Hartley tops Renault test, American Rossi 2nd
Not present for the final two races of this year’s campaign, Hartley has travelled to Barcelona for two chiefly damp days of running at the venue, where he was driving for P1 Motorsport.
The Kiwi was accompanied on-track by a mix of old and new faces, with Daniel de Jong driving a Formula Renault 3.5 car for the first time after starring in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 races at the weekend.
Others driver changes saw Nathanael Berthon run with Tech 1 Racing for the first time as Giovanni Venturini linked up with the Junior Lotus Racing squad. At Epsilon Euskadi was Sergio Canamasas, as Daniel Zampieri switched to Fortec Motorsport and Daniil Move to ISR.
Having excited the local crowds courtesy of some daring passing on Saturday, Albert Costa’s Epsilon Euskadi car was the early pace-setter on wet Wednesday morning, clocking a series of rapid laps to top the timesheets in the opening stages; however, Anton Nebilitskiy and Daniel Zampieri then moved ahead.
Only in the final 20 minutes were the cars able to fit dry, Slick tires, with Hartley eventually moving ahead courtesy of a 1:37.460 effort. The United States’ Alexander Rossi, fresh from GP3, was second for ISR as Britain’s Adrian Quaife-Hobbs – also up from GP3 and quickest on Tuesday – made the top three for Comtec.
With Costa fifth and Ferrari academy driver Mirko Bortolotti eighth, another notable top ten performer was Carlin’s Max Chilton – another former GP3 racer and younger brother of Team AON British Touring Car star Tom; compatriots Will Stevens and Daniel McKenzie – British Formula 3 National Class Champion of 2009 – ended the session 16th and 18th fastest in the 20-car field.
Day 1 Results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
| 1. | Adrian Quaife-Hobbs | Red Devil Comtec | 01:33.595 | 68 |
| 2. | Alexander Rossi | ISR Racing | 01:33.660 | 62 |
| 3. | Robert Wickens | Fortec Motorsport | 01:33.770 | 57 |
| 4. | Walter Grubmuller | P1 Motorsport | 01:34.069 | 37 |
| 5. | Julian Leal | ISR Racing | 01:34.206 | 68 |
| 6. | Brendon Hartley | P1 Motorsport | 01:34.473 | 62 |
| 7. | Arthur Pic | Tech 1 Racing | 01:34.524 | 80 |
| 8. | Albert Costa | Epsilon Euskadi | 01:34.625 | 75 |
| 9. | Giovanni Venturini | Lotus Racing Junior | 01:34.822 | 79 |
| 10. | Nelson Panciatici | KMP Racing | 01:34.827 | 67 |
| 11. | Anton Nebylitskiy | KMP Racing | 01:34.881 | 56 |
| 12. | Stephane Richelmi | Draco Multiracing USA | 01:34.925 | 71 |
| 13. | Mirko Bortolotti | BVM Target | 01:35.026 | 63 |
| 14. | Max Chilton | Carlin Motorsport | 01:35.211 | 44 |
| 15. | Jazeman Jaafar | Carlin Motorsport | 01:35.331 | 76 |
| 16. | Daniel Zampieri | Pons Racing | 01:35.462 | 55 |
| 17. | Ivan Lukashevich | Lotus Racing Junior | 01:35.816 | 65 |
| 18. | Andre Negrao | Draco Multiracing USA | 01:35.934 | 78 |
| 19. | Will Stevens | Red Devil Comtec | 01:36.218 | 86 |
| 20. | Daniel McKenzie | Fortec Motorsport | 01:36.453 | 76 |
| 21. | Jean-Eric Vergne | Tech 1 Racing | 01:36.774 | 52 |
| 22. | Pierre Thiriet | Lotus Racing Junior | 01:38.272 | 41 |
Day 2 Results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
| 1. | Brendon Hartley | P1 Motorsport | 01:32.820 | 33 |
| 2. | Alexander Rossi | ISR Racing | 01:33.100 | 36 |
| 3. | Adrian Quaife-Hobbs | Red Devil Comtec | 01:33.648 | 40 |
| 4. | Daniel Zampieri | Pons Racing | 01:33.709 | 51 |
| 5. | Albert Costa | Epsilon Euskadi | 01:33.832 | 63 |
| 6. | Nathanael Berthon | Tech 1 Racing | 01:33.921 | 64 |
| 7. | Jazeman Jaafar | Carlin Motorsport | 01:34.024 | 62 |
| 8. | Mirko Bortolotti | BVM Target | 01:34.072 | 51 |
| 9. | Max Chilton | Carlin Motorsport | 01:34.072 | 56 |
| 10. | Arthur Pic | Tech 1 Racing | 01:34.082 | 56 |
| 11. | Daniil Move | ISR Racing | 01:34.178 | 39 |
| 12. | Walter Grubmuller | P1 Motorsport | 01:34.183 | 43 |
| 13. | Sergio Canamasas | Interwetten.com | 01:34.234 | 48 |
| 14. | Nelson Panciatici | KMP Racing | 01:34.512 | 46 |
| 15. | Giovanni Venturini | Lotus Racing Junior | 01:34.513 | 70 |
| 16. | Will Stevens | Red Devil Comtec | 01:34.525 | 75 |
| 17. | Anton Nebylitskiy | KMP Racing | 01:34.686 | 32 |
| 18. | Daniel McKenzie | Fortec Motorsport | 01:34.971 | 64 |
| 19. | Daniel de Jong | Draco Multiracing USA | 01:35.332 | 52 |
| 20. | Andre Negrao | Draco Multiracing USA | 01:37.071 | 38 |