Monaco hosted the GP2 and GP3 series together for the first time, with Pirelli bringing more than 1300 tyres for the two junior series.
The GP3 tyre rules remained unaltered, with three sets of a single slick compound available for the weekend. For Monaco, the GP3 soft tyre was nominated. Finnish driver Aaro Vainio was quickest in qualifying and won the opening race for Lotus on Friday morning. Under the reverse grid rules, he started eighth for race two on Saturday afternoon.
The second race was stopped four laps early, following an accident for Lotus driver Conor Daly, from which he emerged uninjured. With repairs to the safety barrier anticipated to take too much time, Status driver and pole-sitter Marlon Stockinger was declared the winner, having absorbed plenty of pressure from Antonio Felix da Costa (Carlin).
Pirelli’s racing manager Mario Isola said: “Monaco has a reputation for springing a surprise, and it was great to see so many new winners this weekend in GP2 and GP3. The two winners in GP2 are both the sons of former Formula One drivers, and in GP3 Vainio and Stockinger are very deserving winners as well. The new tyre rules have created an extra element in GP2, and we saw both the performance and the durability of the supersoft compound amply demonstrated. While the supersoft is resilient enough to last for an entire race, it develops its best performance over only two or three laps, meaning that it needs to be managed carefully during qualifying in particular. The winning strategy of changing just the rear tyres also means that drivers have to be very aware of looking after the fronts, especially at the beginning of the race when the cars are full of fuel. The same applies to GP3: while there are no pit stops it is still important for the drivers to know how to look after the tyres. In Monaco it’s impossible to get away with making any mistakes, so having the maximum precision and control is even more important than usual.”
The GP3 Series resumes at the Grand Prix of Europe in Valencia from 22-24 June.
Pirelli Press Release