GP3 Paul Ricard: Boccolacci beats Hubert to home victory

Boccolacci plunged his chances of winning into doubt almost immediately when he stalled on the formation-lap grid, but just got going before the last car and retook his pole position.

The Frenchman then made a strong start and immediately set about building a gap of two seconds, which fluctuated only slightly back to closest rival Anthoine Hubert.

Renault-affiliated driver Hubert appeared to be conserving his tyres, but began to close in on Boccolacci at the halfway point.

But a mistake where he ran wide onto the kerbs exiting Turn 12 cost him time on lap 12 of 20.

Boccolacci then set a fastest lap on the next tour which gave him almost three seconds of breathing room.

Hubert closed back in to within a second, but it was not enough to deny Boccolacci his second GP3 Series win in a French one-two.

Hubert at least scored two additional points for reclaiming fastest lap.

Barcelona race one winner Nikita Mazepin took third, having inherited the spot at the start from Ferrari Academy driver Giuliano Alesi.

Niko Kari and Leonardo Pulcini were involved in by far the most exciting battle during the race, swapping positions at corners in places that are not conventional overtaking spots, in a thrilling duel at the start.

Kari just shaded Pulcini in the battle to round out the top five in a strong day for his MP Motorsport squad.

Behind Pulcini, Alessio Lorandi moved up a single spot from his starting position to take seventh, while rookie Pedro Piquet earned eighth and the reversed-grid pole.

The son of three-time Formula 1 champion Nelson, Piquet was able to pull clear of a battle behind, which featured four cars, on the penultimate lap of the race.

Joey Mawson spent the entirety of the race defending, and admirably held off charging British ART pair Callum Ilott and Jake Hughes.

Ilott tried at almost every corner but failed to unseat Australian Mawson.

Hughes was involved in contact at the final corner on the last lap with the charging Juan Manuel Correa, who crossed the line ahead of Hughes in 11th.

Correa had earlier hit Jenzer Motorsport team-mate Tatiana Calderon.

Result - 20 laps