McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner Dan Ticktum pipped Motopark team-mate Juri Vips in a thrilling-but-shambolic finale to the Formula 3 European Championship weekend at the Norisring.

Red Bull Junior Ticktum beat Estonian Vips by just 0.057 seconds in a photo-finish as they crossed the line, after what effectively became an eight-lap sprint following a red-flag and safety-car-infested race.

Poleman and new championship leader Marcus Armstrong made the most of his pole position, while Ticktum took advantage of front-row starter Vips's relatively poor getaway to move into second.

But Alex Palou was hit on the exit of the Turn 1 hairpin by Nikita Troitskiy in the opening-lap scramble, and Jonathan Aberdein and Ben Hingeley were also involved in the chain reaction.

Palou was the only one to continue behind the subsequent safety car, before his left-rear suspension collapsed and he retired to the pits.

After 11 minutes under caution and tardy work by the marshals with unsuitable tow cars, the race was red-flagged and the flatbeds that should have been called out earlier finally appeared.

Before they even got to the startline for the restart, Keyvan Andres was in the barriers at the Dutzendteich hairpin, and the race went under safety car again.

After the next restart, Ticktum chased Armstrong for one lap before he went around the outside at Turn 1, putting him on the inside line for the first part of the following chicane, and he pulled off a superb pass for the lead.

But by this point, Sacha Fenestraz had been punted off at Dutzendteich in a chain reaction caused by Mick Schumacher punting Artem Petrov into the Renault junior, causing another safety car.

Vips spent most of the first lap following the final restart trying to find a way past Armstrong, before spearing down the inside at Dutzendteich.

He then set off after Ticktum as Vips enjoyed superior traction out of Dutzendteich to move into the leader's slipstream, and on the final lap he drew alongside at Turn 1, but Ticktum held firm.

Ticktum then had to defend at Dutzendteich, but Vips used the traction once more to draw alongside on the run to the line.

"I got a text at the hospital [after his earlier crash] that the car would be ready and I'm just speechless really," said Ticktum.

"It felt a little bit different, because everything apart from the tub was new."

Armstrong lacked grip but still managed to hold off fellow Prema Powerteam driver and Ferrari junior stablemate Guan Yu Zhou for third.

In turn, Carlin's Jehan Daruvala fended off Prema man Ralf Aron - up from 14th on the grid - for fifth, with two more Prema cars - Robert Shwartzman and Schumacher - in his wake.

Schumacher is under investigation for the Petrov/Fenestraz incident, as well as the Andres one, so may not keep his position.

Enaam Ahmed was embroiled with the Prema cars, but the Hitech GP man slipped back to ninth, with Carlin's Ferdinand Habsburg hard on his heels to claim the final point.

Race result