Monaco GP2: McLaren F1 junior Stoffel Vandoorne wins feature race

Vandoorne led home polesitter Alexander Rossi by a commanding 6.2 seconds, as the pair made super-soft tyres last for half of the 40-lap duration.

From second on the grid, Raffaele Marciello started on the option tyre and moved into the lead around the outside of the first corner, but his time in the sun was fleeting.

The Ferrari junior began to suffer degradation early and was caught by the soft-shod Rossi and Vandoorne, while Arthur Pic - who, like Marciello, started on the super-softs - soon joined them.

Marciello pitted on lap nine, releasing Rossi and Vandoorne and the pair built an advantage at the front of the field.

When Mitch Evans clashed with Nick Yelloly at the chicane while trying to take seventh on lap 20, a virtual safety car was called.

Rossi and Vandoorne capitalised, pitting for the super-softs, but making the compound survive the second half of the race represented a gamble.

Vandoorne leapfrogged Rossi in pitlane, and the pair managed to make the tyres last without any great stress, championship leader Vandoorne in particular.

Their cause was aided by Julian Leal and Sergio Canamasas gaining track position through the same strategy to delay Pic, who could have otherwise challenged the leaders later in the race, on his harder tyres.

Leal jumped Pic during the pitstops and they were seven seconds behind Vandoorne initially, only for Canamasas to also pass Pic at the first corner while his super-softs were fresh.

The gap grew as Leal and Canamasas's tyres faded but Pic couldn't find a way back past.

However, Leal received a 10-second time penalty for an unsafe release in the pits that resulted in contact with Sergey Sirotkin, which promoted Canamasas to the final podium position.

Pic took fourth, ahead of Sirotkin, Leal and Richie Stanaway, while Marciello eventually finished eighth, securing pole for the sprint race.

Marciello's early lead came after the race was delayed by two aborted starts, the first due to Nobuharu Matsushita, who was due to start 11th, stalling.

It created chaotic scenes as cars tried to squeeze past, many of them also stalling and requiring a push from marshals.

Drivers were allowed to retake their original grid positions, other than Pierre Gasly, who lost his 12th place and began from pitlane having been deemed to have jumped the start.

Gasly eventually finished 14th, one place behind DAMS team-mate Alex Lynn.

Matsushita retired from the race after hitting Daniel de Jong at the chicane, which later earned the Japanese ART driver a three-place grid penalty after stewards ruled he had missed the braking point.

As he was due to line up at the back of the grid, the penalty means he must now start from the pits.

RESULT