Hockenheim GP3: Ex-gamer Jann Mardenborough takes biggest win yet
Gamer-turned-racer Jann Mardenborough scored the biggest victory of his burgeoning racing career in the second GP3 race at Hockenheim on Sunday morning
The Nissan-backed 22-year-old dominated the race from start to finish from reversed-grid pole position.
Third-placed starter Dino Zamparelli outdragged title contender Jimmy Eriksson away from the startline to take second, and pressured Mardenborough in the opening stages.
But fastest lap by Mardenborough on the fifth tour broke Zamparelli's attack, and the Arden driver pulled away to a 3.8-second victory.
"My first win in international single-seaters - I'm hugely happy," said Mardenborough, whose previous victories had come in the Toyota Racing Series and British GT Championship.
ART's Zamparelli held second throughout, while Eriksson spent much of the event fending off points leader Alex Lynn, who leapt from eighth to fourth at the hairpin on the opening lap.
He had dived past Saturday's winner Marvin Kirchhofer just as Dean Stoneman ran wide and took Nick Yelloly and Emil Bernstorff with him.
Eriksson, who suffered a brief off at the Spitzkehre hairpin despite yellow flags being waved, finished ahead of Lynn and the championship gap between them is now 18 points.
NEWS UPDATE: Eriksson loses podium to penalty
Stoneman nabbed fifth off Yelloly when the latter ran wide at Turn 1 with a couple of laps to go, passing him on the Parabolika sweeper moments later.
Patric Niederhauser inherited seventh due to Kirchhofer and Bernstorff colliding at the hairpin on lap six of 18.
Richie Stanaway completed the point scorers in eighth.
Results - 18 laps: Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Jann Mardenborough Arden 27m48.880s 2. Dino Zamparelli ART +3.860s 3. Jimmy Eriksson Koiranen +6.196s 4. Alex Lynn Carlin +7.687s 5. Dean Stoneman Manor +8.688s 6. Nick Yelloly Status +9.169s 7. Patric Niederhauser Arden +10.046s 8. Richie Stanaway Status +13.158s 9. Riccardo Agostini Hilmer +13.502s 10. Robert Visoiu Arden +14.251s 11. Luis Sa Silva Carlin +15.999s 12. Matheo Tuscher Jenzer +21.983s 13. Adderly Fong Jenzer +22.949s 14. Alex Fontana ART +23.343s 15. Nelson Mason Hilmer +24.801s 16. Patrick Kujala Manor +27.467s 17. Roman de Beer Trident +29.522s 18. Santiago Urrutia Koiranen +30.129s 19. Ryan Cullen Manor +42.308s 20. Victor Carbone Trident +43.252s 21. Sebastian Balthasar Hilmer +43.815s 22. Carmen Jorda Koiranen +1m09.384s Retirements: Alfonso Celis Jr Status 17 laps Mitch Gilbert Trident 12 laps Emil Bernstorff Carlin 8 laps Marvin Kirchhofer ART 7 laps Pal Varhaug Jenzer 0 laps
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