio Ellinas. The ensuing melee saw Carlos Sainz tipped into a race-ruining spin, as well as Robert Visoiu and Conor Daly get caught up. The latter two drivers were eventually forced into retirement, with the American’s front-left tyre practically shredded after his collision. Championship contender Tio Ellinas was also forced into a frustrating retirement, in an incident started by his own team-mate.
Amazingly the safety car was not called upon after the opening lap’s incidences, with the Monza marshals managing to clear the stricken machines effectively to allow the race to continue. As the freneticism raged on throughout the pack, Carmen Jorda was struck with a drive-thru penalty for jumping the start. The carnage failed to stop after the opening lap, as Luis Sa Silva clattered into the rear of Aaro Vainio at Turn 1 and was forced into retirement, with the Finn luckily managing to continue circulating despite the severe impact to the rear of his machine.
Alex Fontana also retired during the early stages of the race, as the Jenzer Motorsport driver lost the rear of his car whilst negotiating Turn 11. This saw the 21-year-old slam into the retaining tyre barrier after skipping through the gravel trap, damaging the rear of his car beyond immediate repair. Whilst numerous altercations raged on throughout the race, Facu Regalia breezed passed Alexander Sims for 2nd position on Lap 4. The Briton continued to loose ground as the lap progressed, as fellow countryman Lewis Williamson found a way around him.
After enduring a frustrating spin at the start of the race during the melee at the opening chicane, Carlos Sainz began to claw his way through the field as the race progressed. By Lap 8, the Spaniard was up to 12th position after some quite masterful maneuvers which so nearly ended in collision. Patric Niederhauser managed to rise up into 8th position and the provisional reverse grid pole several laps later, with the Swiss ace keen to seek the advantage of pole for the second race on Sunday morning.
Whilst the pack jostled for position, Daniil Kvyat was in a class of his own at the front. The 19-year-old eventually stormed across the line a whole +5.3 seconds ahead of Nick Yelloly in 2nd, with Facu Regalia 3rd for ART Grand Prix to take his second consecutive victory in the GP3 Series. Patric Niederhauser will start tomorrow morning’s second race on the reverse grid pole, and will start alongside Britain’s Jack Harvey in what will surely be a thrilling addition to the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service
Aaro Vainio storms to GP3 victory after lights-to-flag drive at Budapest
Aaro Vainio has stormed to his third GP3 victory around the Hungaroring, after a masterful lights-to-flag drive from the Finn who managed to fend off the charging Conor Daly during the closing laps. The leading duo were followed by Russian ace Daniil Kvyat in the MW Arden, with Jack Harvey 4th.
At the start Aaro Vainio stormed into a commanding lead over Conor Daly, as the 27-car field negotiated the tricky first few corners without incident. During the opening few laps Championship leader Tio Ellinas plummeted through the order, after first Patric Niederhauser and then Alex Fontana and Dino Zamparelli all overtook the struggling Cypriot. Whilst the field began to evenly spread themselves out around the tight and twisty confines of the Hungaroring, Aaro Vainio managed to open up a comfortable two second lead over the American ace of Conor Daly.
By Lap 9 Tio Ellinas managed to recover after his highly uncompetitive start to the race, with the Marussia Manor Racing driver managing to overtake Dino Zamparelli down the start/finish straight. As the race progressed numerous battles raged on up and down the order, with the likes of Patric Niederhauser, Giovanni Venturini and Tio Ellinas all battling hard for position. The latter began pushing beyond the limits in the closing stages of the race, as he dipped a wheel onto the grass and run extensively wide on the exit of Turn 4 but managed to rejoin.
The flow of the race was disrupted on Lap 12, after a big shunt between Luis Sa Silva and Emanuele Zonzini, with Samin Gomez also involved but miraculously able to continue. As Sa Silva, Zonzini and Gomez negotiated Turn 1, utter disaster struck when Gomez collided with Sa Silva and the unsuspecting Trident of Zonzini barrel-rolled over the Angolan driver. This incident naturally brought out the safety car, as the efficient marshals cleared the two stricken cars and debris.
After only several laps behind the safety car the race was resumed, with Conor Daly pressurizing race leader Aaro Vainio. The ART Grand Prix driver was frustratingly denied the luxury of overtaking the race leader, as the duo negotiated Turn 2 practically side-by-side. Further back the traditional GP3 mayhem ensued, as Lewis Williamson suffered a spectacular spin in a cloud of tyre smoke. Melville McKee endured a frustrating end to the race, as he dropped through the order whilst running wide with Jimmy Eriksson between Turns 4 and 5.
Despite the crazy end to the race, Aaro Vainio managed to keep his composure and secure a masterful victory after a mature drive from the Koiranen GP driver. The leading duo were separated by just +0.6 seconds across the line, with Daniil Kvyat just under five seconds behind for MW Arden. Robert Visoiu managed to finish 8th, therefore securing him the reverse grid pole for tomorrow’s second race. The Romanian driver will start alongside Kevin Korjus.
Results - 17 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Aaro Vainio Koiranen 29m17.213s
2. Conor Daly ART +0.691s
3. Daniil Kvyat MW Arden +4.853s
4. Jack Harvey ART +7.061s
5. Carlos Sainz Jr MW Arden +7.262s
6. Facu Regalia ART +7.507s
7. Kevin Korjus Koiranen +8.588s
8. Robert Visoiu MW Arden +9.307s
9. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer +10.295s
10. Giovanni Venturini Trident +11.550s
11. Alex Fontana Jenzer +12.736s
12. Tio Ellinas Manor +13.175s
13. Dino Zamparelli Manor +14.139s
14. Jimmy Eriksson Status +16.751s
15. Patrick Kujala Koiranen +18.645s
16. Nick Yelloly Carlin +18.793s
17. David Fumanelli Trident +19.245s
18. Melville McKee Bamboo +21.309s
19. Eric Lichtenstein Carlin +21.428s
20. Samin Gomez Jenzer +21.725s
21. Adderly Fong Status +22.012s
22. Josh Webster Status +22.372s
23. Carmen Jorda Bamboo +22.793s
24. Lewis Williamson Bamboo +23.417s
Retirements:
Driver Team Laps
Luis Sa Silva Carlin 12
Emanuele Zonzini Trident 12
Josh Webster Status 6
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service
Jolyon Palmer wins nail-biting Hungarian Grand Prix feature race
Jolyon Palmer has stormed to a sensational victory after a nail-biting GP2 feature race around Budapest’s Hungaroring, with the Briton being followed home by the DAMS of Marcus Ericsson and Carlin team-mate of Felipe Nasr. The race was relatively incident-free, with frenetic track action from the moment the five red lights went out.
Initially the start of the race was aborted, after Ricardo Teixeira stalled on the formation lap. This saw the field complete yet another formation lap, as the MP Motorsport duo of Daniel de Jong and Dani Clos both stalled and were forced to start from the pit-lane along with Ricardo Teixeira. Eventually the race got underway, with pole-man Tom Dillmann suffering from an abysmal getaway. This enabled Felipe Nasr to storm into the lead, with Fabio Leimer 2nd in the Racing Engineering machine.
By the end of the opening lap Tom Dillmann found himself way down in 6th position and battling with team-mate Sam Bird, whereas further down the order Rene Binder also stalled on the grid but eventually managed to get restarted. In traditional GP2 fashion utter mayhem ensued throughout the order during the opening lap, with Jon Lancaster and Daniel Abt coming together as Julian Leal lost his front-wing the ensuring carnage. Stefano Coletti was one of the many drivers who returned to the pits after the opening lap to fix damage sustained during the frenetic opening lap.
At Turn 1, Marcus Ericsson stormed up the inside of Jolyon Palmer for 3rd position, with the Swede’s team-mate Stephane Richelmi also eager to make a move. Already Felipe Nasr had opened up a two second lead, as Tom Dillmann became one of the first drivers to make a scheduled pit-stop along with James Calado, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs and Sergio Canamasas. Marcus Ericsson pitted a lap later along with Alexander Rossi, Sam Bird and Nathaniel Berthon. After making their mandatory pit-stops, James Calado managed to barge his way around Alexander Rossi for 18th after a superb overtaking maneuver.
On Lap 9, Felipe Nasr and Fabio Leimer pitted from the lead of the race, handing the lead down to Jolyon Palmer. As Nasr and Leimer exited the pit-lane, Marcus Ericsson wasted no time in overtaking the duo to rise up to 2nd position, with an excellent maneuver at Turn 2 on Felipe Nasr. Further down the order Jon Lancaster and Sergio Canamasas collide at Turn 12, with both suffering damage which ultimately saw the Caterham driver forced into retirement.
By Lap 17, Jolyon Palmer carried out his mandatory pit-stop. The Carlin mechanics mastered a sensationally quick stop, however Marcus Ericsson still managed to overtake the Briton upon exiting the pit-lane as Johnny Cecotto assumed the lead of the race for Arden International. The Venezuelan driver’s lead was short-lived, as team-mate Mitch Evans soon overtook him at Turn 1. On Lap 19 Jolyon Palmer momentarily overtook Marcus Ericsson around the outside of Turn 2, however the Carlin driver ran extensively wide at Turn 3 and therefore lost his position.
Johnny Cecotto eventually pitted on Lap 20, leaving only Vittorio Ghirelli, Simon Trummer and Mitch Evans out in front without making their mandatory pit-stops. Once again Jolyon Palmer lunged up the inside of Marcus Ericsson, failing to make the move stick after out-braking himself and running wide. The Briton continued to struggle to make the move stick at Turn 1 for several laps, as Ghirelli pitted from 3rd. Simon Trummer assumed the lead of the race a lap later when Mitch Evans pitted, before Jolyon Palmer finally perfected an overtaking maneuver on Marcus Ericsson for 2nd.
Further down the order utter mayhem continued, as Johnny Cecotto slammed into the rear of Tom Dillmann as the Frenchman slowed whilst battling for position. This saw Dillmann plummet through the order, as Cecotto continued to circulate despite a ruined front-wing. This eventually saw the Venezuelan driver struck with a black and orange flag, forcing him to pit for a new nose before being issued with a drive-thru penalty for causing the collision. Meanwhile Simon Trummer finally became the last driver to complete his mandatory pit-stop, allowing Jolyon Palmer to assume a well deserved lead in his Carlin.
After a lengthy battle for position with Jolyon Palmer, Marcus Ericsson now became locked in a grueling battle for 2nd with the other Carlin of Felipe Nasr. The duo banged wheels into Turn 13, before Johnny Cecotto threw the spanner in the works by un-lapping himself on Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson and completely diluting a sensational battle for position. Amid all of the confusion up and down the order, Jake Rosenzweig and Daniel Abt had retired during the closing stages of the race, as Jolyon Palmer secured his second victory in the GP2 Series ahead of Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr. Championship leader Stefano Coletti could only manage 16th, after a tough feature race.
Frenchman Nathaniel Berthon managed to secure the reverse grid pole for Trident Racing, and will start alongside reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans in what will surely be a terrific sprint race tomorrow morning.
Results - 36 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 57m14.477s
2. Marcus Ericsson DAMS +15.407s
3. Felipe Nasr Carlin +15.794s
4. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering +19.433s
5. Stephane Richelmi DAMS +19.740s
6. Simon Trummer Rapax +21.499s
7. Mitch Evans Arden +22.584s
8. Nathanel Berthon Trident +36.439s
9. James Calado ART +38.203s
10. Sam Bird Russian Time +44.671s
11. Rio Haryanto Addax +51.951s
12. Daniel de Jong MP +52.520s
13. Alexander Rossi Caterham +54.815s
14. Dani Clos MP +55.990s
15. Julian Leal Racing Engineering +56.302s
16. Stefano Coletti Rapax +57.202s
17. Vittorio Ghirelli Lazarus +58.621s
18. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Hilmer +1m05.995s
19. Ricardo Teixeira Trident +1m16.133s
20. Tom Dillmann Russian Time +1m33.788s
21. Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden +1 lap
22. Rene Binder Lazarus +1 lap
23. Jon Lancaster Hilmer +1 lap
Retirements:
Daniel Abt ART 34 laps
Jake Rosenzweig Addax 32 laps
Sergio Canamasas Caterham 17 laps
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Melville McKee Holds Off Alexander Sims For Maiden GP3 Victory In Germany
Melville McKee has secured his maiden victory in the GP3 Series around the iconic Nurburgring circuit, after managing to fend off the charging Alexander Sims during a thrilling conclusion to the second race of the weekend. The duo were joined on the podium by fellow countryman Nick Yelloly, in an all-British top three.
At the start Alexander Sims dropped from 1st to 3rd after securing the reverse grid pole, allowing Melville McKee to storm into a commanding lead as Jack Harvey and Carlos Sainz touched at Turn 1. Both drivers managed to continue circulating, as Nick Yelloly slipped into 2nd position behind his fellow countryman. Race one winner Facu Regalia was forced to start the race from the pit-lane after stalling on the grid during the formation lap, as Romanian driver Robert Visoiu jumped the start was therefore struck with a drive-thru penalty.
As the 27-car field began to spread out during the opening few laps, Melville McKee opened up a comfortable lead at the front as further down the order battles still raged. Ryan Cullen became locked in a grueling battle with the Status Grand Prix of Josh Webster, with the 22-year-old eventually rising up to 24th with an overtaking maneuver at Turns 13 and 14. After stalling on the grid at the start of the formation lap, Argentinean driver Facu Regalia was forced into retirement on Lap 8 after a sensational maiden victory during the opening race of the weekend yesterday.
Despite dropping from 1st to 3rd during the opening lap of the race, GP3 returnee Alexander Sims soon perfected a masterful overtaking maneuver on Nick Yelloly to secure 2nd position. The 24-year-old then proceeded to catch race leader Melville McKee, as Ryan Cullen and Josh Webster collided at Turn 4 resulting in the Marussia Manor Racing driver spinning in spectacular fashion. Luckily Cullen managed to continue circulating, whereas Webster was eventually forced into retirement after sustaining a front-left puncture.
