Sergio Perez won arguably the best race of the British F3 International Series campaign to date with a brilliant drive from 14th on the grid to take the chequered flag 4.2 seconds ahead of Brendon Hartley and Oliver Turvey at Monza.
Hywel Lloyd became the first driver to break Andy Meyrick's strangle hold on the National Class, taking a win after his fellow Welshman spun out of the race.
Guest driver Matteo Chinosi was at the head of the field as the lights went out to start the race but third placed Sam Abay got a great start to take the lead as the field sped towards the first corner, with Max Chilton dropping back. Sebastian Hohenthal had also made a great start but clipped the rear of Atte Mustonen's Double R Racing Dallara, eliminating both cars and taking Chilton with them. Jay Bridger was also an early casualty when he hit the stationary Chilton.
At the end of the opening lap Abay was leading by nearly a second from Jaime Alguersuari, the
Red Bull driver storming up the field from sixth, with Chinosi third and Marcus Ericsson fourth; the young Swede also making good progress from tenth on the grid.
On the second lap the casualties continued as Nick Tandy came into the pits and Michael Devaney was speared off the track after his Ultimate Mygale was tagged coming into Parabolica. The Irishmans car rolled once and came to a halt with Devaney's race at an end.
Abay continued to pull away from the chasing pack as Chinosi passed Alguersuari for second place, with Guerrieri passing Ericsson for fourth. Behind the leaders Perez was making rapid progress through the field and by lap three was up to sixth. Two laps later, he was third as he passed Ericsson and Guerrieri in short order and then benefitted when Chinosi ran wide at the Parabolica to drop down the order.
Lap six saw Perez take the lead, and he was then was followed by Guerrieri as the Argentine swept past Alguersuari and then Abay at Ascari, with the Australian losing out to his Carlin team-mate at the next corner to drop three places on the lap.
