Antonio Felix da Costa has become the sixth different winner in as many races this season after fighting through the field from 13th to take victory in the Saturday race in Misano.
Da Costa, who has been heavily talked about this week regarding his future with the Porsche team, had to fight off new championship leader Oliver Rowland and pole sitter Jean-Eric Vergne, the latter finishing third on the road, but had to serve a five second penalty for a collision with Nick Cassidy, dropping the Frenchman to eighth. Jake Dennis was promoted onto the podium.
The race followed a ‘peloton style’, akin to Sao Paulo, and last season’s races in Berlin and Portland, making the field quite bunched making incidents like Vergne and Cassidy’s more likely. Cassidy had to pit, alongside Pascal Wehrlein, Robin Frijns and Sam Bird for damage.
Max Guenther continued his good run this season to fourth just ahead of ERT’s Dan Ticktum, the team taking their biggest points haul in six years with Sergio Sette Camara finishing seventh, the two drivers split by Jaguar’s Mitch Evans.
Vergne slotted into eighth after his penalty ahead of Norman Nato and Stoffel Vandoorne. Edoardo Mortara was the sole retiree, coming to a stop on the opening lap following a warning message on his dash.