# 2016 Catalunya GP3 Series round

The 2016 Catalunya GP3 Series round was a GP3 Series motor race on 14 and 15 May 2016 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain. It was the first round of the 2016 GP3 Series. The race weekend supported the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
The round saw the début of the third-generation GP3 car, the Dallara GP3/16, which replaced the GP3/13 chassis used between 2013 and 2015.

## Background

The defending champions for GP3, Esteban Ocon, were unable to defend their respective titles due to the ruling which forbids driver champions from returning to the series. Ocon served as a Mercedes development driver and was also the reserve driver for the Renault Formula 1 team, dovetailing his F1 commitments with a season in the DTM.

## Classification
### Qualifying

The first qualifying for GP3's third-generation car started under clear skies, with Alexander Albon taking the early lead. Jake Dennis, Jack Aitken, Kevin Jörg, Charles Leclerc, and Nirei Fukuzumi all took turns at the head of the pack, but Jake Hughes had the last word, claiming pole with a terrific lap. With teammate Jörg in second, it was a dream debut qualifying for newcomer team DAMS.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Grid |
| 1 | 27 | Jake Hughes | DAMS | 1:34.632 | 1 |
| 2 | 28 | Kevin Jörg | DAMS | 1:34.772 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 | Charles Leclerc | ART Grand Prix | 1:34.949 | 3 |
| 4 | 2 | Nirei Fukuzumi | ART Grand Prix | 1:35.048 | 4 |
| 5 | 9 | Jake Dennis | Arden International | 1:35.117 | 5 |
| 6 | 20 | Óscar Tunjo | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:35.160 | 6 |
| 7 | 5 | Antonio Fuoco | Trident | 1:35.201 | 7 |
| 8 | 3 | Alexander Albon | ART Grand Prix | 1:35.207 | 8 |
| 9 | 17 | Ralph Boschung | Koiranen GP | 1:35.344 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | Jack Aitken | Arden International | 1:35.415 | 10 |
| 11 | 4 | Nyck de Vries | ART Grand Prix | 1:35.463 | 11 |
| 12 | 10 | Tatiana Calderón | Arden International | 1:35.469 | 12 |
| 13 | 19 | Richard Gonda | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:35.594 | 13 |
| 14 | 23 | Steijn Schothorst | Campos Racing | 1:35.598 | 14 |
| 15 | 7 | Giuliano Alesi | Trident | 1:35.656 | PL |
| 16 | 16 | Matevos Isaakyan | Koiranen GP | 1:35.693 | 15 |
| 17 | 14 | Matt Parry | Koiranen GP | 1:35.746 | 19 |
| 18 | 26 | Santino Ferrucci | DAMS | 1:35.792 | 16 |
| 19 | 24 | Konstantin Tereshchenko | Campos Racing | 1:36.070 | 17 |
| 20 | 18 | Akash Nandy | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:36.157 | 18 |
| 21 | 6 | Artur Janosz | Trident | 1:36.215 | 20 |
| 22 | 8 | Sandy Stuvik | Trident | 1:36.282 | 21 |
| 23 | 15 | Mahaveer Raghunathan | Koiranen GP | 1:37.222 | 22 |
| 24 | 22 | Álex Palou | Campos Racing | 1:37.248 | 23 |
| Source: ||||||
    1.^ – Alesi failed to stop at the weighbridge after qualifying and was forced to start from the pit lane.
    2.^ – Parry received a three-place grid penalty for impeding a rival.

### Race 1

In contrast to the qualifying session, the sky was overcast and the threat of rain ever-present. A lightning start from Ferrari Driver Academy's Charles Leclerc saw him grab first place entering the first turn, while Kevin Jörg fell to fifth. After an exciting opening few laps, the field stagnated, with Leclerc edging away from polesitter Jake Hughes and teammate Nirei Fukuzumi. Further back in the pack, Jack Aitken stalled at the start, while Steijn Schothorst retired with mechanical problems. An intense battle developed between the Koiranen GP drivers, who were fighting for tenth place and the final point. Meanwhile, Leclerc continued to build a gap to Hughes, eventually recording his first GP3 win with a margin of just over six seconds. Hughes held off Fukuzumi for second, with Antonio Fuoco finishing a distant fourth. Behind them were Jörg, Alexander Albon, and Jake Dennis, who had a wild off-track moment early on at the final corner. Óscar Tunjo finished eighth, giving him reverse-grid pole for the Sprint Race, with Nyck de Vries and Ralph Boschung completing the top ten.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| 1 | 1 | Charles Leclerc | ART Grand Prix | 22 | 36:38.694 | 3 | 25 (2) |
| 2 | 27 | Jake Hughes | DAMS | 22 | +6.023 | 1 | 18 (4) |
| 3 | 2 | Nirei Fukuzumi | ART Grand Prix | 22 | +7.452 | 4 | 15 |
| 4 | 5 | Antonio Fuoco | Trident | 22 | +19.325 | 7 | 12 |
| 5 | 28 | Kevin Jörg | DAMS | 22 | +22.801 | 2 | 10 |
| 6 | 3 | Alexander Albon | ART Grand Prix | 22 | +23.391 | 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 9 | Jake Dennis | Arden International | 22 | +24.086 | 5 | 6 |
| 8 | 20 | Óscar Tunjo | Jenzer Motorsport | 22 | +25.592 | 6 | 4 |
| 9 | 4 | Nyck de Vries | ART Grand Prix | 22 | +26.467 | 11 | 2 |
| 10 | 17 | Ralph Boschung | Koiranen GP | 22 | +27.104 | 9 | 1 |
| 11 | 16 | Matevos Isaakyan | Koiranen GP | 22 | +28.860 | 15 | |
| 12 | 14 | Matt Parry | Koiranen GP | 22 | +30.952 | 19 | |
| 13 | 19 | Richard Gonda | Jenzer Motorsport | 22 | +33.095 | 13 | |
| 14 | 10 | Tatiana Calderón | Arden International | 22 | +33.871 | 12 | |
| 15 | 26 | Santino Ferrucci | DAMS | 22 | +34.241 | 16 | |
| 16 | 6 | Artur Janosz | Arden International | 22 | +36.835 | 20 | |
| 17 | 24 | Konstantin Tereshchenko | Campos Racing | 22 | +38.168 | 17 | |
| 18 | 8 | Sandy Stuvik | Trident | 22 | +44.347 | 21 | |
| 19 | 22 | Álex Palou | Campos Racing | 22 | +44.902 | 23 | |
| 20 | 11 | Jack Aitken | Arden International | 22 | +45.298 | 10 | |
| 21 | 18 | Akash Nandy | Jenzer Motorsport | 22 | +55.655 | 18 | |
| 22 | 7 | Giuliano Alesi | Trident | 22 | +1:00.294 | PL | |
| 23 | 15 | Mahaveer Raghunathan | Koiranen GP | 22 | +1:03.391 | 22 | |
| Ret | 23 | Steijn Schothorst | Campos Racing | 0 | Retired | 14 | |
| Fastest lap: Charles Leclerc (ART Grand Prix) – 1:38.649 (on lap 2) ||||||||
| Source: ||||||||

