• GP2 - Monaco Grand Prix

Perez holds off competition to win in Monaco

Sergio Perez holds off Pastor Maldonado and Dani Clos © Sutton Images

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• Race:
• Monaco GP2 round

• Drivers:
• Jérôme d'Ambrosio
• |
• Pastor Maldonado
• |
• Ho-Pin Tung

Sergio Perez took his maiden GP2 win on the streets of Monaco on Friday, beating Pastor Maldonado and Dani Clos to victory.

Perez started from second on the grid and managed to beat Clos, who had started on pole, into the first corner. Last year's Monaco sprint race winner Pastor Maldonado also got past Clos into Sainte Devote and the positions then stuck until the end of the race.

The tight and twisty nature of the circuit made overtaking near impossible and most drivers had to rely on pit stops to make a difference. Giedo van der Garde was one of the only drivers to successfully attempt a pass on track, locking his front left with a puff of smoke into the Nouvelle chicane as he snuck past Renault's junior driver Jerome d'Ambrosio.

But it would not be GP2 without a couple of major shunts. Max Chilton got the ball rolling when he mounted the back of Adrian Zaugg's car into the first corner and speared off into the run off area minus his front wing. But that accident was a mere scrape compared to Renault reserve driver Ho Pin Tung's smash at the Swimming Pool complex.

As he entered the first part of the chicane he understeered wide, clipped the kerb and smashed at full speed into the omnipresent Armco barrier. The impact demolished the front of the car and tore his left-rear wheel clean off. Tung emerged unharmed and watched the rest of the race from the sidelines.

The crash resulted in a safety car that bunched the pack up and allowed Maldonado to have a look down the inside of Perez into turn one. However, he thought better of it and tucked back behind to follow Perez to the flag.

The GP2 Sprint race will take place on Saturday with eighth placed Jerome d'Ambrosio starting from pole on the reversed grid.

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