Young New Zealand driver Mitch Evans could finish only 11th in the latest round of the GP3 Series at Spa in Belgium after electrical problems in qualifying then handling issues in the wet conditions.
Valtteri Bottas - who had been only a couple of tenths faster than Evans in practice - stamped his authority on the 2011 GP3 season with a commanding win.
The Finn finished 6.495 seconds ahead of his teammate and pole sitter James Calado to lead a Lotus ART 1-2.
By the chequered flag Calado had pulled back the gap to Bottas, but it was too little too late and the Finn celebrated his third win of the season. Melker completed the podium ahead of Quaife-Hobbs, Daly, Tom Dillmann, Nico Müller and Richie Stanaway who finished in eighth place on his GP3 debut in the third ART car.
The New Zealander will start on reverse pole for Sunday's race, and ensured that Lotus ART had all three drivers in the points. Bottas still leads the GP3 Series driver standings and is now 11 points ahead of his team-mate Calado.
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