Merhi takes first Spielberg race

After starting from the front row, the Spaniard out-dragged his Prema team-mate Daniel Juncadella off the line to take the lead at the first corner and built a 1.6-second lead inside the first three laps.

Juncadella reduced the gap back down to 1.1s with a number of superb mid-race lap times, but despite setting personal best sector times during each of the last six laps, was unable to close much further as Merhi matched him tenth for tenth and drove on to victory in the first race of any kind to be held on the recently-reopened circuit.

The pair were over 8s clear of Wittmann's Signature car by the flag, helping Juncadella to move up from fifth to third in the points.

Felix Rosenqvist had run fourth early on, but was passed by his Mucke Motorsport team-mate Nigel Melker into the Remus Kurve at the top of the hill.

The Swede ran wide exiting the corner, dropping back to ninth, and later retired with broken left-rear suspension after hitting a speed bump exiting the first corner on lap 14.

Melker was soon defending his position from series returnee Tom Dillmann, and had to cede fourth to the Motopark driver on lap 15 exiting the Gosser Kurve, as the Dutchman had compromised his drive out of the turn by braking late and on the inside for it.

Fourth represented Dillmann's best Euro Series finish since 2008 while Melker and Daniel Abt (Signature) were next up.

Laurens Vanthoor (Signature) spent most of the race with new Prema recruit Gianmarco Raimondo on his gearbox, but never let the Canadian get quite close enough to make a move. They finished seventh and eighth.

Motopark's Kimiya Sato was given a drive-through penalty for non-respect of the track limits while Carlos Munoz (Signature) was tipped into a spin by Kuba Giermaziak (Star) at the Gosser Kurve on lap one, delaying both drivers.

Results - 26 laps:

Pos  Driver              Team/Car                Time/Gap
 1.  Roberto Merhi       Prema Dallara-Merc    37m46.219s
 2.  Daniel Juncadella   Prema Dallara-Merc      + 1.030s
 3.  Marco Wittmann      Signature Dallara-VW    + 9.546s
 4.  Tom Dillmann        Motopark Dallara-VW    + 11.413s
 5.  Nigel Melker        Mucke Dallara-Merc     + 15.951s
 6.  Daniel Abt          Signature Dallara-VW   + 18.752s
 7.  Laurens Vanthoor    Signature Dallara-VW   + 19.528s
 8.  Gianmarco Raimondo  Prema Dallara-VW       + 20.157s
 9.  Jimmy Eriksson      Motopark Dallara-VW    + 25.541s
10.  Carlos Munoz        Signature Dallara-VW   + 28.680s
11.  Kimiya Sato         Motopark Dallara-VW    + 58.027s
12.  Kuba Giermaziak     Star Dallara-VW          + 1 lap

     Felix Rosenqvist    Mucke Dallara-Merc       13 laps