Sauber junior Pourchaire, who started in seventh for ART Grand Prix, avoided a startline crash involving Prema’s Dennis Hauger and Jack Doohan (Virtuosi) to claim fifth by the first corner.
After pitting for medium tyres under a safety car caused by polesitter Juri Vips (Hitech Grand Prix) spinning out of fourth, he passed Campos Racing’s Ralph Boschung for a net second place on lap 19 before Nissany crashed out two laps later.
Pourchaire was unchallenged thereafter and took his second feature race win of the year after opening his account in Bahrain.
From 15th on the grid, Enzo Fittipaldi kept his nose clean before claiming net second place from Boschung just four laps from the end to secure his maiden series podium for Charouz Racing System, as Boschung finished third.
At the start, front row men Vips and Ayumu Iwasa got a sluggish getaway, with Boschung firing through the middle of them. Doohan and Hauger tried to follow him, but collided to put both out of the race.
Nissany meanwhile had made a great start from sixth on the grid after going to the right of Iwasa, and held on around the outside of Boschung to lead the Swiss, Iwasa, Vips and Pourchaire.
Following the restart, Vips ran wide exiting the Villeneuve chicane and spun across the track into the barriers on the right-hand side of the road, bringing out another safety car.
The top four pitted under the first safety car period, leaving Prema’s Jehan Daruvala out front on the alternate strategy, having started on the medium compound.
While the Indian driver held the actual lead, Nissany ran out front of those who had already pitted, but ran wide at the final corner and was pitched into the wall while chasing the yet-to-stop Calan Williams.
Nissany lost his chance
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