Prema’s Antonio Giovinazzi took a clear third victory of the 2016 GP2 season after a controlled sprint race drive at Spa-Francorchamps.
He started from third on the grid but moved ahead of his countryman Luca Ghiotto on the opening lap, before closing on pole-sitter Gustav Malja in the early stages.
Just prior to the half-way stage, Giovinazzi made his move on the Kemmel Straight to snatch the lead, before pulling out a comfortable advantage at the front of the field.
He went on to win the relatively calm GP2 sprint race by 2.3 seconds, with Malja holding onto second to claim his first podium in the feeder series.
Ghiotto completed the podium in third for the Trident team. Championship leader Pierre Gasly dropped to ninth after a poor star and lost part of his front wing when he hit Oliver Rowland.
But the Frenchman put in an impressive recovery drive to claim fourth, including a move on Rowland at Eau Rouge.
Raffaele Marciello couldn’t match his Spa result from 2015 and had to settle for fifth, with Alex Lynn and Jordan King next up.
Artem Markelov looked set to score the final point and was running eighth with one lap to go, but it wasn’t meant to be.
The chasing Sergey Sirotkin braked late into the Bus Stop Chicane for the final time, as he tried to pass Rowland, but he ended up slamming into the back of Markelov’s car.
Rowland picked up the pieces to claim eighth, with Sirotkin ninth and Sergio Canamasas completing the top 10.
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