GP2 news

Vietoris clinches first GP2 Asia win

Christian Vietoris and the DAMS team celebrated together at the Yas Marina circuit on Sunday after the German clinched his first ever GP2 Asia Series victory. Race 1 winner Davide Valsecchi finished two and a half seconds behind as Super Nova and the Czech Republic's Josef Kral made the podium. The second iSport car of Britain's Oliver Turvey came home fourth.

Polesitter Oliver Turvey had a slow start that saw him fall to fourth place with Vietoris, Josef Kral (Super Nova) and Alexander Rossi (Ocean Racing) passing him into the first corner. Turvey's front row partner Johnny Cecotto at Trident had an even poorer start, falling to seventh behind Feature race heroes Luca Filippi and Davide Valsecchi. But the iSport racer was out on a mission: all over Filippi in the early stages, he eventually got passed his countryman on Lap 13 at Turn 11. The Meritus man then braked way too late into the following hairpin to try and retaliate, but went too wide, span and lost positions to Cecotto and DAMS' Edoardo Piscopo.

Valsecchi set his sights on teammate Turvey and quickly overtook him for fourth place. The safety car was then deployed when William Bratt collided into Fabio Leimer at the end of the back straight. Vietoris and Kral were by at that time comfortably leading, but they saw Rossi and Valsecchi rejoin them behind the safety car. At the restart, Vietoris easily stayed in control while Valsecchi got passed Rossi again at Turn 11 on Lap 18. He then rapidly closed in on the two leaders.

Super Nova's Kral tried to resist Valsecchi's repeated assaults but eventually had to give in on the very last lap at Turn 11, where the Italian tricked all his previous victims. At the chequered flag, Vietoris claimed his first win on his GP2 debut with Valsecchi and Kral completing the podium. Behind them, Turvey managed to pass a slower Rossi to take fourth. Cecotto finished sixth and took the last point.

With nineteen points scored this weekend, Davide Valsecchi is now leading the Series ahead of today's race winner Vietoris on 9 points. Filippi is one point behind the German.

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