Antonio Felix da Costa won a dramatic GP3 season finale at Monza. The Status Grand Prix driver was in the lead train of cars throughout the race, in what turned out to be another classic slip-streaming affair.
Da Costa made his decisive move for the lead on the penultimate lap, passing James Calado at the second chicane after the Briton had just come together with Mitch Evans at the start of the lap. Calado, who had led for five laps in the middle of the race despite the slipstream effect, handed Evans the lead when he locked up and slid wide at the first corner on lap 11.
The championship runner-up then launched an attack into the same corner three laps later, but Evans tried to sneak back ahead in the middle of the chicane as Calado went wide. Calado then clipped the second curb which pushed him wide enough to tag Evans, putting the Kiwi out on the spot.
Da Costa then took the lead at the following corner, while Calado was given a drive-through penalty towards the end of the penultimate lap. He didn't come in, and crossed the line in second place before being given a 20-second penalty which dropped him to 14th. That left Rio Haryanto and Nico Muller joining da Costa on the podium.
Calado could have tied 2011 champion Bottas on points if he had won the race and set fastest lap, as the Finn hit the back of Conor Daly into Ascari on the opening lap and was given a drive-through penalty.
Bottas still proved a point at the end of the race, as he set the fastest lap while crossing the line to come home 17th.