GP3 Returns For Round Five

GP3 returns after the summer break, ready to get underway again at Spa-Francorchamps with the Belgium Grand Prix. It has been four weeks since the drivers took to the track, with Kevin Ceccon taking the top step of the podium last time out at the Hungaroring. But after the checkered flag had fallen three drivers received penalties, resulting in a few changes to the final standings.

The penalty that affected the result most was the five-second time penalty received by Jimmy Eriksson for leaving the track at turns 6-7. It was seen that he had gained an advantage over the advancing Luca Ghiotto. As the time was added post-race, the Swedish-driver was demoted from third to sixth, giving Matthew Parry the last podium spot.

Aleksander Bosak was the second driver to be awarded a penalty. He gained a ten-second time addition due to being blamed for causing a collision with fellow countryman Artur Janosz. Bosak was considered to have missed his braking point which is why he was to blame for the contact.

The biggest looser of the post-race penalties is Samin Gomez. She obtained a five-place grid drop for the first Belgian round because she had a collision with Jan Mardenborough during the safety car procedure. If she cannot qualify high enough to take the full penalty she will have to start from the pit lane.

The return of the sport sees a new driver join the GP3 grid. Beitske Visser will join the Trident team, replacing Oscar Tunjo in car number 28. The Dutch racer had a promising start to her career in karting and has already raced in GP3 before for Hilmer in Barcelona, 2014. She lines up alongside Luca Ghiotto and Artur Janosz for the fifth round of the championship. Visser joins Gomez as the only female drivers in the sport currently.

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