GP3 Hockenheim: Jake Hughes secures DAMS' first win in series

Haas Formula 1 test driver and Ferrari protege Leclerc was demoted to third in the race by Jack Aitken late on as Arden's Renault junior completed a British one-two behind Hughes.

But Leclerc still moved into the points lead as ART team-mate Alexander Albon was an early retirement.

Hughes was able to claim his maiden GP3 win despite stewards investigating him for a potential breach of virtual safety car rules.

He had lost his pole advantage with a slow start, dropping behind Arjun Maini immediately and then having to work hard to resist Aitken into the first corner.

Hughes caught Maini again and drafted past him into the lead on the run to the hairpin.

As he completed the move, the VSC was called because Artur Janosz had slid into the barrers in the stadium section as he tried to limp back with a puncture and Ralph Boschung's front wing jammed under his car following a first-lap tangle.

The officials investigated whether Hughes had made the move before or after the VSC was triggered, and eventually ruled he had got it done just before the lights came on.

Maini was caught out when the VSC ended and tumbled to sixth, allowing Leclerc to begin chasing Hughes.

But the DAMS driver had everything under control and Leclerc ultimately fell back as tyre wear kicked in again for ART, losing second to Aitken.

Santino Ferrucci almost gave DAMS two drivers on the podium as he and the recovering Maini chased Leclerc to the flag.

Maini managed to regain one place with a hairpin dive on Matt Parry, who also lost out to the charging Jake Dennis late on.

Dennis's progress showed what might have been for him this weekend - stranded on the front row on Saturday when his car got stuck in neutral, he came through from the pitlane to 12th in race one before salvaging a top six spot in race two.

Leclerc's title rivals Albon and Saturday winner Antonio Fuoco's races unravelled when they made contact in the first-lap mid-pack traffic jam.

Fuoco tapped Albon at the hairpin while trying to pass Parry, causing damage that forced the ART car to retire in the pits.

Though Ferrari Driver Academy member Fuoco pressed on, minus the front of his Trident car's nose, he later had a violent flight over the first corner kerbs and drifted down the order before parking on the last lap.

RESULTS - 18 LAPS:

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: