GP3: Eriksson wins, Ocon closes on lead

Jimmy Eriksson took his first GP3 win of the season with a controlled lights to flag victory at Sochi, as Luca Ghiotto's championship lead was cut to just two points.

Eriksson, who agonizingly lost out on victory on the penultimate lap at Monza, made a great start from pole position. The same couldn't be said for his Koiranen GP teammate and fellow front row starter Matt Parry as he dropped down the order and retired on the opening lap.

A fast-starting Antonio Fuoco hassled Eriksson for the lead into Turn 2, but the pair made contact. Eriksson rejoined in the lead but Fuoco dropped behind Carlin team-mate Jann Mardenborough to third.

For the opening few laps Mardenborough pressured Eriksson but the Swede remained unfazed, increasing his lead throughout.

Crucially for the championship battle, Ghiotto was down in sixth after making slight contact with Emil Bernstorff on the opening lap, before running wide and falling to ninth and outside of the points. His title rival Esteban Ocon however was up in fourth, and all over the back of Fuoco for third.

Ferrari junior Fuoco defended hard for several laps but he couldn't keep Ocon behind. The Mercedes protege was squeezed up against the wall on the run down to Turn 2 by Fuoco, but he refused to back out of the move and edged past to take third.

Fuoco was equally aggressive with Bernstorff. The Italian was shown the black and white flag but that didn't stop him keeping Bernstorff at bay. Bernstorff thought he had the move done on the outside of Turn 2 but he ended up running wide and lost a place to Trident's Artur Janosz.

At the front Eriksson was well clear but Mardenborough was falling back towards Ocon who was on a charge, setting consecutive fastest laps.

Within a few laps Ocon was glued to the back of Mardenborough before making yet another brave move stick, this time on the inside of Turn 16 to take second.

Eriksson crossed the line 2.7 seconds ahead of that battle, with Ocon securing his ninth consecutive second place finish. Mardenborough took his first podium since the opening weekend in Barcelona.

Behind the leaders, Janosz was able to keep Bernstorff and Marvin Kirchhofer at bay, while Ghiotto picked up a crucial point after passing Alex Palou on the final lap.

Originally on Autosport.com