GP3 Hot News

Daniel Abt ends Valencia test on top, Daly leads PM session

Daniel Abt

Today marked the final day of GP3 Series second post-season testing at Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, and the teams were greeted with sunny but cool conditions in the morning. There were some new faces in the paddock with GP3 runner-up James Calado returning for the day with reigning champions Lotus ART alongside Aaro Vainio. Gabby Chaves joined Status Grand Prix and Alex Fontana joined Tech 1 Racing.

Marlon Stockinger switched to Status Grand Prix, Yuri Grigorenko switched to Marussia Manor Racing, Tom Blomqvist moved to Carlin and Dmitry Suranovich to Addax Team.

When the lights turned green the drivers were quick to hit the track on Pirelli P Zero slick tires. An early red flag caused by Yuhi Sekiguchi going off in his RSC Mücke Motorsport car paused proceedings, but once back underway it was Matias Laine who took control of the timesheet. Except for a brief spell when he was knocked off the top spot by rookies Daniel Abt and Tio Ellinas, the young Finn held on to P1 for the first hour of the session.

Continuing on from his impressive performance yesterday, Abt then found the extra time he needed to move ahead of the Marussia Manor Racing driver, and with the rest of the field unable to match his pace, the German held onto the spot for the remainder of the session. Laine clocked the second fastest time followed by Stockinger, Patric Niederhauser, Tamas Pal Kiss for Atech CRS GP and Calado.

The afternoon was a relatively quiet one as most of the teams worked on race simulations and setups with the rookies. With just a few cars out on track at the start of the session, Maxim Zimin was top for MW Arden followed by his teammate Will Stevens and Tech 1 Racing’s Alex Fontana. As the session progressed Laine continued to show his pace by putting his #12 car back in the top spot for Manor closely followed by Stockinger, who then snatched P1.

Stevens was next to head the field for MW Arden, until the final twenty minutes of the session when a number of drivers hit the track on new rubber. Pal Kiss, Laine and Conor Daly all fought for P1 and it was American Conor Daly who eventually took the top honors for Carlin. Laine was second quickest ahead of Pal Kiss, Stockinger, Stevens, Ellinas, Gabby Chaves, Zimin, Fabio Gambrini and Niederhauser.

GP3 Series™ will be back on track in Jerez next week for the final post-season test on 01-02 December.

Morning times:

Pos Car # Driver Team Nat Best Lap Laps Gap
1 1 ABT, Daniel Lotus ART GER 1:26.147 30 0.000
2 12 LAINE, Matias Marussia Manor FIN 1:26.222 35 0.075
3 4 STOCKINGER, Marlon Status G.P. PHI 1:26.407 33 0.260
4 8 NIEDERHAUSER, Patric Jenzer Motorsport SUI 1:26.448 32 0.301
5 22 PAL KISS, Tamas Atech CRS GP HUN 1:26.453 34 0.306
6 3 CALADO, James Lotus ART GBR 1:26.564 25 0.417
7 14 DALY, Conor Carlin USA 1:26.677 35 0.530
8 28 ZIMIN, Maxim MW Arden RUS 1:26.745 29 0.598
9 9 HECHE, Michael Jenzer Motorsport SUI 1:26.815 35 0.668
10 2 VAINIO, Aaro Lotus ART FIN 1:26.820 39 0.673
11 7 VISOIU, Robert Jenzer Motorsport ROM 1:26.845 36 0.698
12 10 ELLINAS, Tio Marussia Manor CYP 1:26.867 28 0.720
13 6 CHAVES, Gabby Status G.P. COL 1:26.891 34 0.744
14 26 STEVENS, Will MW Arden GBR 1:26.905 29 0.758
15 16 BLOMQVIST, Tom Carlin GBR 1:27.212 34 1.065
16 19 CAMPLESE, Lorenzo Tech1 Racing ITA 1:27.504 37 1.357
17 27 GAMBERINI, Fabio MW Arden BRA 1:27.699 32 1.552
18 18 FONTANA, Alex Tech1 Racing SUI 1:27.796 34 1.649
19 29 WEHRLEIN, Pascal RSC Mücke MS GER 1:28.038 34 1.891
20 23 SURANOVICH, Dmitry Addax Team RUS 1:28.393 38 2.246
21 20 RINGEL, Ethan Atech CRS GP USA 1:28.669 32 2.522
22 17 TOLEDANO, Picho Tech1 Racing MEX 1:29.171 43 3.024
23 25 CERRUTI, Michela Addax Team ITA 1:29.698 34 3.551
24 5 SAKURAI, Kotaro Status G.P. JPN 1:29.721 13 3.574
25 11 GRIGORENKO, Yuri Marussia Manor RUS 1:29.798 32 3.651
26 31 SEKIGUCHI, Yuhi RSC Mücke MS JPN 1:29.943 3 3.796

Afternoon times:

Pos Car # Driver Team Nat Best Lap Laps Gap
1 14 DALY, Conor Carlin USA 1:26.949 33 0.000
2 12 LAINE, Matias Marussia Manor FIN 1:27.071 27 0.122
3 22 PAL KISS, Tamas Atech CRS GP HUN 1:27.218 15 0.269
4 4 STOCKINGER, Marlon Status G.P. PHI 1:27.224 26 0.275
5 26 STEVENS, Will MW Arden GBR 1:27.287 35 0.338
6 10 ELLINAS, Tio Marussia Manor CYP 1:27.295 38 0.346
7 6 CHAVES, Gabby Status G.P. COL 1:27.348 37 0.399
8 28 ZIMIN, Maxim MW Arden RUS 1:27.402 25 0.453
9 27 GAMBERINI, Fabio MW Arden BRA 1:27.649 26 0.700
10 8 NIEDERHAUSER, Patric Jenzer Motorsport SUI 1:27.760 24 0.811
11 16 BLOMQVIST, Tom Carlin GBR 1:27.803 28 0.854
12 7 VISOIU, Robert Jenzer Motorsport ROM 1:27.849 27 0.900
13 1 ABT, Daniel Lotus ART GER 1:28.005 31 1.056
14 9 HECHE, Michael Jenzer Motorsport SUI 1:28.057 25 1.108
15 3 CALADO, James Lotus ART GBR 1:28.094 31 1.145
16 18 FONTANA, Alex Tech1 Racing SUI 1:28.329 27 1.380
17 19 CAMPLESE, Lorenzo Tech1 Racing ITA 1:28.427 18 1.478
18 11 GRIGORENKO, Yuri Marussia Manor RUS 1:28.443 26 1.494
19 5 SAKURAI, Kotaro Status G.P. JPN 1:28.533 37 1.584
20 2 VAINIO, Aaro Lotus ART FIN 1:28.674 31 1.725
21 23 SURANOVICH, Dmitry Addax Team RUS 1:29.194 43 2.245
22 20 RINGEL, Ethan Atech CRS GP USA 1:29.264 40 2.315
23 29 WEHRLEIN, Pascal RSC Mücke MS GER 1:29.267 27 2.318
24 17 TOLEDANO, Picho Tech1 Racing MEX 1:29.449 43 2.500
25 25 CERRUTI, Michela Addax Team ITA 1:29.967 21 3.018