The GP2 Series field is back on track this week for the second 2016 pre-season test session at Circuito de Jerez, Spain. The paddock was greeted by blue skies but cold temperatures. When the pitlane turned green, it was Alex Lynn who fed onto the track first but he was closely followed by his teammate Nicholas Latifi and the rest of the pack.
Kiwi driver Mitch Evans had a steady day with his new Jagonya Ayam Campos Racing team stting sixth fastest time in the morning and 13th in the afternoon sessions.
After all cars had completed their installation lap, it was a quiet morning with the proceedings halted due to foggy conditions. When the action picked up again, RUSSIAN TIME’s Raffaele Marciello set the early pace in a laptime of 1:26.762.
With half an hour left on the clock, Racing Engineering’s Jordan King went quickest in a 1:26.201 ahead of Lynn and Mitch Evans. But Norman Nato found some extra pace to dip under 1m26s and sit pretty at the top of the timesheets.
At the chequered flag, Nato headed Pierre Gasly by 0.1s with King in P3. Lynn, Antonio Giovinazzi, Evans, Sergey Sirotkin, Arthur Pic, Oliver Rowland and Gustav Malja completed the top ten.
In the afternoon, the session started under blue skies and in warmer temperatures. Latifi ventured onto the track first but it was his teammate Lynn who set the early pace with a 1:26.442 – 0.1s quicker than Nato in P2. In the opening hour, Arden International’s Jimmy Eriksson caused a red flag after he clipped the barrier at Turn one.
The rest of the session was trouble-free and studious with most drivers completing long runs and practice starts. With one hour left on the clock, Gasly topped the timesheet in a 1:26.375 and took P1 from Lynn with Nato P3.
At the chequered flag, the top three remained unchanged. Giovinazzi, King, Luca Ghiotto, Marvin Kirchhöfer, Marciello, Oliver Rowland and Pic rounded the top ten.
Day 2 of this pre-season test will start tomorrow at 09.00, local time.
Morning results
Driver Team Laptime
1 Norman Nato Racing Engineering 1:25.811.
2 Pierre Gasly PREMA Racing 1:25.961
3 Jordan King Racing Engineering 1:26.124
4 Alex Lynn DAMS 1:26.280
5 Antonio Giovinazzi PREMA Racing 1:26.322
6 Mitch Evans Jagonya Ayam Campos Racing 1:26.350
7 Sergey Sirotkin ART Grand Prix 1:26.405
8 Arthur Pic Rapax 1:26.650
9 Oliver Rowland MP Motorsport 1:26.674
10 Gustav Malja Rapax 1:26.706
also
15 Artem Markelov RUSSIAN TIME 1:26.065
Afternoon results
Driver Team Laptime
1 Pierre Gasly PREMA Racing 1:26.375
2 Alex Lynn DAMS 1:26.442
3 Norman Nato Racing Engineering 1:26.558
4 Antonio Giovinazzi PREMA Racing 1:26.566
5 Jordan King Racing Engineering 1:26.517
also
13 Mitch Evans Jagonya Ayam Campos Racing 1:26.222
16 Artem Markelov RUSSIAN TIME 1:26.487
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