Team France and Nicholas Lapierre fought back in the A1 Grand Prix in Dubai to take victory in an action-filled Feature race at the Autodrome circuit.
Lapierre led Team Great Britain's Robbie Kerr across the line after an epic six lap battle between the cross-channel neighbours in a race which saw Switzerland take an early lead before Team Great Britain made an excellent pit call as the safety car took to the track after Team Indonesia's Ananda Mikola's otherwise strong day was ended by a spin into the wall.
Kerr seized the initiative and set the then race's fastest lap on his quest to disappear off into the distance, but the pace would later disappear as France closed in at one point by some six tenths per lap and with thirteen laps to go France was right on the gearbox of the British car.
Once France was through, it was off into the distance, making a gap of some 3.2 seconds after four laps.
Third went to South Africa's Stephen Simpson, a driver making up good places on the pit-stop, and holding off far more experienced players on the restart and to keep third. Fourth went to Team Portugal and Alvaro Parente, whilst Team China and Tengyi Jiang scored an impressive fifth.
At the start the cars left the grid with Switzerland and Italy side by side into the first corner and in the scrum that ensued behind them, Great Britain and the Czech Republic collided. One of the best starts was made by A1 Team Indonesia with the car slotting into third place from sixth on the grid.
As the cars started lap two, it was USA and South Africa side by side and A1 Team GBR recovering from the earlier mishap to hunt down Indonesia for third spot. Sadly A1 Team Ireland had not been able to rectify the gearbox problem that robbed them of a sprint race podium and rapidly dropped from fourth on the grid to twenty-third at the end of lap one and eventually into retirement at the end of lap seven.
