Neel Jani put Switzerland firmly back on top in the championship chase in the A1GP feature race in Durban this weekend, by keeping a calm head as all sorts of chaos reigned behind.
On a scorching day – and with the very nature of a street circuit bound to make some drivers a little hot under the collar – action was always going to be fast and frantic, but perhaps no one anticipated quite how many thrills and spills would be packed into the 70-minute affair under the South African sun. There were no fewer than four safety car periods, innumerable collisions, a red flag rather than a chequered flag to conclude proceedings, and a serious dent in New Zealand and Germany's title chances.
Whilst Jani made a textbook getaway from pole position in the Swiss machine, fellow front row sitter and earlier sprint race first-time winner Robert Wickens was slow away, allowing New Zealand, Brazil and Great Britain to capitalise, despite a scare for the latter prior to the start when both the alternator and battery had to be changed on the grid.
Further back, meanwhile, the first of the fun and games was just about to get underway, as CongFu Cheng and series newcomer Filipe Albuquerque collided, launching the latter up into the air and sending the former clattering into the wall. With a number of other cars all getting involved too, it was the cue for safety car period number one.
China, Lebanon, the USA, Mexico and South Africa were all forced to pit for repairs, with Mexico the biggest loser as David Garza rejoined the fray a lap down. When the safety car disappeared, Jani led from Jonny Reid, Bruno Junqueira, Oliver Jarvis and Wickens, but no sooner had the racing got underway once more than there was yet another contretemps into the notoriously tight and tricky turn one hairpin.
![Portuguese A1GP rookie Filipe Albuquerque celebrates third place with his team in Durban in 2008 [pic credit: A1GP Media]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/409750.jpg)
