Luca Filippi claimed the top step of the podium during the first GP2 race of the weekend in Italy on Saturday, benefiting from pole-sitter Charles Pic’s slower getaway before reaching the chequered flag first. Frenchman Pic held on to second despite pressure from Romain Grosjean, with his compatriot having to settle for third place.
As the lights went out Pic failed to find good traction on the clean side of the grid, having to fend of a selection of cars into the first corner as a result. In contrast, Filippi bolted away and quickly built a gap back to his Addax rival with a string of fast laps. A train of cars then began to form behind Pic, before the pit-stop phase provided changes.
Sam Bird was the biggest beneficiary, making up two places with his swift pit lane visit en route to fourth. The Briton was followed by Adam Caroll and Spa Feature Race winner Christian Vietoris, while fellow top ten contender Alvaro Parente slipped back to 12th due to receiving a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release.
Fabio Leimer was the next man to feature on the timing screens, edging out Lotus ART's Jules Bianchi who claimed pole position for tomorrow’s second outing with his eighth place finish. Esteban Gutiérrez and Luiz Razia rounded out the top ten, while Holland's Giedo van der Garde endured another challenging day on his way to 21st.
Sunday's Sprint Race begins at 10.30am local time (BST +1)
Series
GP2
Personalities
Luca Filippi
Teams
Scuderia Coloni
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| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  L. Filippi | Coloni | 47:47.704 |
| 2. | C. Pic | Barwa Addax | +5.627 |
| 3. | R. Grosjean | DAMS | +6.214 |
| 4. | S. Bird | iSport | +9.992 |
| 5. | A. Carroll | Super Nova | +14.904 |
| 6. | C. Vietoris | Racing Engin. | +16.710 |
| 7. | F. Leimer | Rapax | +18.058 |
| 8. | J. Bianchi | Lotus ART | +22.787 |
| 9. | E. Gutiérrez | Lotus ART | +28.444 |
| 10. | L. Razia | Team Air Asia | +31.661 |
| Full results | |||
| Luca Filippi | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| More Luca Filippi photos | |||
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