Adrian Quaife-Hobbs closed down the gap to the GP3 Series leader to just seven points with a hard-fought fifth place at the Nürburgring on Saturday, only to have his efforts unrewarded with a retirement in race two today. The 20 year-old qualified sixth for the first of two races held high in the Eifel mountains in Germany, on an ultra-competitive 30-car grid which was covered by just nine tenths of a second.

Despite the ever-present threat of rain, the Marussia Manor Racing team made a good call on electing to send Adrian out on slick tyres, and at the start, a superb getaway by the Tonbridge racer, allowed him to move up two places. Luckily the rain held off for much of the 15 lap race.

However as the race entered the closing stages, the rain fell heavily, catching out many of the drivers, but also allowing Adrian to close up on the three-car scrap for the lead. On the final lap Adrian, now on the tail of third, was looking to take the place but on a slippery track, was caught and passed by the fifth placed driver, just three corners from the flag.

Wisely electing not to defend too vigorously and risking a collision and no points, Adrian crossed the line fifth, to set himself up with a second row start for race two.

On the top-eight reverse grid on Sunday, Adrian lined up fourth and with high hopes of another strong finish, to further reduce the seven-point gap at the top of the points standings. At the lights though, the BRDC Rising Star struggled slightly with wheelspin, costing him two places off the line.

He held sixth for the opening five laps until a collision with a rival damaged Adrian’s front left wing and suspension, causing instant retirement.

“On the back of two good showings at Valencia and Silverstone, we came to the Nürburgring looking for a repeat performance. However we struggled in practice, but the team worked hard overnight and in qualifying I pulled out all the stops to get sixth,” said Adrian.

“I was pleased to get four more points for me and the team in the first race, after a hard-fought battle. Today I had high hopes of winning, or at least a podium, as I was starting from fourth on the grid but unfortunately my race finished early.

“Now though, we need to put this weekend behind us and focus on Hungary where we were second fastest in both days of the mid season test and where we will look to come back fighting.”

The next double-header rounds of the 2011 GP3 Series take place this weekend, 30/31 July at the Hungaroring circuit in Budapest.