Shoya Tomizawa became the first man to win a Moto2 grand prix as the Technomag Suter rider took an unexpectedly comfortable maiden victory in the inaugural race at Qatar.
The 19-year-old Japanese kept his cool and maintained a hard-earned eventual four-second cushion as several more experienced stars battled it out for runner-up position.
The new, Honda-powered, 16,000rpm limited category proved to be a great catalyst for slipstreaming and racing and early on the battle for the lead was one that included seven riders whose racecraft appeared more akin to a 125cc race.
Spaniard Alex Debon eventually took second place with a brave maneuver down the inside of Frenchman Jules Cluzel, on another Suter, during the final lap, after a race-long battle between the two.
Debon, who thus gave debutant manufacturer FTR a podium at its first attempt, might even have won the race had he, Cluzel and fourth place finisher (and poleman) Toni Elias not got wrapped up in their own fight and lost touch with Tomizawa in the process.
Fifth position went to grand prix returnee Roberto Rolfo, who closed up to Elias in the late stages as the former MotoGP winner faded when the preseason testing injuries took their toll.
Mattia Pasini took sixth for JIR ahead of Thomas Luthi, Simone Corsi and another former MotoGP rider Gabor Talmacsi. Sergio Gadea was tenth.
Yuki Takahashi may have featured high in the order but the Japanese fell after passing Elias for what was then second place.
Meanwhile, front-row starters Alex de Angelis and Stefan Bradl failed to make it through lap one, as the San Marino rider went in to Turn 2 too deep, wobbled and was clipped by the unfortunate German.
125cc world champion Julian Simon was another early retirement with a technical problem on the Aspar bike, while Anthony West struggled and crashed out mid-race on the MZ.