Photo: Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Media Service
Conor Daly secured his second GP3 Series win to claim the championship lead in race one at Valencia, with team-mate Facu Regalia following him across the line for an ART one-two.
Starting from his maiden pole position, Daly got a good launch to keep the lead at the start. He then had Regalia on his tail for the opening laps once the Argentinian had worked his way past Daniil Kvyat, who was relegated to fourth behind Kevin Korjus.
Daly gradually saw off the challenge of Regalia, crossing the finish line with an advantage of 1.2 seconds.
Kvyat came back at Korjus in the closing stages of the 18 lap race but had to make do with fourth. While he went backwards on the opening lap, Red Bull and MW Arden team-mate Carlos Sainz surged forward into fifth after starting eighth. He finished on Kvyat’s tail and ahead of Tio Ellinas who was unable to make progress from his sixth-place starting position, costing him the points lead to Daly.
Aaro Vainio slipped back to seventh at the start from fourth on the grid, but he will fancy his chances of a repeat win the reverse grid race starting P2. Dino Zamparelli held eighth and reverse grid pole until Robert Visoiu found a way through. Jack Harvey took the final point in tenth, lacking the pace of his ART team-mates.
Nick Yelloly showed a good fightback after being excluded from his third-place on the grid due to a ride-height infringement in qualifying, nearly beating Melville McKee to the line for 11th spot.
Results to follow