Premat and then ART team-mate
Nico Rosberg showed the first glimpses of the eventual champions' potential by appearing to run away with race two, before the German succumbed to mechanical problems, while
Heikki Kovalainen showed signs of the season to come by winning one race and finishing on the podium behind Carroll and Premat second time around. Jose Maria Lopez and
Scott Speed were the other podium finishers that weekend, but a lot more drivers showed their hand before being denied, setting out GP2's competitive credentials.
Of those to have tasted champagne in Italy a year ago, only Carroll, Premat and Lopez remain, and only the Argentine had anything to shout about at round one of the new season in Spain. Carroll, adjusting to new team Racing Engineering, and Premat, struggling with brake problems and then a brush with local favourite Adrian Valles, both left empty-handed, Carroll also providing the highest point - if not the high-point - of the weekend after vaulting over Valles' Campos car in race two. Lopez was also caught up in the Irishman's incident, but at least had points from race one to show from an impressive Super Nova debut.
That run to fifth place leaves Lopez eighth overall in the early standings, twelve points behind round one leader
Nelson Piquet Jr. Following pole position, victory in race one win and a controlled fourth in race two - complete with a bonus point for fastest lap - the Brazilian enjoyed a dominant first weekend, and heads the table by six points from Arden's Nicolas Lapierre, who drove like a man possessed in the first race to take fourth place - from 21st on the grid - and claiming fastest lap along the way.
The Frenchman then took third in race two, to head the best of the rookies, ART's
Lewis Hamilton, by a point. The Briton took second in race one and a point in the second outing to edge himself ahead of Lapierre's Arden team-mate Michael Ammermuller, whose race two win and seventh in race one ensured Christian Horner's team of a solid start.
