Felix da Costa takes Monza victory in GP3 Series finale

Status Grand Prix driver António Félix da Costa scored a brilliant victory after an intense slipstreaming battle in the final GP3 Series race of the season at Monza on Sunday.

From the outside of the front row, the Portuguese ace made a good start and grabbed the lead at the first corner. But with the long straights and flat out sweeps of the 2.64-mile Monza circuit, position changes were guaranteed throughout the 16-lap race, and on lap two Félix da Costa and Mitch Evans exchanged the lead.

This duo were part of a lead quartet with James Calado and Nico Muller which began to break clear from the field, regularly changing positions. On lap 7, however, Evans was able to pass Félix da Costa for second into the second chicane, forcing the Status GP driver over the kerbs. With dirt on his tyres he dropped to fourth behind Muller and struggled for three laps to keep in the lead pack as his tyres cleaned.

Then, with six laps to go, Félix da Costa began to make his move. He passed Muller for third, and challenged Calado for second. The Lotus ART driver then clashed with Evans into the first chicane on lap 14, Evans was knocked off the track, and Félix da Costa was then able to sweep into the lead around the outside of Calado at the Curva Grande.

Over the final two laps the 19-year-old staved off the pressure from Calado and Muller behind to score his first GP3 victory, a reward for his speed and perseverance in a year in which he had more than his share of bad luck.

"The only goal today was to win," said Félix da Costa. "I was aggressive from the start, but it's not necessarily the fastest guy who wins here, it's the most clever. When the two guys clashed, I was able to capitalise. Calado is a tough guy to pass, so it was good to do it in style.

"I arrived in GP3 expecting to fight for the championship. We've had some tough weekends, but I and the team never stopped believing and we've shown we can win."

The other two Status GP drivers were victims of misfortune, both retiring early. Gravity Sport driver Alexander Sims was helpless as he hit the back of Thomas Hylkema who braked suddenly to avoid another car, causing extensive damage. For the Briton, who led the championship through the middle of the season, it was the fourth non-finish in a row, leaving him sixth in the final points standings.

Marussia Motors-backed driver Ivan Luakshevich stopped on lap three with an engine problem, despite this being a new unit fitted overnight after his original engine failed in yesterday's Race 1. The 20-year-old had shown top six pace in qualifying, and this disappointment was a tough way to end the season.

Posted Date: 23rd Nov 2011