GP2: Sirotkin storms to win despite extra pit stop

Renault Formula 1 test driver Sergey Sirotkin shrugged off an extra pit stop to take a second consecutive GP2 victory for ART in the Hockenheim opener.

Poleman and early leader Sirotkin was ordered to come in again having made his first pit stop illegally under a virtual safety car. That appeared to hand victory to Russian Time's Raffaele Marciello, who had attacked Sirotkin in the opening laps and snatched the lead shortly before the ART driver pitted for the first time.

Sirotkin committed to coming in just after the VSC lights had come on due to Artem Markelov's car being stranded in the hairpin run-off after hitting Jordan King. With the field all moving slowly, his stop only dropped him to fourth, a long way ahead of everyone else on the same strategy as the stops unfolded.

Officials immediately investigated, and rather than applying a straight penalty declared that Sirotkin's first stop simply wouldn't count and he would have to pit again.

He was back in the lead at the time, and rejoined an effective fourth but with fresh soft tires while everyone ahead was on worn mediums. Sirotkin immediately began a charge, clearing Oliver Rowland and Luca Ghiotto before demolishing Marciello's lead.

Marciello fended off passing attempts at the hairpin and following complex, but Sirotkin made it stick into the Sachs Kurve in the stadium section and then stormed away to victory.

Marciello's pace faded dramatically, with Ghiotto coming through to second for Trident - despite losing some front wing in a clash that left King with a puncture, and having started only 13th before pitting for mediums early.

Championship leader Pierre Gasly's anti-stall appeared to kick in at the start and he tumbled into the midfield from second. He had taken mediums for the first stint and ran deep into the race before moving to softs. That helped him to surge up the order and he snatched third from Marciello by just inches in a drag race out of the final corner.

Alex Lynn ran a long first stint on mediums and led for some time, but ended up eighth thanks to a 10-second time penalty for tipping Norman Nato into a spin as both challenged Antonio Giovinazzi.

Lynn's penalty elevated Arthur Pic, Oliver Rowland and Gustav Malja to fifth, sixth and seventh. Reverse grid pole will be slight consolation for Lynn.

Giovinazzi started last after a penalty for a ride-height infringement, rose to the top five after pitting for mediums early, but fell back to finish ninth ahead of Nobuharu Matsushita.

The race featured two further VSCs – first when Daniel de Jong steamed into Sean Gelael while trying to pass Pic, leaving their cars entwined at the hairpin, and then for Nato's stalled car after his clash with Lynn.

Mitch Evans rapidly came through into the top 10 from his disappointing 14th on the grid, but retired with brake worries.

RESULTS - 38 LAPS:

Originally on Autosport.com