### Race 2

Once again, the race was set up at the start, as there were no changes for position inside the top 10 after the opening lap. Óscar Tunjo made a good start from pole position, but it was Alexander Albon that took the lead with a sensational pass around the outside Tunjo in Turn 1. Another excellent start from Antonio Fuoco saw him rise to third, ahead of Jake Dennis, with Nyck de Vries and Matevos Isaakyan both making lightning getaways to be fifth and sixth, after starting ninth and eleventh, respectively. DAMS team-mates Kevin Jörg and Jake Hughes were involved in a race-long scrap for seventh, with Saturday's race winner Charles Leclerc in hot pursuit. Despite Tunjo having a pace advantage in sector one, Albon was faster in the second and third sectors of the lap, which allowed him to maintain his lead and claim a maiden victory. ART Grand Prix swept the opening weekend for the second season in a row. For the second sprint race in a row (dating back to the final weekend of the 2015 season), every driver finished the race, which was an impressive showcase of reliability from the brand-new GP3/16 car.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| 1 | 3 | Alexander Albon | ART Grand Prix | 17 | 28:24.177 | 3 | 15 |
| 2 | 20 | Óscar Tunjo | Jenzer Motorsport | 17 | +1.294 | 1 | 12 (2) |
| 3 | 5 | Antonio Fuoco | Trident | 17 | +7.307 | 5 | 10 |
| 4 | 9 | Jake Dennis | Arden International | 17 | +8.114 | 2 | 8 |
| 5 | 4 | Nyck de Vries | ART Grand Prix | 17 | +11.612 | 9 | 6 |
| 6 | 16 | Matevos Isaakyan | Koiranen GP | 17 | +12.505 | 11 | 4 |
| 7 | 28 | Kevin Jörg | DAMS | 17 | +15.012 | 4 | 2 |
| 8 | 27 | Jake Hughes | DAMS | 17 | +15.670 | 7 | 1 |
| 9 | 1 | Charles Leclerc | ART Grand Prix | 17 | +16.695 | 8 | |
| 10 | 17 | Ralph Boschung | Koiranen GP | 17 | +18.345 | 10 | |
| 11 | 26 | Santino Ferrucci | DAMS | 17 | +18.757 | 15 | |
| 12 | 6 | Artur Janosz | Trident | 17 | +20.796 | 16 | |
| 13 | 2 | Nirei Fukuzumi | ART Grand Prix | 17 | +21.450 | 6 | |
| 14 | 22 | Álex Palou | Campos Racing | 17 | +21.934 | 19 | |
| 15 | 8 | Sandy Stuvik | Trident | 17 | +24.818 | 18 | |
| 16 | 7 | Giuliano Alesi | Trident | 17 | +26.107 | 22 | |
| 17 | 19 | Richard Gonda | Jenzer Motorsport | 17 | +27.024 | 13 | |
| 18 | 10 | Tatiana Calderón | Arden International | 17 | +27.582 | 14 | |
| 19 | 11 | Jack Aitken | Arden International | 17 | +29.135 | 20 | |
| 20 | 14 | Matt Parry | Koiranen GP | 17 | +29.524 | 12 | |
| 21 | 24 | Konstantin Tereshchenko | Campos Racing | 17 | +30.109 | 17 | |
| 22 | 23 | Steijn Schothorst | Campos Racing | 17 | +30.840 | 24 | |
| 23 | 18 | Akash Nandy | Jenzer Motorsport | 17 | +33.959 | 21 | |
| 24 | 15 | Mahaveer Raghunathan | Koiranen GP | 17 | +43.431 | 23 | |
| Fastest lap: Óscar Tunjo (Jenzer Motorsport) – 1:38.722 (on lap 2) ||||||||
| Source: ||||||||

## Standings after the round

| Pos | Driver | Points |
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | 27 |
| 2 | Alexander Albon | 23 |
| 3 | Jake Hughes | 23 |
| 4 | Antonio Fuoco | 22 |
| 5 | Óscar Tunjo | 18 |
| Pos | Team | Points |
| 1 | ART Grand Prix | 71 |
| 2 | DAMS | 35 |
| 3 | Trident | 22 |
| 4 | Jenzer Motorsport | 18 |
| 5 | Arden International | 14 |
* Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.