Norisring Euro F3: Marciello claims dominant win in opener

Ferrari protege Marciello got the jump on poleman Felix Rosenqvist at the start, and that was enough to keep ahead - via two safety-car periods - for the entire race.

The Italian would often pull out a gap on the Swede, but a gearshift glitch would occasionally delay him and allow Rosenqvist to catch up again.

Rosenqvist, racing under appeal due to a fuel issue arising from post-qualifying scrutineering, was not included in the podium celebrations.

NEWS UPDATE: Blomqvist inherits win amid penalty chaos

Alex Lynn emulated fellow Prema driver Marciello by making up one place at the start, jumping ahead of Felix Serralles on the run to the first corner.

Serralles shadowed Lynn for much of the race until a mistake at the Esses eight laps from the finish allowed Lucas Auer to jump ahead.

Auer, fourth on the road, could therefore complete an all-Prema podium subject to Mucke Motorsport's appeal regarding Rosenqvist.

F3 returnee Alexander Sims chased Serralles and Auer throughout, but did not quite have enough in the bag to mount a serious challenge and finished behind Serralles, who is racing with cracked vertebrae and injured discs in his back.

Behind them, Tom Blomqvist tried almost race-long to pass Pipo Derani - the duo having made light contact at the first turn - but could not keep up with the Brazilian, who was running a low-downforce set-up, on the straights.

Nick Cassidy stalled at the start but, on his F3 debut, mounted a superb recovery from 25th at the end of lap one to finish ninth.

On the way he passed Carlin team-mates Jordan King and Harry Tincknell, who rounded out the points - Tincknell scoring the final point as Cassidy is not registered for the championship.

Another Carlin driver, Jann Mardenborough, missed out on the points by just one position.

The first safety car was caused when Mitchell Gilbert got stranded at the first hairpin after being hit by his old friend Sean Gelael.

The second safety car arose when Tatiana Calderon rear-ended Michela Cerruti at the first place, Calderon's car stopping by the side of the following straight.

Just to complete the misery of Double R Racing, which runs Gelael and Calderon, its other driver Antonio Giovinazzi was harpooned by Sven Muller in an incident that also eliminated Lucas Wolf.