Clos claims first GP2 win in Turkey
Dani Clos claimed his maiden GP2 victory with a dominant lights-to-flag win in the sprint race at Istanbul Park
The 21-year-old held off the challenge of Racing Engineering team-mate Christian Vietoris into the first corner to lead, taking the chequered flag 23 laps later 8.8 seconds ahead of Rapax driver Luiz Razia to become the sixth GP2 winner in six races this year.
Vietoris had looked on course to make it a comfortable one-two for the Spanish team, only to retire with a mechanical problem, which left Razia to take an easy runner-up spot.
Addax's Giedo van de Garde claimed third place after getting ahead of third-place starter Michael Herck (DPR) on the opening lap, but he had to absorb pressure from race one pole position starter David Valsecchi throughout the race.
Herck shadowed iSport's Valsecchi to the finish to take fifth place, with race one winner Pastor Maldonado (Rapax) taking the final point for sixth place to consolidate his championship lead but unable to get on terms with the three-car group ahead of him.
DAMS driver Jerome d'Ambrosio, a race-winner in Monaco two weeks ago, lost seventh place to the inspired Sergio Perez on the last lap. The Barwa Addax driver had started from the back of the grid after being found to be underweight following his fourth place finish in the feature race, but made up 11 places in the opening laps.
ART's Sam Bird ended up 10th after being passed by d'Ambrosio, Perez and Ho-Pin Tung in quick succession in the closing laps after suddenly dropping to around two seconds off the pace.
His team-mate Jules Bianchi was involved in some hectic midfield racing but could only make it up to 13th after his early retirement yesterday. Arden's Charles Pic - the man Bianchi tangled with in the feature race - missed today's round due to food poisoning.
Former McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC award winner Oliver Turvey's nightmare weekend ended with 18th place after stalling on the grid and then being hit with a drive-through penalty.
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Dani Clos Racing Engineering 37m25.211s
2. Luiz Razia Rapax + 8.870s
3. Giedo van der Garde Barwa Addax + 12.996s
4. Davide Valsecchi iSport + 13.479s
5. Michael Herck DPR + 14.503s
6. Pastor Maldonado Rapax + 19.118s
7. Sergio Perez Barwa Addax + 20.080s
8. Jerome D'Ambrosio DAMS + 20.488s
9. Ho-Pin Tung DAMS + 23.868s
10. Sam Bird ART + 29.560s
11. Max Chilton Ocean + 31.666s
12. Johnny Cecotto Trident + 36.159s
13. Jules Bianchi ART + 40.549s
14. Josef Kral Super Nova + 40.625s
15. Fabio Leimer Ocean + 48.444s
16. Rodolfo Gonzalez Arden + 48.682s
17. Giacomo Ricci DPR + 49.061s
18. Oliver Turvey iSport + 1 lap
19. Alberto Valerio Coloni + 2 laps
Retirements:
Adrian Zaugg Trident 17 laps
Christian Vietoris Racing Engineering 9 laps
Marcus Ericsson Super Nova 5 laps
Vladimir Arabadjiev Coloni 3 laps
Charles Pic Arden 0 laps
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