UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > GP2 Testing: Paul Ricard

Three day test

DAY 1

For the last three-day test session of the year, the GP2 paddock flew to Paul Ricard this week. American Jake Rosenzweig at Super Nova Racing was the only newcomer on the track today.

On a 3D configuration and under the sunshine, DPR Michael Herck signed the best laptime this morning one tenth quicker than rookie Oliver Turvey at iSport International. GP2 Asia race winner Christian Vietoris confirmed his good form: at the wheel of the Fat Burner Racing Engineer car, the German completed this morning’s Top 3, only five thousands slower than Turvey. Thirteen drivers posted times within one second and five rookies finished in the top 10.

In the afternoon session, Romanian Herck claimed again the top spot, improving his laptime by seven tenths. Already quick in GP2 Asia third season opening event in Abu Dhabi Fabio Leimer at Fat Burner Racing Engineering and Sam Bird at ART Grand Prix completed the Top 3, the Swiss ace finishing best rookie of the day. In fourth, Turvey kept on making a good impression while GP2 Asia Series leader Davide Valsecchi finished with the fifth quickest laptime of the day at the wheel of the second iSport car.

This test session will continue tomorrow at 9am local time and on a similar track configuration. Roldan Rodriguez (Racing Engineering), Jules Bianchi (ART), Marcus Ericsson (Arden), Josef Kral (Super Nova), Kazimeras Vasiliauskas (Trident), Andrea Caldarelli (Party Poker) and Antonio Felix da Costa (Ocean Racing) will join the session.

DAY 2
The second day of GP2 Series winter testing at Paul Ricard resumed today on a 3D configuration. Super Nova James Jakes clocked in the quickest laptime of the day during the morning session in a 1:12.346. Although fastest in the afternoon session, Brazilian Luiz Razia at Addax could not edge out the Brit from the top spot.

And Jakes confirmed his top form by signing the second best laptime of the afternoon session, two hundreds ahead of Frenchman Jules Bianchi. The ART ace finished best rookie of the day. Other rookies impressed today with Christian Vietoris (Addax), Sam Bird (Arden), Oliver Turvey (iSport), Alexander Rossi (Racing Engineering) finishing in the top 10 this morning imitated by William Bratt (Scuderia Coloni), Antonio Felix da Costa (Ocean Racing) and Kazimeras Vasiliauskas (Trident) in the afternoon, Turvey and Bird appearing again in the Top 10. This morning, the first sixteen drivers ran within the same second while eighteen drivers ran within one second in the afternoon.

Although third quickest this morning and untouchable yesterday, Michael Herck at DPR saw all his laptime of this afternoon session deleted due to the fact that his car was found underweight. The same misfortune happened to rookie Charles Pic at the wheel of the Fat Burner Racing Engineering machine.

The three-day test session will end tomorrow with British Jon Lancaster joining the GP2 field at the wheel of the DAMS car.

DAY 3
Today marked the last day of the GP2 Series winter testing in Le Castellet. Following yesterday’s strong performance, James Jakes at Super Nova claimed the top spot in the morning session and signed once again the best laptime of the day in a 1:12.516.

Oliver Turvey met iSport’s expectations signing the fastest laptime of the afternoon session, finishing second fastest of the day, and claiming Best Rookie. Jules Bianchi at ART finished at a strong third place, just two hundredths behind the Briton.

Stefano Coletti at DAMS also displayed great consistency and pace with a third quickest laptime in the morning and a second quickest laptime in the afternoon. Apart from Jérôme d’Ambrosio (Racing Engineering) in fourth and Michael Herck (DPR) in sixth in the morning, the rest of the Top 10 was completed only by rookies who have notably been ones of the quickest since the beginning of the three-day test session: Scuderia Coloni’s Will Bratt and Andrea Caldarelli, Esteban Gutierrez (Arden), Christian Vietoris (Ocean Racing) and Turvey.

The young guns once again stole the more experienced drivers’ thunder in the afternoon session, the top 7 exclusively consisting of rookies: Turvey, Coletti, Sam Bird (Racing Engineering), Bratt, Antonio Felix da Costa (Ocean Racing), Josef Kral (Super Nova) and Vietoris. D’Ambrosio and Jakes follow while Kazimeras Vasiliauskas (Trident) completed the Top 10.

This morning, Marcus Ericsson’s laptimes were deleted due to the fact that his Barwa Addax car was found underweight.

This concluded the testing season for the 2009 season. The next GP2 Series test session will take place in Le Castellet at the end of March 2010.

Written: Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:11:02