Gutierrez takes hard-earned win
Esteban Gutierrez won today's GP3 Series feature race n a classic slipstreaming battle at Monza, although the newly-crowned champion had to work hard for the victory
Gutierrez started from pole but quickly found himself engaged in a six-way fight with Nico Muller, Robert Wickens, Roberto Merhi, Rio Haryanto and Renger van der Zande.
The group spent the majority of the race covered by just over two seconds and positions changed frequently, with Muller, Wickens and Haryanto all enjoying stints in the lead, and Gutierrez falling as far back as fifth.
The six contenders became five when van der Zande's Mucke entry slowed and forced the Dutchman into the pits, continuing his immensely unlucky season.
Shortly afterward, Gutierrez made what would prove to be the decisive move of the race when he darted out of Wicken's slipstream to pass the Canadian into the first corner three laps from the end. With a clear track ahead the ART driver managed to open a gap of a second to secure the victory, leaving Wickens and Haryanto to complete the podium.
Muller was fourth, with Mirko Bortolotti, Merhi, Josef Newgarden and Nigel Melker rounding out the points, although the result could change depending upon the outcome of an investigation into an incident involving Wickens and Muller when the pair were scrapping over the lead in the early stages of the race.
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Esteban Gutierrez ART 28m26.731s 2. Robert Wickens Status + 0.995s 3. Rio Haryanto Manor + 2.104s 4. Nico Muller Jenzer + 2.656s 5. Mirko Bortolotti Addax + 3.693s 6. Roberto Merhi Atech CRS + 4.539s 7. Josef Newgarden Carlin + 4.886s 8. Nigel Melker RSC Mucke + 6.923s 9. Daniel Morad Status + 10.148s 10. Tobias Hegewald RSC Mucke + 10.889s 11. Miki Monras MW Arden + 10.952s 12. Oliver Oakes Atech CRS + 12.102s 13. James Jakes Manor + 13.372s 14. Pal Varhaug Jenzer + 13.461s 15. Michael Christensen MW Arden + 15.945s 16. Stefano Coletti Tech 1 + 20.674s 17. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Manor + 21.286s 18. Pablo Sanchez Lopez Addax + 21.426s 19. Ivan Lukashevich Status + 21.938s 20. Lucas Foresti Carlin + 24.541s 21. Doru Sechelariu Tech 1 + 24.949s 22. Daniel Juncadella Tech 1 + 25.544s 23. Vittorio Ghirelli Atech CRS + 48.201s 24. Pedro Nunes ART + 1m04.316s Retirements: Felipe Guimaraes Addax 12 laps Renger van der Zande RSC Mucke 10 laps Simon Trummer Jenzer 6 laps Leonardo Cordeiro MW Arden 4 laps Dean Smith Carlin 1 lap Alexander Rossi ART 0 laps
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