Zandvoort, Netherlands - South Africa took its first A1 Grand Prix win in Sunday's sprint race when 19-year-old Adrian Zaugg scored on his maiden outing in the class.
Zaugg started from pole position and led each of the 12 laps of the 4.3km Zandvoort circuit, setting the fastest lap on lap seven and finishing a 2.2sec ahead of Mexico's Salvador Duran, with Nicolas Lapierre of France 0.7sec further back.
Duran got the jump on Zaugg at the rolling start and was first into turn one, the famous Tarzan corner, but the young South African came back immediately at the more experienced Mexican, twice a race winner in A1, and retook the lead.
After three laps he had opened up a gap of over a second and by mid-race was 2.5sec ahead. Behind him Lapierre and Duran were engaged in a close battle for second place.
Nico Hulkenberg (Germany), Darren Manning (Britain), New Zealand's Matt Halliday, Philip Giebler (United States), Canada's James Hinchcliffe, local driver Jeroen Bleekemolen and 17-year-old Sebastien Buemi of Switzerland making up the top 10.
The race was run on a "green" track after heavy rain on Saturday night, but the surface was dry for the race and all the cars were on slick tyres.
1 Adrian Zaugg (South Africa) 18min03.570
2 Salvador Duran (Mexico) +2.272sec
3 Nicolas Lapierre (France) +2.934
4 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) +6.190
5 Darren Manning (Britain) +12.007
6 Matt Halliday (New Zealand) +14.940
7 Philip Giebler (United States) +22.438
8 James Hinchcliffe (Canada) +23.771
9 Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands) +24.281
10 Sebastien Buemi (Switzerland) +24.778
There was almost instant heartbreak for Zaugg at the start of the 41-lap feature race as he crashed out at the second corner of the first lap.
He started from pole position, but was beaten off the line by Duran and was fourth into the first turn behind Duran, Lapierre and Hulkenberg. Then his front wheels locked up as he braked for the next corner and he went straight off the circuit and into the tyre barrier.
He said later: "I made a bad start and as I approached turn two I was right behind Manning.
"He braked earlier than I expected and my front wing went under the back of his car. It broke and got wedged under my car, raising my front wheels off the ground.
"The car lost all traction and I lost control - but that's motor racing. One moment you're on top, the next you can be right down."
It was an action-packed race with rain beginning to fall after nine laps and pit strategies being changed as the weather dictated matters on the track.
Germany's Niko Hulkenberg, another 19-year-old rookie prodigy like Zaugg, won his and Germany's first A1GP race with Giebler 7.87sec behind and Autralian Ryan Briscoe third, a further 25sec back.
Home town hero Jeroen Bleekemolen took over the Team Netherlands car at the last minute when Jos Verstappen declined to drive and finished two seconds behind Briscoe.
Making up the top 10 were Duran, Pier Guidi Alessandro (Italy), Manning ( Britain), 17-year-old Sebastien Buemi of Switzerland), Congfu Cheng (China) and Ananda Mikola (Indonesia).
Alex Yoong of Malaysia set the fastest lap on lap 36 but finished 17th, a lap down on the leaders.
1 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) - 1h10min31.238
2 Philip Giebler (United States) +7.870sec
3 Ryan Briscoe (Australia) +33.619
4 Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands) +35.873
5 Salvador Duran (Mexico) +40.321
6 Pier Guidi Alessandro (Italy) +42.616
7 Darren Manning (Britain) +54.333
8 Sebastien Buemi (Switzerland) +59.382
9 Congfu Cheng (China) +1min29.659
10 Ananda Mikola (Indonesia) +1min37.489
1 Germany - 13
2 Mexico - 11
3 United States - 9
4 Australia - 8
5 South Africa - 6
6 Netherlands - 7
7 Britain -6
8 Italy - 5
9 France - 4
10 Switzerland - 3
11 China - 2
12 New Zealand 1
13 Indonesia - 1