Will Buller took a nothing-to-lose gamble at Silverstone on Sunday morning and hit the jackpot with his slick-tired strategy that won him the eighth race of the GP3 Series.
Carlin driver Buller, who crashed out on the opening lap on Saturday so was 25th on the grid, scored an 8.5-second victory after a charging drive. He had to take it easy at the start, as the track was still treacherously slippery. This was proved as Alex Brundle and Connor Daly started on slick tires and tumbled down the order in their Carlin and Lotus-run machines.
Poleman Kevin Ceccon led initially for Ocean, before Tio Ellinas (Marussia Manor) shot past him at Stowe on the opening lap. Mitch Evans charged up to third on the opening tour, but his MW Arden machine would soon tumble back down the order to an eventual 11th.
Ellinas headed Saturday winner Antonio Felix da Costa (Carlin) in the wet phase of the race, but as the track dried, it was the well-worn wets of Jenzer drivers Patric Niederhauser and Robert Visoiu that came into their own, and they ran one-two by half-distance.
But then the brave slick runners came to the fore, and it was Buller who had maneuvered his way into the best position to take full advantage. He hit the front at Becketts on lap 10 and motored away to a brilliant victory. Daly, who dropped way back into the pack from his fourth-place starting slot, charged through to second.
Niederhauser clung on to third, the first car home on wet tires, while Ellinas was the first across the finish line of those who chose to pit for slicks in fourth. He set fastest lap on the final tour.
Visoiu was fifth, ahead of da Costa. Title contender Aaro Vainio (Lotus) crashed out at Vale, when he drove over the back of Arden's Mathias Laine.
Results - 14 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Will Buller Carlin 29m49.526s
2. Conor Daly Lotus + 8.577s
3. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer + 30.017s
4. Tio Ellinas Manor + 37.529s
5. Robert Visoiu Jenzer + 52.038s
6. Antonio Felix da Costa Carlin + 1m03.722s
7. Kevin Ceccon Ocean + 1m05.954s
8. Fabio Gamberini Atech CRS + 1m06.482s
9. Fabiano Machado Manor + 1m07.321s
10. Alex Brundle Carlin + 1m20.941s
11. Mitch Evans MW Arden + 1m22.894s
12. Facu Regalia Jenzer + 1m23.503s
13. Kotaro Sakurai Status + 1m24.283s
14. Tamas Pal Kiss Atech CRS + 1m28.143s
15. Robert Cregan Ocean + 1m44.079s
16. Giovanni Venturini Trident + 1m52.403s
17. Ethen Ringel Atech CRS + 1m54.151s
18. Matias Laine Lotus + 1 lap
19. Antonio Spavone Trident + 1 lap
Retirements:
Dmitry Suranovich Manor 12 laps
Vicky Piria Trident 12 laps
Daniel Abt Lotus 11 laps
Marlon Stockinger Status 11 laps
Aaro Vainio Lotus 11 laps
Alice Powell Status 9 laps