Motorsport: Starting at the top works for Evans

Mitch Evans' consistency in his first GP3 outing has impressed MW Arden bosses. Photo / Supplied

Sixteen-year-old Aucklander Mitch Evans proved he could mix it with the best GP3 drivers by finishing his first two races in the class with solid top 10 places.

Evans mixed it with 29 other drivers to finish a creditable sixth in race one and seventh in race two over the weekend in Istanbul, Turkey.

Showing such great consistency in his first outing has pleased Evans' MW Arden team principals Mark Webber (Red Bull F1 driver) and Christian Horner (Red Bull Racing F1 team principal).

Webber and Horner were at the track as the GP3 class is the support race for the Formula One championship. MW Arden had three cars racing in GP3 and two cars in GP2, with Evans the only driver in the points.

In race one, the driver immediately in front of Evans stalled, baulking the Kiwi's ability to get away quickly. Evans quickly settled into a rhythm in sixth.

Checking his mirrors, Evans saw teammate Lewis Williamson coming up behind him too fast so moved over, allowing Williamson to spin off the track. Williamson later tried another desperate move that ended with him taking another driver out and flipping over. Evans made another great start in race two on Sunday and again drove a mature race, staying out of trouble and comfortably holding off Valtteri Bottas and Tom Dillmann.

Round two of the eight-round series is at the Circuit de Catalunya, in Spain, from May 21-22.