The weather may have remained dull, but that couldn't wipe the smile off Adrian Zaugg's face as he steered South Africa to a commanding sprint race victory in the opening round of the 2007/08 A1GP campaign at Zandvoort – just as he had done almost exactly twelve months previously.
The Arden GP2 refugee leapt into the lead from pole as the lights went out to signal that the third season of the hotly-fought nation vs nation series was go, with Loic Duval and Salvador Duran maintaining position for France and Mexico respectively behind and local hero Jeroen Bleekemolen up one spot into fourth at the expense of Switzerland's Neel Jani. Further down the order there was considerably less joy for Team Australia, as Ian Dyk had failed to get away from the grid on the formation lap and was consequently forced to start from the pit-lane.
In an effortless show of superiority, by lap three Zaugg had already established a 2.5-second lead, while a lap later Bleekemolen would pass Duran into the first corner to send the partisan supporters into states of delirium. Further back, there were similarly successful moves from Great Britain's Oliver Jarvis on Jonny Reid in the New Zealand entry, and Malaysia's Alex Yoong on Chinese star Congfu Cheng.
As Bleekemolen continued to apply the pressure on Duval ahead of him, Zaugg was able to make good his escape, and halfway through the twelve-lap encounter he had opened up a gaping 5.3-second advantage over his pursuers.
The race would finish the same way, with Zaugg taking the chequered flag more than 7.5 seconds to the good ahead of Duval, shadowed all the way home by Bleekemolen who in claiming third marked his maiden rostrum finish on home soil.
![Victory! South African A1GP star Adrian Zaugg celebrates his repeat success in the sprint race of the 2007/08 season-opener at Zandvoort [pic credit: A1GP Media]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/383544.jpg)
