Swiss top after Durban win

Jani wins feature race on Durban street circuit to lead A1GP championship.

Last updated: 24th February 2008

neel jani A1GP

Janie: Feature winner

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Switzerland opened up a ten-point lead at the top of the A1GP Championship table after Neel Jani took an action-packed feature race in South Africa.

Jani landed the big prize in Durban after initially regaining the championship lead with a third-placed finish in the morning sprint race - won by rookie Robert Wickens for Canada.

The Swiss driver led from the start and managed to hold off the challenge of French driver Loic Duval and Portugal's Filipe Albuquerque, who finished in second and third respectively.

Sprint race first and second Canada and Great Britain were well in contention when they both came to grief on lap 39.

Canadian Wickens spun out from second place, and fourth-placed Jarvis hit his stricken car when in fourth, damaging the nose of his car.

Another crash concluded the race on lap 42, when South Africa's Adrian Zaugg hit the Netherlands car forcing Bleekemolen, who was running in third, to retire.

Britain and Canada finished in 11th and 12th respectively after their crash as Jani ended the race in front to claim the win.

The result meant Switzerland climbed to the top of the table with a ten-point lead over France, with New Zealand a further ten points further back in third.

Sprint Race

The sprint race in Durban was equally as exciting as 18-year-old rookie Wickens followed up from being the youngest ever A1GP pole-sitter by winning the race.

The Canadian came out on top after the thrilling 15-lap sprint, finishing just ahead of Great Britain driver Oliver Jarvis.

Jani finished in third place and that was enough to take Switzerland to the top of the championship as a result of France failing to score any points and New Zealand gaining just a point for setting the fastest lap.

Wickens was the man though as he collected his maiden A1GP victory and a first sprint race success for Canada in the process.

Germany were excluded after finishing sixth after driver Michael Ammermuller was judged to have 'caused an avoidable collision' with the Netherlands' Jeroen Bleekemolen.