ART's Nikita Mazepin dominated the GP3 feature race around the Hungaroring in superb fashion while having to manage heavily degrading tyres over the course of the 22 laps.
Polesitter Anthoine Hubert got a poor getaway as the five red lights went out which allowed Mazepin into the lead and the Campos of Leonardo Pulcini to pass him into Turn 1, he was unable to catch the Italian driver and had to settle for the final step on the podium.
David Beckmann scored a personal best finish the series with fourth-place after recently joining Trident last week, the German had never finished higher than fifth previously to this event.
Trident team-mate Ryan Tveter came under heavy pressure from ART's Callum Ilott in the final laps of the race but managed to hold off the British driver to clinch fifth-place.
Juan Manuel Correa brought his Jenzer across the line in a lonely seventh-place after losing pace with Ilott in front but with a 10-second gap back to the MP Motorsport of Dorian Boccoclacci who will start Sunday's sprint race from reverse grid pole position.
Diego Menchaca was constantly on the gearbox of Boccolacci in the final stages of the race, unable to shake the concentration of the French driver in front of him.
Gabriel Aubry stole the final points position away from Tatiana Calderon on the final corner of the last lap as the Colombian driver ran wide allowing the Frenchman to score his first points while Calderon still remains pointless in 2018.
There was drama in the midfield late into the race as Arden's Joey Mawson suffered a puncture late on due to consistently locking up his brakes, while Pedro Piquet collided with Jake Hughes causing them both front wing damage.
GP3 Sprint race begins on Sunday at 10:05am local time.
