Lotus' Esteban Gutierrez won an incident packed GP2 feature race around the hot streets of Valencia.
Lotus driver takes advantage of team-mates misfortunes
Lotus GP's Esteban Gutierrez won an incident packed GP2 feature race around the hot streets of Valencia.
For long periods it looked as if the Mexican's team-mate, James Calado, would take victory after the British driver opened up a 17 second gap at the front as others made their mandatory pit-stops.
However, the first of three safety cars destroyed Calado's race as his team opted not to call him into the pits when the car was deployed and his lead was eroded.
The 23-year-old was visibly frustrated, slapping the front of his car whilst cruising round behind the safety car.
After a smooth start, poleman Calado was looking untouchable out front, but the battle for second was intense, and soon spilled over when Gutierrez and Giedo van der Garde came together at the hairpin: both men ran wide and continued, but not until Fabio Leimer and Marcus Ericsson had snuck through.
The Dutchman's misfortunes continued when he pitted next time through, when his right rear gun stuck to the wheelnut, and he very nearly hit a mechanic crossing the pitlane when he was finally released.
Two laps later and most of the field had pitted when Rodolfo Gonzalez hit Tom Dillmann's rear wing endplate which had fallen off in the middle of the circuit, breaking his own front wing and sending carbon fibre shards across the track.
Safety car
The safety car was deployed and everyone who hadn't yet pitted dived in, except for Calado, a decision which all but ending his chances of victory.
When the race got back underway, it lasted just 10 corners before the safety car was called for again.
Felipe Nasr's lost drive on the bridge, scattering his rivals as they looked for a path by the Brazilian: Palmer went inside as his rivals went outside, and he met Fabrizio Crestani on the other side of the bridge, pitching the Italian into a roll that saw both drivers out on the spot.
The race finally got underway again, but after just a couple of laps Gonzalez and Giancarlo Serenelli came together at the chicane: the latter was pitched into a spin which saw the safety car return yet again, and Calado had no choice with the clock ticking down but to pit and give away his win.
Gutierrez made a perfect getaway at the restart, and although Ericsson gave it his all the Mexican was not to be denied, claiming the win ahead of the Swede and Luiz Razia, who had Leimer all over his rear wing as they crossed the line together.
Rio Haryanto held on behind them for a fine fifth position ahead of Nathanael Berthon, with Max Chilton and Davide Valsecchi crossing the line in P7 and 8 respectively.
The win promoted Gutierrez to third place in the championship on 87 points, behind Valsecchi (145) and Razia (125) but ahead of van der Garde, Chilton (both 85) and team-mate Calado (81) going into Sunday's sprint race.
