GP2 Series
Silverstone, Race 1
June saw Sam Bird take victory in a frantic GP2 feature race at Silverstone as part of a super Saturday for British drivers. The race was not only eventful and engaging from start to finish, but was also a pivotal point in the title race.
Bird had a slow getaway from the front row but then made an opportunistic move for the lead at the Loop, going from fourth to first in one corner after Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr tangled and also impeded Stefano Coletti.
After the leaders made their pitstops, then-points-leader Coletti took up the chase of Bird but struggled to get past the yet-to-stop Johnny Cecotto. That allowed Bird to get away up front, and set up some exciting battles for the places behind.
Richelmi passed fellow Monegasque driver Coletti for second, with the latter then having to defend hard to keep hold of a podium finish. The pressure initially came from Fabio Leimer, but Tom Dillmann then charged to the front of the queue after a late pitstop from the lead. He quickly dispatched of Jolyon Palmer ? who had started 20th ? and Leimer. He had to work harder to pass Coletti, but eventually forced the Rapax man into a mistake on his worn tyres at the end of the penultimate lap and take third.
Leimer then saw his chance to make a move on Coletti but made contact in an opportunistic move at the Loop for the final time, which gave Coletti the first of 13 non-scores over the rest of the season. Jon Lancaster survived earlier contact with James Calado to claim fifth place ahead of Palmer.
Peter Allen