Barcelona GP3: Ocon dominates season opener

The Frenchman grabbed the lead away from the startline, as poleman Luca Ghiotto made a tardy getaway but just held off Emil Bernstorff into Turn 1.

ART's Ocon led lap one by 1.4s from Ghiotto, Bernstorff, Alfonso Celis Jr, Matheo Tuscher and Marvin Kirchhofer. Ocon scampered away up front, leading by over 3s by lap five.

Behind the procession up front, Jimmy Eriksson passed Pal Varhaug for seventh, and Alex Palou (who made a poor start from fourth) demoted Varhaug a further spot on the following lap.

Ocon had a 4.7s lead eradicated by the safety car, which was required when Seb Morris and Ralph Boschung collided at Turn 10.

Ocon managed the restart to perfection, and won by 3.3s from the closely-matched Ghiotto and Bernstorff.

The big mover of the race was Jann Mardenborough, who stormed up from his lowly 15^th starting spot to grab fifth – passing Tuscher and Kirchhofer in successive corners with two laps remaining.

Mardenborough then cruised past Celis for fourth, as he tumbled down the order as he struggled for grip in the closing stages. Kirchhofer finished fifth, ahead of Eriksson.