Calado sets the pace in Hungary

The sixth round of 2011 GP3 Series kicked off this morning with the first of two Friday practice sessions at the Hungarian circuit, with the British driver topping the times sheets. The session was interrupted by a red flag following a crash involving Luciano Bacheta. The RSC Mücke Motorsport driver was uninjured. The remaining of the session was drama-free and Calado claimed the top spot with a time of 1:39.025 over four tenths quicker than Addax Teams Tom Dillmann in second.

The field hit the track with Pirelli P Zero slick tires, and Marussia Manor Racing’s Rio Haryanto led the way early on in the damp and humid conditions ahead of Tech 1 Racing’s Aaro Vainio. The Finn went one better to claim P1, before RSC Mücke Motorsport’s Nigel Melker moved ahead. No sooner had the Dutchman taken control of the session, his teammate Bacheta was caught out in the damp conditions and barrel rolled over the barrier at turn 10. The 21-year-old emerged unharmed.

The session restarted with eight minutes left on the clock, and the field headed back on track for a final push to take the top spot. Melker’s time of 1:39.730 meant he stayed top for the final few minutes of the session ahead of Marussia Manor Racing’s Adrian Quaife-Hobbs and teammate Michael Christensen. Lotus ART’s Valtteri Bottas and Addax’ Tom Dillmann moved up into the top three, and as the session came to a close it looked like Melker would hold on to P1.

However, after the checkered flag dropped Lewis Williamson was first to move to the top of the timesheet closely followed by Dillmann, until Calado’s last-gasp lap moved him ahead of the Frenchman. Williamson settled for third, Melker fourth and Quaife-Hobbs fifth.

Next up for GP3 is practice 2 later today at 16:50 local time.

Practice 1 times: