Pierre Gasly is now leader in points in GP2 Championship after winning feature race while Sergey Sirotkin, former leader, was P9. Jordan King and Alex Lynn accompany the Frenchman to Spa-Francorchamps podium.

Yesterday Prema Powerteam set best times in qualifying and so both started from first row of the grid. It had to be a good day for the team, but unfortunately polesitter Antonio Giovinazzi failed at the start and was overtaken by four drivers, by Gustav Malja (Rapax) grabbing the lead with Pierre Gasly on second position.

First lap was clean, but a Kirchhöfer (Carlin) touch that made him to retire. Gasly’s Prema still had the pace as Malja was losing it, being overtaken on lap 5. Gasly maintained the lead until leaving the pit-lane, when King (Racing Engineering) overtook him by taking an advantage of Frenchman’s cold tyres. Gasly, although, would return to lead by overtaking using the DRS and keeping it as virtual.

On real lead there was Markelov (Russian Time) after passing Sirotkin (ART Grand Prix), as Malja was constantly losing positions on P12. Daniel De Jong (MP Motorsport) was losing as well Lynn (DAMS) was winning on them.

When all drivers had pitstopped, Rowland (MP Motorsport) would pass Matsushita (ART Grand Prix) and with Gasly about to catch the win, the action would take place for making it into the points. Nato, who was P3, stopped in the middle of the road for mechanical problem and Virtual Safety Car was deployed.

Sirotkin and Rowland were swapping positions for the points as they reached Canamasas (Carlin), who was P9. Their pace was fastest than the Spaniard’s, but the battle would last until the last chicane in where Canamasas squezzed Rowland, and both collided by implying Sirotkin.

Rowland was able to finish with a puncture and into the points, while Canamasas was P12. But attention was by then onto Pierre Gasly, who was now a clear championship leader after Sirotkin’s late finish, and will tomorrow defend it on the grid just in front of the Russian, in P8.

 

Complete results:

POS NO DRIVERS TEAMS LAPS TIME GAP INT. KPH BEST LAP
1 21 P. Gasly PREMA Racing 25 53:00.853 198.032 2:01.888 9
2 4 J. King Racing Engineering 25 53:12.115 11.262 197.334 2:02.349 8
3 5 A. Lynn DAMS 25 53:16.372 15.519 4.257 197.071 2:02.738 9
4 9 R. Marciello RUSSIAN TIME 25 53:20.016 19.163 3.644 196.846 2:03.106 9
5 10 A. Markelov RUSSIAN TIME 25 53:21.576 20.723 1.560 196.751 2:01.187 24
6 20 A. Giovinazzi PREMA Racing 25 53:25.469 24.616 3.893 196.512 2:02.845 18
7 15 L. Ghiotto Trident 25 53:29.556 28.703 4.087 196.261 2:02.750 10
8 11 G. Malja Rapax 25 53:33.257 32.404 3.701 196.035 2:02.888 8
9 2 S. Sirotkin ART Grand Prix 25 53:36.631 35.778 3.374 195.830 2:01.822 18
10 22 O. Rowland MP Motorsport 25 53:37.342 36.489 0.711 195.786 2:01.482 19
11 1 N. Matsushita ART Grand Prix 25 53:37.473 36.620 0.131 195.778 2:00.976 22
12 18 S. Canamasas Carlin 25 53:37.672 36.819 0.199 195.766 2:02.624 10
13 6 N. Latifi DAMS 25 53:42.762 41.909 5.090 195.457 2:02.505 24
14 12 A. Pic Rapax 25 53:47.150 46.297 4.388 195.191 2:03.432 21
15 25 J. Eriksson Arden International 25 53:48.695 47.842 1.545 195.098 2:01.998 22
16 7 M. Evans Pertamina Campos Racing 25 53:52.116 51.263 3.421 194.892 2:02.202 23
17 23 D. De Jong MP Motorsport 25 54:00.674 59.821 8.558 194.377 2:03.115 22
18 8 S. Gelael Pertamina Campos Racing 25 54:10.973 70.120 10.299 193.761 2:03.272 9
19 24 N. Jeffri Arden International 25 54:12.768 71.915 1.795 193.654 2:03.256 11
20 14 P. Armand Trident 25 54:36.233 95.380 23.465 192.267 2:02.122 22
3 N. Nato Racing Engineering 18 37:36.706 DNF 200.917 2:02.820 18
19 M. Kirchhöfer Carlin 1 2:46.288 DNF 148.945

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