Kirchhofer triumphs in GP3 race two

Marvin Kirchhofer claimed his first GP3 victory of the season in the reversed-grid sprint race at Barcelona.

The ART Grand Prix driver started fourth on the grid after finishing fifth in Saturday's race, moving up to second at the start. He then passed polesitter Antonio Fuoco's Carlin car when the Ferrari Driver Academy prospect ran wide at the exit of Turn 3.

Kirchhofer quickly established a comfortable lead at the front, with Fuoco falling into the clutches of Koiranen GP's Jimmy Eriksson.

Eriksson attacked Fuoco around the outside into the first corner, and the pair battled all the way to the long right-handed Turn 3 before the Swede made the move stick.

Kirchhofer controlled the gap at the front, eventually crossing the line 6.7 seconds clear of Eriksson, who appeared to be struggling for grip at the end of the race. That meant he almost fell into the clutches of third-place finisher Jann Mardenborough on the last lap.

Carlin driver Mardenborough started fifth and ran sixth early on before dispatching Arden's Kevin Ceccon for fifth into Turn 1 and setting about closing on Emil Bernstorff. With Fuoco also struggling for grip, the pair caught him by the last lap, and Bernstorff attacked around the outside of Fuoco into Turn 1.

The pair battled through to Turn 3, but the canny Mardenborough kept a watching brief and held a tight line through the long right-hander that allowed him to jump from fifth to third in one move.

Fuoco held onto fourth thanks to Bernstorff running wide and dropping to fifth, with Ceccon taking sixth.

Race one winner Esteban Ocon ran seventh throughout to bank two points, with Trident's Luca Ghiotto eighth.

RESULTS - 17 LAPS:

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

Originally on Autosport.com