GP3 Silverstone: Russell beats ART team-mate to second feature win

Alessio Lorandi completed the podium for Jenzer Motorsport after pouncing at the end of a late-race virtual safety car.

Polesitter Russell did not have the best getaway. Although he moved right to cover Hubert, he could not prevent the Frenchman from getting past as they swept into Turn 1.

Jack Aitken was another driver to make gains off the line as he jumped from fifth on the grid to briefly run third, before he lost out to Niko Kari at Brooklands, when the Finn seized the position with a bold move around the outside.

Russell set about chasing Hubert as Aitken came under pressure from Lorandi and Dorian Boccolacci.

Hubert pulled out a crucial one second advantage but Russell ate into that lead and used his first of a possible six DRS uses on lap three of 20.

That allowed him to close on Hubert and one tour later he blasted to the outside of his team-mate going down Hanger straight, sealing the move and first place at Stowe.

From there Russell scampered to edge off the one second DRS detection margin and then marshalled that gap, which ebbed and flowed as Hubert put in quicker sectors before the Briton responded.

While the two leaders played out their high-speed tactical battle, with Kari keeping a watching brief, Lorandi passed Aitken around the outside of Brooklands after using DRS to close in.

Boccolacci passed Aitken as they went side-by-side into Copse and although the Renault F1 academy member fought back he had to cede the place.

Russell had just got his lead up 1.1 seconds when the VSC came out for Ryan Tveter's stricken Trident car, which was stranded on Silverstone's National pit straight.

It took the marshals a little while to clear his machine away, and Hubert was able to move closer to Russell, with Lorandi not far behind Kari.

At the restart, Russell leapt clear and stayed away to seal the win in front of his home crowd by 1.1s, but Lorandi jumped past Kari as soon as the green flag came out.

The Italian driver finished third but a message warning that all VSC offenders would be investigated after the race was displayed before the chequered flag came out.

Aitken moved back up to fourth after a frenetic scrap in the closing stages following a botched Boccolacci pass on Kari at Club, with the Trident driver gaining fifth place a short while later.

Arjun Maini and Giuliano Alesi were also involved in that late-race fight, with the Jenzer Motorsport driver holding onto seventh.

Kevin Joerg and Julien Falchero completed the top 10 ahead of Leonardo Pulcini.

The other non-finishers were Santino Ferrucci and former championship leader Nirei Fukuzumi, who slowed suddenly and dropped out of the fight with Kari and Aitken on lap one.

RESULTS - 20 LAPS: