The Budapest weekend of the 2013 Auto GP series was rounded out today at the Hungaroring as Vittorio Ghirelli fought back to his maiden win. The Roman, fielded by Super Nova International, provided the same superiority seen in practice and in qualifying. At the start, Narain Karthikeyan (Zele Racing) held onto the lead from the MP Motorsport duo of Daniel De Jong and Meindert Van Buuren. The latter was forced to retire on lap 2 letting Ghirelli in second followed by Campana (Ibiza Racing Team) and home racer Tamas Pal Kiss (MLR71). Both of them passed Riccardo Agostini (MP Motorsport), who opted for an early pit-stop.

Ghirelli moved on De Jong for second place on lap 2, and the Dutchman also lost third to Campana. Ghirelli's recovery was completed on lap 8 with an overtake on Karthikeyan, who was in the lead at the time. Behind them, the Indian racer was soon passed by Campana and Agostini during the pit-stops, ending up in 4th. Thanks to today's results, Ghirelli climbed up to third place overall in standings with 82 points, and also extended his lead among the Under 21 drivers.

Championship leader Kimiya Sato (Euronova Racing) ended up in 6th and had his margin trimmed to 5 points from Campana. The Japanese racer was edged by Pal Kiss who took a double points finish at his debut race in the series. Daniel De Jong topped Max Snegirev (Virtuosi UK) and Brit Luciano Bacheta (Zele Racing), who recovered up to 9th after retiring in Race 1. The top-10 was rounded out by Robert Visoiu (Ghinzani Motorsport), also involved in a Race 1 tangle.

Vittorio Ghirelli:

“It's been a fantastic weekend. In the first race we suffered from some pit woes but I did not surrender. I started well in Race 2, recovered several spots on the first lap and cruised into the lead during the first part of the race. This has been one stellar round for me and the team”.

Sergio Campana:

“I think this was the best possible result for us today. We improved the car's performance a little bit late maybe, but we did it in time for the race. This morning, the pace was good and my laptimes similar to the ones of Ghirelli in the last stint. We also performed a quick pit-stop and I think that our podium finishes will be key in terms of the championship”.

Riccardo Agostini:

“The race brought us good results. I didn't have a good start and lost positions in the opening laps but the strategy worked really well. We didn't lose time and even regained some ground on the other early stoppers like us. This is my first podium finish and I'm very proud to be back among the Auto GP frontrunners”.

All Photos Auto GP.