Louis Sharp has recovered from a three place grid penalty to finish just outside the top 10 in the sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps.
Drama struck instantly after a clash between championship rivals Freddie Slater and Ugo Ugochukwu, leaving Sharp in fifteenth while Slater retired, and Ugochukwu headed into the lane.
The clash brought out the safety car, with the race resuming on lap four.
Out front, Brando Badoer led the field from Jin Nakamura and Pedro Clerot. Sharp sat just behind Nicola Lacorte, leaving the Kiwi in fourteenth.
The long straight turned into a hot zone for overtakes, with drivers going up and down as the race progressed. By lap six, Sharp sat in thirteenth, with drivers close in front and behind.
Sharp soon sat about half a second behind Maciej Gladyz, while leading ahead of Bruno del Pino, who was up eleven places at this point. Out front, Nakamura had taken the lead and led by half a second from Badoer.
A second safety car was soon brought out as a driver went through the styrofoam board at the exit of turn 1, leaving debris all over the track. At the time of the safety car, Sharp again sat in thirteenth.
The safety car stayed out until lap eleven, meaning it would be a two-lap shootout to the flag.
Nakamura was able to get away well to break slipstream, while Sharp sat five seconds off the leaders and remained in thirteenth.
It was a scot-free two laps for the Kiwi, who was able to come home four places up from where he started.
Nakamura brought home the first win for Japan in Formula 3 since Ayumu Iwasa, with Badoer and Clerot finishing off the podium.
Formula 3 racing will resume at 6:00pm tomorrow.
