GP2: Jolyon Palmer quickest again at Yas Marina

Jolyon Palmer fastest overall

The second day of GP2 Series pre-season testing opened at Yas Marina Circuit this morning with Rio Haryanto setting the early pace just before a first red flag period after Stoffel Vandoorne clipped the barrier at Turn 19 and stopped on track. The proceedings resumed and Haryanto kept the top spot. A second red flag halted the action after Axcil Jefferies span and stopped at Turn 13.

The track went live again. Mitch Evans found some extra pace and improved on the Indonesian’s laptime by four tenths. After a third short red flag period courtesy of Jefferies who stopped at Turn 1, Jon Lancaster put his head down and first moved up to P2 before bettering Evans’ best by two tenths hence claiming the top spot ahead of Kimiya Sato. The rookie from Campos managed a laptime just one tenth slower than Lancaster.

In the final hour, Conor Daly collided with Facu Regalia at Turn 18 with the American barreling into the barrier which prompted another red flag period and brought Daly's day to an early end. The session restarted with twenty minutes left on the clock. Stephane Richelmi went quickest, but it was his teammate and yesterday’s fastest man Jolyon Palmer who claimed the top spot with a laptime of 1:50.311, sixth tenths better than the Monegasque driver. At the checkered and behind the DAMS pair, Lancaster, Sato, Evans, Haryanto, Alexander Rossi, Felipe Nasr, Johnny Cecotto and Daly completed the top 10.

Johnny Cecotto was fastest in the afternoon

After the two hour break, Vandoorne was the first man back on track and he set the early pace. For this afternoon session, teams were mainly focused on race simulations, set-ups and pit stop practices. In the standings, Daniel Abt claimed the top spot until Daniel De Jong went quickest in the final hour. Then, Vandoorne bettered the Dutchman’s laptime and looked set to finish the day on top, but Cecotto eventually found some clean air to set a laptime of 1:50.760 good enough to end ahead of the Belgian driver. At the checkered flag, Andre Negrao, Regalia, Abt, Evans, Arthur Pic, Rene Binder and Lancaster rounded the top 10.

Tomorrow’s session will start again at 9am local time.

Morning Results

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Jolyon Palmer DAMS 1:50.311 27
2. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1:50.947 28
3. Jon Lancaster MP Motorsport 1:51.005 20
4. Kimiya Sato Campos Racing 1:51.204 18
5. Mitch Evans RT RUSSIAN TIME 1:51.231 19
6. Rio Haryanto EQ8 Caterham Racing 1:51.445 28
7. Alexander Rossi EQ8 Caterham Racing 1:51.484 27
8. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1:51.810 22
9. Johnny Cecotto Trident 1:51.839 15
10. Conor Daly Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:51.846 12
11. Julian Leal Carlin 1:51.893 16
12. Raffaele Marciello Racing Engineering 1:52.024 27
13. Arthur Pic Campos Racing 1:52.215 27
14. Andre Negrao Arden International 1:52.268 22
15. Stoffel Vandoorne ART Grand Prix 1:52.335 11
16. Stefano Coletti Racing Engineering 1:52.404 20
17. Takuya Izawa ART Grand Prix 1:52.545 26
18. Nathanael Berthon Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:52.580 13
19. Daniiel De Jong MP Motorsport 1:52.657 15
20. Rene Binder Arden International 1:52.887 19
21. Axcil Jefferies Trident 1:53.133 21
22. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Rapax 1:53.162 18
23. Simon Trummer Rapax 1:53.358 24
24. Artem Markelov RT RUSSIAN TIME 1:53.358 24
25. Daniel Abt Hilmer Motorsport 1:56.274 18
26. Facu Regalia Hilmer Motorsport 0

Afternoon results

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Johnny Cecotto Trident 1:50.760 14
2. Stoffel Vandoorne ART Grand Prix 1:50.821 33
3. Andre Negrao Arden International 1:51.237 27
4. Daniiel De Jong MP Motorsport 1:51.590 17
5. Facu Regalia Hilmer Motorsport 1:51.614 29
6. Daniel Abt Hilmer Motorsport 1:51.668 17
7. Mitch Evans RT RUSSIAN TIME 1:51.714 23
8. Arthur Pic Campos Racing 1:51.769 31
9. Rene Binder Arden International 1:52.038 17
10. Jon Lancaster MP Motorsport 1:52.132 30
11. Artem Markelov RT RUSSIAN TIME 1:52.341 32
12. Takuya Izawa ART Grand Prix 1:52.528 23
13. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Rapax 1:52.595 18
14. Simon Trummer Rapax 1:52.640 20
15. Axcil Jefferies Trident 1:52.944 20
16. Nathanael Berthon Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:53.393 15
17. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1:53.992 35
18. Jolyon Palmer DAMS 1:54.007 36
19. Kimiya Sato Campos Racing 1:54.142 33
20. Rio Haryanto EQ8 Caterham Racing 1:54.615 34
21. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1:54.714 25
22. Julian Leal Carlin 1:54.772 23
23. Alexander Rossi EQ8 Caterham Racing 1:54.868 39
24. Stefano Coletti Racing Engineering 1:55.194 29
25. Raffaele Marciello Racing Engineering 1:55.617 32
26. Connor Daly Venezuela GP Lazarus 0

Combined Wednesday testing times:

Pos Driver Team Time Behind Laps
1. Jolyon Palmer DAMS 1m50.311s +0.000s 63
2. Johnny Cecotto Jr Trident 1m50.760s +0.449s 29
3. Stoffel Vandoorne ART 1m50.821s +0.510s 44
4. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1m50.947s +0.636s 63
5. Jon Lancaster MP 1m51.005s +0.694s 50
6. Kimiya Sato Campos 1m51.204s +0.893s 51
7. Mitch Evans Russian Time 1m51.231s +0.920s 42
8. Andre Negrao Arden 1m51.237s +0.926s 49
9. Rio Haryanto Caterham 1m51.445s +1.134s 62
10. Alexander Rossi Caterham 1m51.484s +1.173s 66
11. Daniel de Jong MP 1m51.590s +1.279s 32
12. Facu Regalia Hilmer 1m51.614s +1.303s 29
13. Daniel Abt Hilmer 1m51.668s +1.357s 35
14. Arthur Pic Campos 1m51.769s +1.458s 58
15. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1m51.810s +1.499s 47
16. Conor Daly Lazarus 1m51.846s +1.535s 12
17. Julian Leal Carlin 1m51.893s +1.582s 39
18. Raffaele Marciello Racing Engineering 1m52.024s +1.713s 59
19. Rene Binder Arden 1m52.038s +1.727s 36
20. Artem Markelov Russian Time 1m52.341s +2.030s 56
21. Stefano Coletti Racing Engineering 1m52.404s +2.093s 49
22. Takuya Izawa ART 1m52.528s +2.217s 49
23. Nathanael Berthon Lazarus 1m52.580s +2.269s 28
24. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Rapax 1m52.595s +2.284s 36
25. Simon Trummer Rapax 1m52.640s +2.329s 44
26. Axcil Jefferies Trident 1m52.944s +2.633s 41