More Brands success for Karthikeyan

Karthikeyan, who triumphed on the 1.2-mile Indy circuit in April, braved it out with Luciano Burti at the first corner and romped clear to win on the 2.6-mile Grand Prix track.

Brazilian Burti qualified his Stewart Racing Dallara-Mugen Honda on pole, but crashed in the closing moments of the session and was driving a patched up car.

'The car didn't feel the same as in qualifying. That didn't surprise me, because after my crash they had to change so much,' he said. 'I struggled with a lack of grip and oversteer as well.'

It was later discovered that he was driving with a slow puncture in his left-rear tyre.

Burti, who takes a clear series lead from Marc Hynes, didn't make things too difficult for Karthikeyan as the Indian swept his Carlin Motorsport Dallara-Mugen around the outside at the first bend.

'If it was Hynes I wouldn't have backed off,' Burti admitted. 'I know Narain is just going for race wins. If I'd crashed in the first corner I'd have gone back to my garage and no-one would have been there!'

That left Karthikeyan to take a dominant win.

'Brands Hatch has been good to me,' he smiled. 'The car was very good in the second qualifying session and just as good in the race. I made a great start, got around the outside of Luciano into Paddock Bend and drove a very good race.'

While Karthikeyan scorched clear, Burti led a procession for second from team mate Andrew Kirkaldy, Hynes, Matt Davies and Jenson Button.

For Hynes fourth was a good result after qualifying his Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen only seventh.

'To come out of the weekend with what we've got is good,' he said. 'I was much quicker than the others around the circuit but ran out of time to do anything.'

Hynes and Davies both passed Button after a safety car period, the result of a spectacular collision at Paddock between midfielders Yudai Igarashi and Warren Carway.

Kristian Kolby and Aluizio Coelho - team mates to Davies and Button in the Fortec Dallara-Mugen and Promatecme Dallara-Renault squads respectively - took seventh and eighth. Coelho was driving with a damaged wing after a first lap collision with Davies.

Honours in the five-car National Class went to American John Bender, who completed a double for the Carlin team after winning a frenetic battle with Rowan Racing's Gavin Jones.