The Rapax driver jumped polesitter Jules Bianchi (ART) at the start and never looked threatened from there on, gradually extending his advantage to win by 10.1 seconds.

It was a largely processional affair through most of the field, with Bianchi's ART team-mate Sam Bird having an equally straightforward run to fourth, although Sergio Pérez and Christian Vietoris did their best to inject some interest with their scrap for fifth over the second half of the race.

Addax driver Pérez finally found a way past the German Racing Engineering man with two laps to go, although sixth was still a good reward for Vietoris after starting from 12th on the grid.

Only two cars failed to make the finish, with Rapax's Luiz Razia pulling off the track midway through the race, and DAMS' Ho-Pin Tung retiring after several visits to the pits.

He had become the local crowd's only realistic hope of a home podium after ART's Sam Bird was prevented from taking the start by an engine failure on an installation lap.