GP2 Hot News

Fabio Leimer tops GP2 Day 1 test

Leimer fastest on Day 1

The first 2011 post-season testing opened today at Circuito de Jerez under clear blue skies, warm temperatures and in slightly windy conditions. Today’s entry list comprised of a total of twenty-seven drivers who ran around the Spanish track on Pirelli P Zero hard compounds for this first day. Among them, seven GP3 Series graduates including the 2011 top 4 drivers: reigning Champion Valtteri Bottas at Lotus ART, runner-up James Calado at Ocean Racing Technology, third-placed driver Nigel Melker at Arden International and fourth place finisher Nico Muller at Dams. Also joining from GP3 was race winner Rio Haryanto at Dams, Simon Trummer at Arden International and Antonio Felix Da Costa at Caterham Team AirAsia.

As soon as the pitlane opened, most drivers dove onto the track for their installation laps. It was Fabio Onidi at Scuderia Coloni who set the early pace in 1:29.040. Finnish ace Bottas proved he could adapt quickly to the GP2/11 by going top, five tenths faster than the Italian, while Fabio Leimer at Racing Engineering slipped in between the pair. The dying minutes of the first hour saw Josef Kral at Trident Racing topping the timesheets, but Onidi claimed back the top spot, with Max Chilton and Sam Bird completing the provisional top 3. With thirty minutes left in the session, Fabio Leimer at Racing Engineering went quickest, 0.1s from Filippi. The session was then briefly red flagged after Cecotto went wide at Turn 8 and stopped in the gravel bed. When it resumed, Leimer’s best laptime remained unbeaten. Bird, Cecotto, Onidi, Yelmer Buurman, Jolyon Palmer, Dani Clos, Josef Kral and Felix Da Costa completed the top ten.

Filippi was replaced by Kevin Ceccon in the afternoon session. It opened in rising temperatures and with Muller the first back on track. The Dams driver was soon followed by the remainder of the field. But it was Bottas who went quickest thirty minutes into the session and stayed on top of the timing sheets until the last half-hour of the trouble-free afternoon. Carlin’s Alvaro Parente and Max Chilton were in the Finn’s tow. With thirty minutes left on the clock, Leimer found extra pace again and claimed the top spot. In the closing stages, Buurman at Caterham Team AirAsia moved up to P2 a shy tenth from the Swiss while Clos edged Bottas out of P3. Kral, Parente, Chilton, Bird, Palmer and Melker rounded out the top ten.

The testing will resume tomorrow at 9am local time.

Morning session

Pos Driver Team Laptime Laps
1. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1:27.282 29
2. Luca Filippi Scuderia Coloni 1:27.291 29
3. Sam Bird Rapax 1:27.555 33
4. Johnny Cecotto Barwa Addax Team 1:27.566 25
5. Fabio Onidi Scuderia Coloni 1:27.587 32
6. Yelmer Buurman Caterham Team AirAsia 1:27.786 32
7. Jolyon Palmer iSport International 1:27.801 31
8. Dani Clos Barwa Addax Team 1:27.894 24
9. Josef Kral Trident Racing 1:27.909 20
10. Antonio Felix Da Costa Caterham Team AirAsia 1:28.090 32
11. Adam Carroll Super Nova Racing 1:28.212 20
12. Alvaro Parente Carlin 1:28.289 22
13. Max Chilton Carlin 1:28.317 21
14. James Calado Ocean Racing Technology 1:28.369 26
15. Rodolfo Gonzalez Racing Engineering 1:28.443 25
16. Valtteri Bottas Lotus ART 1:28.459 28
17. Simon Trummer Arden International 1:28.597 33
18. Stéphane Richelmi Ocean Racing Technology 1:28.7-3 27
19. Julian Leal Trident Racing 1:28.709 24
20. Nigel Melker Arden International 1:28.779 34
21. Javier Villa Super Nova Racing 1:28.907 14
22. Daniele Zampieri Rapax 1:29.091 29
23. Rio Haryanto Dams 1:29.097 26
24. Nathaniel Berthon Lotus ART 1:29.241 30
25. Nico Muller Dams 1:29.288 25
26. Carlos Iaconelli iSport International 1:30.029 23


Afternoon Session

Pos Driver Team Laptime Laps
1. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1:27.777 20
2. Yelmer Buurman Caterham Team AirAsia 1:27.874 28
3. Dani Clos Barwa Addax Team 1:28.049 17
4. Valtteri Bottas Lotus ART 1:28.113 31
5. Josef Kral Trident Racing 1:28.194 26
6. Alvaro Parente Carlin 1:28.254 18
7. Max Chilton Carlin 1:28.259 21
8. Sam Bird Rapax 1:28.373 31
9. Jolyon Palmer iSport International 1:28.490 32
10. Nigel Melker Arden International 1:28.574 26
11. Nathaniel Berthon Lotus ART 1:28.576 29
12. Javier Villa Super Nova Racing 1:28.606 23
13. Stéphane Richelmi Ocean Racing Technology 1:28.613 25
14. Fabio Onidi Scuderia Coloni 1:28.648 18
15. Johnny Cecotto Barwa Addax Team 1:28.727 27
16. James Calado Ocean Racing Technology 1:28.731 28
17. Rodolfo Gonzalez Racing Engineering 1:28.868 26
18. Antonio Felix Da Costa Caterham Team AirAsia 1:28.875 32
19. Daniele Zampieri Rapax 1:28.924 32
20. Kevin Ceccon Scuderia Coloni 1:28.996 30
21. Rio Haryanto Dams 1:29.160 28
22. Simon Trummer Arden International 1:29.202 26
23. Nico Muller Dams 1:29.678 28
24. Julian Leal Trident Racing 1:29.823 8
25. Carlos Iaconelli iSport International 1:30.253 24
26. Adam Carroll Super Nova Racing 1:31.734 8

Day 2 drivers entry list

Rapax
01- Daniel Zampieri (ITA)
02- Stéphane Richelmi (MON)

Barwa Addax Team
03- Jake Rosenzweig (USA)
04- Jolyon Palmer (GBR)

Lotus ART
05- Jules Bianchi (FRA)
06- James Calado (GBR)

Racing Engineering
07- Fabio Leimer (SUI)
08- Rupert Svendsen-Cook (GBR)

iSport International
09- Tom Dillmann (FRA)
10- Nathanael Berthon (FRA)

Dams
11- Rodolfo Gonzalez (VEN)
12- Giovanni Venturini (ITA)

Arden International
14- Simon Trummer (SUI)
15- Nigel Melker (NED)

Super Nova Racing
16- Javier Villa (ESP)
17- Adam Carroll (GBR)

Scuderia Coloni
18- Kevin Ceccon (ITA) // Luca Filippi (ITA)
19- Fabio Onidi (ITA)

Trident Racing
20- Julian Leal (COL)
21- Sam Bird (GBR)

Ocean Racing Technology
22- Yuki Shiraishi (JAP)
23- Antonio Felix Da Costa (POR)

Carlin
24- Max Chilton (GBR)
25- Nico Muller (SUI)

Caterham Team AirAsia
26- Alexander Rossi (USA)
27- Ricardo Teixeira (POR)