Dennis takes first F3 victory in Pau

Jake Dennis converted his first Formula 3 European Championship pole into his first F3 victory in the opening race of the Pau weekend. Dennis winner soaked up immense pressure from championship leader Antonio Giovinazzi throughout the race, but held firm and never allowed the Italian to make a serious move.

While Racing Steps protege Dennis got a good start in his Prema Powerteam Dallara-Mercedes, Giovinazzi made a superb one from fourth on the grid, the Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen immediately outdragging second-row partner Maximilian Gunther and then squeezing down the inside of Charles Leclerc into the kink after the startline.

The leading trio of Dennis, Giovinazzi and Leclerc stayed close for the opening 12 laps, before a safety car was caused due to Dorian Boccolacci's stricken car, which was parked up against the barriers on the sweepers leading to the start-finish line.

No sooner had the race gone green again when Michele Beretta, who'd been cast adrift of the field in an early incident but then caught up under the safety car, crashed under the bridge at the tight Pont Oscar left-hander.

There was time for 12 more laps of racing after this second safety car, and Giovinazzi stayed close to Dennis, but then the leader began to inch out a gap. Although Dennis, Giovinazzi and the Van Amersfoort Racing car of Leclerc – who set fastest lap – were close again with one lap remaining, there was little doubt about the final result.

"To get my first victory around the streets of Pau is a nice way to do it," said Dennis. "It's not like an F1-style track – it's a prestigious track. But these two guys made it really hard – one mistake and I would have lost the win."

Mucke Motorsport man Gunther appeared to lack the pace of the leading trio and instead spent the race fending off the Signature car of Alex Albon as they raced to fourth and fifth places.

Behind them, Callum Ilott led Alessio Lorandi for sixth before contact between the two 16-year-olds at the Lycee hairpin after the final restart dropped Ilott several places down the order. Lorandi emerged unscathed to score his first F3 points in his VAR car.

There was another very close fight behind, with Carlin driver George Russell swarming over Mikkel Jensen for most of the race without ever managing to find a way past Mucke's Dane for seventh.

As the race wore on, Russell had to become wary of Prema duo Lance Stroll and Brandon Maisano behind him, Stroll having made a simple pass on Maisano at the first restart.

Behind Ilott and Arjun Maini, Felix Rosenqvist finished a lowly 13th after a race-long fight with Gustavo Menezes – the Swede passed the American when the safety car boards were out, then conceded the position under racing conditions, before Menezes dropped two places on the final lap.

Originally on Autosport.com