GP3: Dennis claims first win in Monza opener

Jake Dennis claimed his first GP3 victory in an Arden one-two in the Monza opener.

Though championship leader Charles Leclerc had claimed pole, he was surprised to do so as he felt ART was not at its best this weekend and said after qualifying he would focus on protecting his title bid.

He achieved that aim despite finishing only fourth, as championship rivals Alexander Albon and Antonio Fuoco were sixth and eighth.

Dennis grabbed the lead from Leclerc with a dive into the first chicane in the early stages, with team-mate Jack Aitken also demoting the Ferrari Formula 1 junior next time around.

Leclerc was more determined in defence when Fuoco then attacked him, with the pair banging wheels in an incident race control briefly investigated before deciding no action was required.

Fuoco lost pace in the second half of the race and fell back, though he will start on reverse-grid pole on Sunday.

Jake Hughes charged through from eighth on the grid, after his penalty for colliding with Matt Parry at Spa, to claim third from Leclerc and then challenge Aitken in the closing laps.

Leclerc resisted pressure from teammate Nirei Fukuzumi for fourth.

Albon had initially lost ground, banging wheels with fellow ART man Nyck de Vries at one point, before salvaging sixth - passing Fuoco around the outside in a tire-smoking move into the Roggia chicane. De Vries followed him through.

Matt Parry battled up from 17th on the grid to ninth, while Arden got all three of its drivers in the points as Tatiana Calderon took 10th.

Parry's Koiranen teammates Matevos Isaakyan and Ralph Boschung could have been in the mix for points and reverse grid pole too had Boschung not run into Isaakyan, damaging the Russian's rear wing and earning himself a penalty.

Third-row starter Kevin Jorg struggled off the line and then caused a brief safety car when his DAMS machine cut out on track, though he got going again almost immediately.

Originally on Autosport.com