As Alexander Sims began to swarm over the rear of Melville McKee’s Bamboo Engineering machine, Conor Daly dropped out of the points during the final lap of the race as Patric Niederhauser overtook the American driver. Despite catching race leader Melville McKee, Alexander Sims simply ran out of laps to perfect an overtaking maneuver as the 18-year-old became the eighth different winner in as many races by securing his maiden GP3 victory. The leading duo were followed by fellow countrymen Nick Yelloly and Lewis Williamson, in what was a sensational result for Britain.
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service
Giovanni Venturini Storms To Maiden GP3 Victory At Silverstone
Giovanni Venturini has stormed to his maiden victory in the GP3 Series, after a mature drive from the reverse grid pole fending off the charging local hero of Nick Yelloly throughout the entire race. The leading duo were joined on the rostrum by the Jenzer Motorsport of Alex Fontana, after a thrilling 15-lap race.
At the start Giovanni Venturini stormed into the lead with Nick Yelloly in hot pursuit, with the Briton momentarily rising into the lead at Turn 3 before running slightly wide and ceding the lead to the Italian at Turn 4. Further back carnage ensued as Robert Visoiu, Conor Daly, Emanuele Zonzini, Dino Zamparelli and Adderly Fong all collided at Turn 4 and were forced into retirement. Throughout the opening few laps Nick Yelloly swarmed over the rear of Giovanni Venturini’s Trident Racing machine, but to no avail as the 21-year-old defended his lead with superb maturity.
As Nick Yelloly settled into 2nd position and began to look after his tyres, David Fumanelli came under investigation from the stewards after allegedly overtaking Jimmy Eriksson under yellow flag conditions at Turn 4. Eventually the Italian driver was struck with a drive-thru penalty, as Kevin Korjus produced the fastest lap of the race on Lap 9 before being shown the black and white flag by the stewards for exceeding the track limits.
During the closing stages of the race, Nick Yelloly began to mount a charge for the lead of the race once again against Giovanni Venturini, however the Italian sensation continued to deny the local hero of the luxury of the lead. Try as the Carlin driver might, Venturini mastered an incredibly mature drive as Yelloly swarmed over the rear of his car in a bid to steal the lead during the closing stages of the race. The Briton managed to produce the fastest lap of the race in the process, which accounted for very little in the end as Giovanni Venturini stormed across the line to secure his maiden GP3 victory in superb fashion.
Picture Copyright © Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Series Media Service
Sam Bird Leads A Russian Time 1-2 In Practice For Monaco
Sam Bird led a Russian Time 1-2 after practice for this weekend’s GP2 Monaco Grand Prix, in a relatively incident-free 30 minute session around the narrow Monte-Carlo street circuit. The Briton was followed by his team-mate of Tom Dillmann, with reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans a close 3rd.
The one and only practice session for the GP2 field got underway in glorious weather conditions around the glamorous Monte-Carlo street circuit, with Simon Trummer leading out the entire field as soon as the session got underway. The Swiss driver naturally set the initial pace for Rapax with a 01:40.629, however his time was almost instantly bettered by the likes of Nathaniel Berthon and Julian Leal, both of whom momentarily traded fastest laps before the Frenchman produced a 01:28.537 for Trident Racing.
Rising British sensation Sam Bird continued to lower the benchmark as the session progressed, as the Russian Time driver set a 01:26.371. Naturally the times at the top continued to plummet as the session progressed, with the likes of local hero Stephane Richelmi, Johnny Cecotto jr. and Fabio Leimer all momentarily rising to the top. Reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans then impressed many with a 01:24.826, before Jolyon Palmer and then Sam Bird continued to improve around the tight and twisty confines of the Principality.
Arden International’s Johnny Cecotto jr. returned to the top as the session entered its closing stages with a 01:23.369, before Marcus Ericsson and then Tom Dillmann disposed of the Venezuelan with the latter setting a 01:22.387. However, Sam Bird continued to storm around the Monte-Carlo street circuit, returning to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:22.338 creating a Russian Time lock-out at the front. The British ace continued to improve, lowering the benchmark even further with a 01:21.512 as local driver Stephane Richelmi spun at Turn 18.
The 23-year-old Monegasque driver managed to avoid a collision with the barrier, however he stalled his engine forcing the tremendously efficient Monaco marshals to come racing to his aid. The session continued uninterrupted despite Richelmi’s minor error, as Kevin Giovesi ran wide at the same part of the circuit later in the session and was forced to reverse to continue circulating.
Eventually Sam Bird ended the practice session fastest overall for Russian Time, only a whisker ahead of his team-mate Tom Dillmann. The Russian Time duo were followed by GP2 rookie Mitch Evans, with Championship leader Stefano Coletti way down the order in 17th position. However, it will be qualifying later in the day that will count when the teams and drivers return to the Monte-Carlo street circuit.
Picture Copyright © Malcolm Griffiths/GP2 Series Media Service
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