Perez takes maiden win in Bahrain
Sergio Perez took his first GP2 victory in the Asia Series sprint race in Bahrain
The British Formula 3 graduate led from lights to flag, after starting on pole position thanks to his eighth place yesterday.
Perez's life was made slightly easier before the start when his front row partner Giedo van der Garde failed to get away for the formation lap. The iSport driver was pushed into the pitlane and could only recover to 14th.
Campos driver Perez then edged away from Durango's Davide Valsecchi, establishing a two-second lead by the middle of the race as up to eight drivers battled in his wake.
Valsecchi closed the gap towards the end, but Perez had enough in hand to fend him off and clinch victory.
Jerome D'Ambrosio completed the podium after an outstanding drive for DAMS.
He had dropped to eighth on the first lap, but charged past Earl Bamber (Meritus) and his championship-leading teammate Kamui Kobayashi early on.
The DAMS duo then pressured fifth-placed Roldan Rodriguez (Piquet), both slipping past in quick succession, but while that would be as far as Kobayashi progressed, D'Ambrosio continued to advance through the field.
He pounced on a late error from Javier Villa (Super Nova) to take fourth, and then closed on ART's Nico Hulkenberg before snatching third from the F3 Euro Series champion on the last lap.
Villa and Kobayashi completed the top six, ahead of Bamber and yesterday's third place finisher Edoardo Mortara (Arden).
Classified:
Pos Driver Team Time
1. Sergio Perez Barwa International Campos Team 40:14.642
2. Davide Valsecchi Durango + 0.749
3. J.D'Ambrosio DAMS + 8.081
4. Nico Hulkenberg ART Grand Prix + 8.675
5. Javier Villa Super Nova Racing + 10.533
6. Kamui Kobayashi DAMS + 11.116
7. Earl Bamber My Qi-Meritus.Mahara + 15.441
8. Edoardo Mortara Arden International Motorsport + 16.230
9. Luiz Razia Arden International Motorsport + 17.213
10. Marco Bonanomi My Qi-Meritus.Mahara + 17.821
11. Sakon Yamamoto ART Grand Prix + 18.323
12. Vitaly Petrov Barwa International Campos Team + 25.466
13. Yelmer Buurman Ocean Racing Technology + 29.283
14. G.van der Garde GFH Team iSport + 36.850
15. F.Provenzano Trident Racing + 41.242
16. Giacomo Ricci DPR + 44.677
17. F.Crestani Ocean Racing Technology + 45.389
18. Michael Herck DPR + 50.464
19. Adrian Valles Trident Racing + 55.913
20. M.D.Stelle Durango +1:04.298
21. Kevin Chen Fisichella Motor Sport Int +1:07.235
22. Diego Nunes Piquet GP +1:09.072
23. Roldan Rodriguez Piquet GP + 1 Lap
Not classified:
Driver Team Laps
Rodolfo Gonzalez Fisichella Motor Sport Int 14
Hamad Al Fardan GFH Team iSport 12
James Jakes Super Nova Racing 8
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