Video: Carroll and Jani share honours at Taupo (A1 Grand Prix)

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Adam Carroll converted pole position into victory in the A1GP sprint race at Taupo in New Zealand, increasing Ireland’s lead in the championship. Video highlights from the sprint race can be viewed above.

He was followed home by Switzerland’s Neel Jani – who then reversed the positions in the feature race, leading Carroll home. It was a truly impressive performance by Jani, who is recovering from a serious virus. See below for video from the feature race.

It was a largely processional pair of races in New Zealand. Carroll only lost the lead in the second race because a problem with his car’s anti-stall device during a pit stop. A late safety car period caused by Clivio Piccione spinning might have given Carroll the chance to attack, but Taupo’s final sequence of bends could scarcely have been better designed to prevent chasing drivers getting a run at the leader.

This is not to take anything away from Jani, who bounced back brilliantly having been seriously ill in the days prior to the race. He even had to have a needle inserted into his spine to remove fluid for testing.

His and Carroll’s wins mean Ireland leads last season’s champions Switzerland with 65 points to 52. Following the cancellation of the round at Lippo, Indonesia, there are now ten races left in the shortened 18-race calendar, two of those at a yet-to-be-announced venue.

A1 Grand Prix resumes at Kyalami in South Africa in one month’s time.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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