Nico Hulkenberg has become the first GP2 Series driver 🌳to win a race under floodlights as he swept to vic♚tory in only his second outing at Losail.

The German made headlines on his deb💖ut last time out in Bahrain when he claimed pole position on his debut, a feat he would repeat around the Qatari circuit. However, while he faded to fourth place on that occasion, the German made amends this time by dominating once he had assumed the lead.

The first victory of the season for ART Grand Prix, winners last season with Roma𓂃in Grosjean, Hulkenberg had only a tardy start and an early saf🍒ety car period to stutter his progress as he came home a dominant 13secs winner over fellow GP2 rookie Sergio Perez.

The start of the race had been marred by a spectacular accident involving Sakon Yamamoto and Yelmer Buurman, caused when the former stalled for the second race in succession. However, while everyone avoided his stricken car in Bahrain, Buurman,ꦯ who had started 23rd compared Yamamoto's sixth, was less fortunate and collided w💮ith the stricken ART driver at considerable speed.

Once the race restarted, it wꩵas Perez that led the way early on, ahead of the fast-starting Javier Villa, although the Spaniard's leap from seventh to second would be punished with a stop-go pena๊lty later in the race.

Desp๊ite hi🌳s slow getaway, Hulkenberg's tactic to preserve his tyres - which he failed to do in Bahrain - was paying dividends mid-race to the point that when others began pitting, he upped his pace considerably.

Displaying phenomenal speed, Hulkenberg pitted later than the majority of his rivals and in doing so emerged from his mandatory pit-stop 🥂clutching a lead of almost ten seconds over Vitaly Petrov, who had leapfrogged his Campos team-matꦐe Perez through the pit-stops too.

The Mexican driver was not to be denied though, snatching second off the more experienced Russian to record his s♛econd straight podium position.

Still, with a 13secs ꦛmargin between himself and winner Hulkenberg, there was no doubting who had been the star driver. A fine performance in only his third GP2 start, Hulkenberg is already up to third position in the standings.

The lead of the championship remains firmly in the hands of Kamui Kobayashi, who endured a quieter than usual race as he followed Perღez and Petrov home in fourth position. However, with 🤪his closest title rival, Davide Valsecchi, finishing just behind in sixth, he has extended his advantage to 12 points.

Between them was Kobay🅷ashi's DAMS team-mate Jerome d'Ambrosio, up from tenth position on the grid, while Edoardo Mortara and Luiz Razia rounded out the points to ensure Arden lock out the front row for the sprint race.