Valles was clearly in trouble, the FMSI car visibly slower than its rivals and beginning to hold up a queue in his wake. From holding onto a couple of points on lap 30, it all went wrong for the Spaniard, as Buemi, Kobayashi, Chandhok, Davide Valsecchi and the recovering Maldonado all found a way through on lap 33. When Filippi passed the FMSI car a lap later, Valles duly pitted, fitting fresh rubber in search of fastest lap, but will start Sunday's sprint a long way down the grid.
The second FMSI car had been a casualty for a long time before Valles' demise, Rodriguez succumbing to damage from Tung's second lap assault and kick-starting a retirement list that gathered Yelmer Buurman, after a hefty accident at turn nine that left the second Arden car buried in the barriers, Hanley, with engine damage, and Bakkerud, who again ended a Barcelona race being helped from his car by the pit crew, appearing to have suffered a recurrence of his 2007 back injury.
The battle for victory continued to the chequer, but with Senna frustratingly just unable to capitalise on his greater pace into the chicane. The Brazilian's final chance appeared to evaporate a couple of laps from home, when a slight bobble mid-lap dropped him away from Parente.
The reigning World Series by Renault champion looked serene out front, however, appearing unflustered by the iSport car in his mirrors and becoming the first Portuguese driver to succeed in GP2, throwing down an immediate gauntlet to the veterans hoping to come out on top this year.
![Alvaro Parente - Super Nova Racing [pic credit: GP2 Series]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/432060.jpg)
