Abu Dhabi: DAMS Racing had double cause for celebration when Niko Kari won the final GP3 feature race of the season at Yas Marina Circuit, giving the French team their first victory of the season — in their final weekend in the category.
Kari built his maiden success on a great start that launched him past pole-sitter George Russell, who has already clinched the drivers’ title for ART Grand Prix.
Russell eventually came in second, 2.7 seconds behind the Finn, with Arjun Maini third for Jenzer Motorsport at the end of an eventful 18-lap battle.
The first two laps saw multiple contact through the 20-car field with Nirei Fiukuzumi, chasing second place overall behind ART teammate Russell, the principal victim. He, Trident’s Giuliano Alesi and Tatiana Calderon of DAMS and all had to come in for repairs.
There was a nerve-tingling scrap for fifth place in mid-race as Trident’s Dorian Boccolacci and DAMS newcomer Dan Ticktum swapped places while ART’s fourth driver, Anthoine Hubert, kept a close eye on proceedings as well.
As Ticktum eased clear, a mid-race problem dropped, Hubert dramatically, allowing Jenzer’s Alessio Lorandi to take the fight to Boccolacci and claim fifth — until the race was again neutralised after 11 laps while marshals cleared Alesi’s halted Trident away.
On the second restart, Russell made no mistake, firing past Pulcini to take second place and set off in pursuit of Kari. Ticktum won the fight for fourth, repeating his outstanding effort from only his second GP3 weekend in Jerez last time out.
Lorandi claimed fifth ahead of Arden’s Steijn Schothorst, with Boccolaci seventh and Hubert eighth — the best-placed of the three ART entries fighting it out behind Russell. Fukuzumi’s two points for fastest lap and Aitken’s failure to score mean the Japanese is now just four points behind the British-Korean driver with Sunday’s 14-lap sprint race to come.
