Mortara claims Macau GP victory

The Italian had started from third on the grid, but a good start allowed him to move past front-row starter Marcus Ericsson (TOM'S) and pole position man Vernay on the run down to Lisboa.

The race was stopped a few moments later, however, when the track was blocked following a multiple-car collision caused when Carlin's Daniel Ricciardo crashed into the wall at the Solitude Esses and was clipped by a number of other cars.

At the restart, Mortara got away cleanly but his advantage was not enough to prevent Vernay getting into his slipstream and overtaking him into Lisboa.

From there, the Signature pair were locked in a very tight battle for the lead - although it seemed Vernay had done enough as Mortara could not get close enough in the final corners of the lap to get a slipstream down the main straight.

However, coming out of the Melco Hairpin on lap 11, Vernay made a mistake - which allowed Mortara to close up on him and swoop past into the lead into Lisboa on lap 12.

From there, Mortara was able to pull away and take the victory - which came on the same day that fellow Italian Gabriele Tarquini became FIA World Touring Car champion.

"It feels fantastic," said the delighted Mortara. "So many things are going through my head I don't know where to start. I feel so emotional. After such a difficult season this year, it is unbelievable. I am proud of this victory."

Briton Sam Bird finished third, having moved up the field from seventh on the grid. He was fifth in the early stages of the race, but took fourth from Ericsson on lap 12.

He then moved up another place on the final lap when third place runner Valtteri Bottas slowed with a wheel problem. Ericsson finished fourth, with Bottas fifth.

Pos  Driver                Team            Car  Time/Gap
 1.  Edoardo Mortara       Signature       D/V  53m07.769s
 2.  Jean-Karl Vernay      Signature       D/V  + 1.146s
 3.  Sam Bird              ART             D/M  + 10.982s
 4.  Marcus Ericsson       TOM'S           D/T  + 14.988s
 5.  Valtteri Bottas       ART             D/M  + 19.188s
 6.  Takuto Iguchi         TOM'S           D/T  + 21.406s
 7.  Renger van der Zande  Double R        D/M  + 22.059s
 8.  Mika Maki             Hitech          D/V  + 29.005s
 9.  Yuji Kunimoto         Now             D/T  + 33.348s
10.  Jules Bianchi         ART             D/M  + 35.761s
11.  Victor Garcia         Fortec          D/M  + 46.923s
12.  Carlos Huertas        Manor           D/M  + 47.111s
13.  Laurens Vanthoor      Signature       D/V  + 48.036s
14.  Kouki Saga            La Beausset     D/T  + 54.965s
15.  Stef Dusseldorp       Kolles & Heinz  D/V  + 1m05.637s
16.  Henry Arundel         Carlin          D/V  + 1m10.699s
17.  Roberto Merhi         Manor           D/M  + 1 lap
18.  Alexander Sims        Double R        D/M  + 1 lap

Retirements:

     Kei Cozzolino         Toda            D/H  10 laps
     Alexandre Imperatori  Kolles & Heinz  D/V  3 laps
     Daniel Zampieri       Prema           D/M  0 laps
     Michael Ho            Manor           D/M  0 laps
     Stefano Coletti       Prema           D/M  0 laps
     Max Chilton           Carlin          D/V  0 laps
     Jake Rosenzweig       Fortec          D/M  0 laps
     Brendon Hartley       Carlin          D/V  0 laps
     Daniel McKenzie       Fortec          D/M  0 laps
     Daniel Ricciardo      Carlin          D/V  0 laps