Ceccon quickest in Jerez post season test
After a six week break since the 2012 GP3 Series season finished in dramatic style, the GP3/10 cars roared back into action for the first of two winter tests. The GP3 circus arrived in Jerez, Spain for a two day test with many new faces hoping to impress to secure a potential drive for the 2013 season.
Six drivers from this year's season were testing today but not all were competing with the same outfit they had raced with. Ceccon took the reigns of the MW Arden machine whilst Visoiu and Giovanni Venturini switched to the black and gold of the Lotus GP car.
The morning session started off in cool conditions with rain threatening over the Circuito de Jerez. The drivers made their way onto the track to set the installation laps with the experienced drivers of Ceccon, David Fumanelli (MW Arden) and Ellinas setting the early pace. Alex Fontana (Jenzer Motorsport) headed the timings after the first hour with debutants Melville McKee (MW Arden), Roman De Beer (Trident Racing) and Jack Harvey (Lotus GP) in the top eight.
Australian Jordan Oon spun his Atech CRS GP car which caused the morning session to be briefly red flagged whilst Ceccon got to grips with the MW Arden car to go P1 with a best lap time of 1:35.451. Visoiu jumped up to P2 in the final thirty minutes to finish ahead of Ellinas, Fumanelli, McKee, Fontana, Nick Cassidy (Status Grand Prix) and Nicolas Costa (Marussia Manor Racing).
Heavy rain fell as the afternoon session commenced and Polish rookie Patryk Szczerbinski (Marussia Manor Racing) set the marker in the early stages until his teammates Ellinas and Costa posted P1 and P2 as the rain came down even harder. This gave the drivers the opportunity to test the GP3 car in full wet conditions after the earlier dry session.
Fontana rose to P3 ahead of Miki Monras (Atech CRS GP) whilst Harvey and Ceccon climbed up to P2 and P3 respectively in the final thirty minutes. However the rest of the pack were unable to beat the Cypriot's fastest lap time of the afternoon of 1:47.520. Harvey, Ceccon, Costa, Fontana, Monras, Visoiu and Eric Lichtenstein (Carlin) rounding out the top eight.
Tomorrow's test session will run from 09.00 – 12.00 a one hour break. The afternoon session will run from 13.00 – 16.00 CET.
Day 1: Morning
| Pos | Driver | Team | Lap time | Laps |
| 1. | Kevin Ceccon | MW Arden | 1:35.451 | 31 |
| 2. | Robert Visoiu | Lotus GP | 1;35.903 | 32 |
| 3. | Tio Ellinas | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:36.009 | 24 |
| 4. | David Fumanelli | MW Arden | 1:36.090 | 35 |
| 5. | Melville McKee | MW Arden | 1:36.346 | 38 |
| 6. | Alex Fontana | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:36.460 | 32 |
| 7. | Nick Cassidy | Status Grand Prix | 1:36.483 | 42 |
| 8. | Nicolas Costa | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:36.565 | 32 |
| 9. | Miki Weckstrom | Status Grand Prix | 1:36.608 | 36 |
| 10. | Roman De Beer | Trident Racing | 1:36.715 | 36 |
| 11. | Giovanni Venturini | Lotus GP | 1:36.763 | 22 |
| 12. | Eric Lichtenstein | Carlin | 1:36.823 | 41 |
| 13. | Josh Webster | Carlin | 1:37.045 | 32 |
| 14. | Jack Harvey | Lotus GP | 1:37.053 | 18 |
| 15. | Miki Monras | Atech CRS GP | 1:37.146 | 29 |
| 16. | Patryk Szczerbinski | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:37.414 | 44 |
| 17. | Emanuele Zonzini | Trident Racing | 1:37.427 | 37 |
| 18. | Jordan Oon | Atech CRS GP | 1:37.695 | 38 |
| 19. | Samin Gomez | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:38.217 | 30 |
| 20. | Ryan Cullen | Status Grand Prix | 1:38.706 | 41 |
Day 1: Afternoon
| Pos | Driver | Team | Lap time | Laps |
| 1. | Tio Ellinas | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:47.520 | 17 |
| 2. | Jack Harvey | Lotus GP | 1:48.011 | 36 |
| 3. | Kevin Ceccon | MW Arden | 1:48.038 | 19 |
| 4. | Nicolas Costa | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:48.477 | 22 |
| 5. | Alex Fontana | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:48.767 | 15 |
| 6. | Miki Monras | Atech CRS GP | 1:48.797 | 20 |
| 7. | Robert Visoiu | Lotus GP | 1:49.165 | 35 |
| 8. | Eric Lichtenstein | Carlin | 1:49.208 | 41 |
| 9. | Roman De Beer | Trident Racing | 1:49.255 | 25 |
| 10. | Patryk Szczerbinski | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:49.295 | 37 |
| 11. | Melville McKee | MW Arden | 1:49.363 | 34 |
| 12. | Miki Weckstrom | Status Grand Prix | 1:49.476 | 27 |
| 13. | Josh Webster | Carlin | 1:49.559 | 24 |
| 14. | David Fumanelli | MW Arden | 1:49.592 | 35 |
| 15. | Giovanni Venturini | Lotus GP | 1:49.780 | 21 |
| 16. | Emanuele Zonzini | Trident Racing | 1:49.953 | 34 |
| 17. | Jordan Oon | Atech CRS GP | 1:50.028 | 22 |
| 18. | Nick Cassidy | Status Grand Prix | 1:50.205 | 30 |
| 19. | Samin Gomez | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:50.746 | 30 |
| 20. | Ryan Cullen | Status Grand Prix | 1:53.470 | 33 |