• GP2, Spanish Grand Prix, Race 2

Coletti holds off impressive Frijns

Stefano Coletti held off a late charge from Robin Frijns © Sutton Images

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• Race:
• European GP2 round

• Drivers:
• Stefano Coletti
• |
• Robin Frijns
• |
• Felipe Nasr

• Teams:
• Carlin
• |
• Hilmer Motorsport
• |
• Rapax

Stefano Coletti extended his championship lead with victory in the GP2 sprint race in Barcelona, holding off feature race winner Robin Frijns.

A fantastic opening lap saw Frijns up to second place, and although he erased a five second gap in the closing laps he couldn't put enough pressure on Coletti and had to settle for second. Felipe Nasr came home third ahead of Jolyon Palmer and then a fierce battle for fifth place which was won by an overly-robust Johnny Cecotto Jr.

Tom Dillmann stalled at the start from fourth on the grid, with Frijns making a great start up to third from eighth. Coletti held off Cecotto through the opening corners and then ran wide at turn eight to drop back to fourth, while Alexander Rossi also slipped back as Kevin Ceccon passed him at Turn 10 for P6.

Coletti opened up a gap of almost five seconds, while Sam Bird started making progress through the field - making moves in to turn one on three consecutive laps - having started from the back of the grid.

Having tried to protect their tyres early on, with nine laps left drivers started to make their moves and Jake Rosenzweig punted Rene Binder in to a spin at the chicane, earning Rosenzweig a drive-through penalty.

A queue formed behind Cecotto in fourth place back to Rossi in seventh, with Palmer finding a way past Cecotto up the inside in to Turn 5 with six laps to go. Ceccon then ran wide at Turn 1 attacking Cecotto, allowing Rossi through, although both Rossi and Cecotto locked up in to Turn 1 on the following lap. Cecotto ran wide to retain the place - a move which leaves him under investigation - with a huge train forming behind him.

Frijns started reeling in Coletti, but the main action was further back as Cecotto held up the majority of the field. Sergio Canamasas had made his way up to sixth, but when he came alongside Cecotto on the run towards Turn 13 on the penultimate lap Cecotto swerved across in to the Caterham to leave himself under investigation for a second time.

In to the chicane just one corner later, Rio Haryanto ran in to the back of Canamasas to remove the Caterham's rear wing, with drivers having to pick their way through the debris. It left Cecotto able to hold on to fifth - at least until the stewards convene after the race - ahead of Rossi, Ceccon and Daniel Abt.

Chris Medland is assistant editor at ESPNF1

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