Niederhauser dominates GP3 finale

Patric Niederhauser scored victory in the final GP3 Series race of the year in Abu Dhabi.

As usual, the Arden International driver made a lightning start and although poleman Nick Yelloly tried to squeeze him out of coming through, the Swiss made it stick into Turn 1.

There was a brief safety car, caused by Ryan Cullen being stranded after a collision with Luis Sa Silva, but Niederhauser made a strong restart and gradually extended his lead to win by five seconds.

Status GP driver Yelloly was similarly untroubled in second, while newly-crowned champion Alex Lynn (Carlin) completed the podium.

Lynn was one of many to jump ahead of third-on-the-grid Alex Fontana in the opening moments, with Fontana dropping to seventh. Ahead of him, Saturday winner Dean Stoneman backed out a move on Dino Zamparelli for fifth into the downhill chicane, and as he retook the racing line he was hit by Fontana. The collision tore Stoneman's rear wing loose and sent Fontana to the pits for a new front wing.

Luckily for Stoneman, the man he was leading in the fight for second in the championship, Marvin Kirchhofer, had already struck disaster. The German was unable to get his car into gear on the green-flag lap and started from the pitlane, and was only able to recover to 12th by the finish.

Emil Bernstorff took fourth behind Carlin teammate Lynn, while Zamparelli completed a British 2-3-4-5 in his ART Grand Prix car. Next up were Kevin Ceccon and Jimmy Eriksson, while Richie Stanaway pulled off a nice move on Jann Mardenborough to take the year's final point for eighth.

Mardenborough subsequently dropped out of a scrap with Robert Visoiu and Pal Varhaug when his left-rear tyre went flat, sending him off the road.

RESULTS - 14 LAPS: