Fukuzumi won the opening race of 2017

Nirei Fukuzumi, the ART Grand Prix Honda’s driver won the very first race of season 2017 GP3 in Barcelona. His teammate the British Jack Aitken had technical issues, which made it slightly easier for the Japanese driver to grab the victory.

The first race of GP3’s season took place in Barcelona this year as support race of the Formula One event.

On the first race, the British talent, ART driver Jack Aitken was lucky enough to start from pole position. However, his teammate the Japanese Nirei Fukuzumi showed a better performance, and following a great start he took over the first place and got the leadership. Aitken did not let himself and started fighting against his teammate forthwith. During the battle Aitken forced Dorian Boccolacci out of the track in the exit of Turn 2. The Italian driver lost positions and ended up being 4th behind Leonardo Pulcini. The marshals were analyzing the affair but did not give penalty later on.
Aitken and Fukuzumi were unbelievably fast and alternately scored the fastest laps sequentially. They gained a significant gap in front of the rest of the grid.

From this season FIA allowed DRS in GP3, but unlike in Formula One and Formula 2 it is strictly regulated. The use of it is limited to 6 occasions during main races and 4 during a sprint race.

Thanks to this, the importance of team strategies increased. Drivers’ tactical steps of when to use DRS lead to new thrills. We could see lot of examples of this during the first event in Barcelona.

Most of the drivers had different tactics. Alessio Lorandi and George Russell used most of their DRS options during the first half of the race, while Aitken spared for the last laps.

The new member of Mercedes Junior program, George Russell relapsed to 8th place from the 4th. He had to try closing up. The first step was to overtake Marcos Siebert, which he managed with the help of DRS on the 8th lap. His catching up was a noteworthy event of the race.

Aitken brought himself to press the DRS button for the first time during the 15th lap, when he got immediately closer to Fukuzumi, however he did not get into overtaking position. Possibly Aitken’s strategy could have worked, but unfortunately one lap later his car slowed down and had to retire to the box in the end of the lap. The race ended for the British driver earlier.

Following the incidence, Fukuzumi’s victory was not in danger anymore. He won the race with 7.5 seconds in front of the Italian driver of Arden, Leonardo Pulcini, who was under the pressure of Alessio Lorandi during the last laps. Eventually, the Jenzer’s driver has to content himself with the third place.

ART’s other drivers Russell and Hubert finished on the 4th and 5th place, after they could get over Boccolacci. Followed by the Indian Arjun Maini.

The significant importance of 8th position caused big battle till the ends. Last year’s Formula 4 champion Siebert made a mistake at the final corner, and following a bad acceleration his teammate Raoul Hyman and Santino Ferruci passed by him. This movement means a pole position to Hyman for the sprint race.