Home MRF Challenge Pic holds off Ellinas to win MRF opener

Pic holds off Ellinas to win MRF opener

by Peter Allen

Arthur Pic claimed victory in the first MRF Challenge race at the Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi, keeping Tio Ellinas at bay after starting from pole position.

Formula Renault 3.5 driver Pic kept the lead off the start and saw off numerous attacks from GP3 star Ellinas to win by just over half a second.

Harry Tincknell started third but the FIA F3 European Championship driver’s race ended at the first corner after what he labelled as an ambitious lunge from Brazilian driver Renan Guerra, who had come from ninth on the grid.

Yudai Jinkawa benefited to take the final podium spot after starting the race in fifth, finishing 4.5 seconds behind the winner. Sam Dejonghe finished where he started in fourth ahead of Rupert Svendsen-Cook and Sean Walkinshaw.

Ashwin Sundar came from 15th to seventh to finish up as the top Indian driver ahead of Shinya Michimi,?Parth Ghorpade and Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa.

Race results
Pos Driver Time/Gap
1 Arthur Pic 10 laps in 19:35.967
2 Tio Ellinas +0.558
3 Yudai Jinkawa +4.585
4 Sam Dejonghe +6.992
5 Rupert Svendsen-Cook +8.706
6 Sean Walkinshaw +9.492
7 Ashwin Sundar +21.917
8 Shinya Michimi +25.973
9 Parth Ghorpade +26.678
10 Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa +29.292
11 Sam Brabham +29.500
12 Renan Guerra +46.684
13 Laura Tillett +51.281
Not classified
  Dylan Young 9 laps
  Vikash Anand 9 laps
  Christophe Mariot 7 laps
  Bar Baruch 5 laps
  Ryan Cullen 3 laps
  Harry Tincknell 0 laps