Mavlyutov avoids lap one melee for another reversed-grid GB3 win

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Hillspeed’s Daniel Mavlyutov made good use of pole position to score a third reversed-grid GB3 win as chaos ensued behind.

Arden VRD’s Noah Ping was due to start from pole, but was handed a five-place grid penalty for a collision with Shawn Rashid in race two. That promoted Mavlyutov to the front, and Rashid to second.

Mavlyutov led into Paddock Hill Bend, and there were a number of incidents behind involving eight cars that resulted in a lengthy safety car period.

Chris Dittmann Racing’s Arthur Rogeon collided with Rashid at Paddock Hill, sending both spinning into the gravel. There was a further coming together involving Jarrod Waberski, Souta Arao and Gerrard Xie, the latter spinning and collecting the hapless Tymek Kucharczyk.

Arao and Xie retired on the spot, with Kucharczyk also out after limping back to the pitlane with his rear wing hanging off.

Waberski continued with a broken front wing, and Joseph Loake and McKenzy Cresswell also damaged their front wings in separate incidents, all three making a pitstop during the safety car period.

A slow restart from second-placed Lucas Staico on lap five gave Mavlyutov a clear lead. Arden VRD’s Nico Christodoulou, who had gained four places on the opening lap, passed Staico into Druids.

The front three remained unchanged until the finish, with Mavlyutov holding off Christodolou by 0.551 seconds, while Staico came home a further five seconds adrift in third.

Edward Pearson snatched fourth from Ping following the safety car restart and, despite trying to reclaim the position into Graham Hill Bend, Ping took the chequered flag a second behind the Fortec Motorsports driver in fifth.

Hitech GP’s Michael Shin was sixth, having swept around the outside of David Morales during the race at Hawthorn Bend.

Zak Taylor gained eight places on lap one and finished eighth, with Oliver Stewart taking ninth ahead of Rodin Carlin’s John Bennett.

Alex Dunne climbed seven places at the start to 11th, where he remained until the finish, just ahead of James Hedley.

Following the pair home were Callum Voisin and Loake, the latter recovering from his early pitstop to battle his chief title rival. By finishing ahead, Voisin edged further clear of Loake at the top of the standings.

Cresswell finished just behind the pair, with Costa Toparis tumbling down the order to 19th following the restart.

Waberski eventually retired, and he was joined by team-mate Max Esterson, who had been running eighth until front wing damage caused him to fly off the road at Graham Hill Bend.

Race result (14 laps)