Bottas takes commanding victory in Spa

Monday, 29 August 2011 20:49

Written by C K SENTHILKUMARAN

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Finn takes lights-to-flag victory at Spa-Francorchamps to extend Series lead

Valtteri Bottas stamped his authority on the 2011 GP3 Series once again this afternoon with a commanding win in Race 1. The Finn finished 6.495 seconds ahead of his teammate and pole sitter James Calado to lead a Lotus ART 1-2.

When the lights went out Bottas pulled away well to snatch the lead of the 12-lap race from Calado. Behind the ART duo Marussia Manor Racing’s Adrian Quaife-Hobbs put a move on Melker exiting La Source hairpin to take third, and the Series contenders then entered into a furious battle for the final podium spot. Title contender Alexander Sims made a storming start moving up from sixteenth to ninth by the end of lap one. 

Bottas was soon under control of the race at the front, and was simply too quick paced for teammate Calado to hang on. The Finn put in fastest laps to build up an eight second lead by midway through the race. Meanwhile the battle for the final podium spot between Quaife-Hobbs and Melker had been resolved with the RSC Mücke Motorsport driver finally taking the honors.

With five laps remaining Sims was pushing Conor Daly hard for fifth, but a clash between the Status and Carlin drivers at Blanchimont ended in tears for Sims who then dropped down the field and out of the points with steering issues.

By the chequered flag Calado had pulled back the gap to Bottas, but it was too little too late and the Finn celebrated his third win of the season. Melker completed the podium ahead of Quaife-Hobbs, Daly, Tom Dillmann, Nico Müller and Richie Stanaway who finished in a fantastic eighth spot on his GP3 debut. The New Zealander will start on reverse pole for tomorrow’s race, and ensured that Lotus ART had all three drivers in the points. 

Bottas still leads the GP3 Series™ driver standings and is now eleven points ahead of his teammate Calado.