James Calado scores maiden GP3 victory in Valencia
James Calado took his maiden GP3 win in style with a lights to flag performance in the second race of the weekend on the streets of Valencia
The ART driver led the field away from pole position, and then gradually pulled out a comfortable cushion while those behind him engaged in a fierce scrap for the remaining points positions.
Second place starter Valtteri Bottas spent the first few laps keeping Dean Smith and Alexander Sims at bay. As the Finn defended from Smith, Sims was able to sneak past around the outside of his countryman into Turn 6, and later in the lap the Status driver was ahead of Bottas' ART car as well.
Bottas held on to third after that, while championship leader Mitch Evans came home best of the rest after some pretty tough fights of his own.
The Kiwi got past his MW Arden team-mate Lewis Williamson on lap three, and on lap nine he pounced to pass Gabby Chaves and Smith as they scrapped over fourth place.
Smith seemed set to come home fifth ahead of his Addax team-mate, but the Briton was given a drive-through penalty on the final lap for ignoring yellow flags.
His penalty was set to hand fifth to Chaves, and a first point to Carlin's Conor Daly, who came alive in the final laps to work his way past race one winner Adrian Quaife-Hobbs (Manor) and Lewis Williamson (MW Arden).
However, Daly then attacked Chaves into the final corner on the last lap, and as both ran wide, Williamson was able to pass Daly on the run to the flag for sixth.
Results - 14 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. James Calado ART 28m06.179s
2. Alexander Sims Status + 4.445s
3. Valtteri Bottas ART + 7.917s
4. Mitch Evans MW Arden + 10.808s
5. Gabby Chaves Addax + 18.843s
6. Lewis Williamson MW Arden + 19.133s
7. Conor Daly Carlin + 19.212s
8. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Manor + 20.037s
9. Vittorio Ghirelli Jenzer + 20.659s
10. Luciano Bacheta RSC Mucke + 21.298s
11. Dean Smith Addax + 22.293s
12. Nick Yelloly Atech CRS + 22.817s
13. Tamas Pal Kiss Tech 1 + 27.269s
14. Nico Muller Jenzer + 28.381s
15. Pedro Nunes ART + 34.266s
16. Marlon Stockinger Atech CRS + 40.739s
17. Leonardo Cordeiro Carlin + 51.691s
18. Zoel Amberg Atech CRS + 1m01.816s
19. Nigel Melker RSC Mucke + 1m39.578s
Retirements:
Antonio Felix da Costa Status 13 laps
Maxim Zimin Jenzer 13 laps
Rio Haryanto Manor 13 laps
Michael Christensen RSC Mucke 8 laps
Tom Dillmann Addax 8 laps
Daniel Morad Carlin 0 laps
Matias Laine Manor 0 laps
Aaro Vainio Tech 1 0 laps
Simon Trummer MW Arden 0 laps
Ivan Lukashevich Status 0 laps
Thomas Hylkema Tech 1 0 laps
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