GP3 Winter Test (Jerez, Oct 22nd)

A focused Nigel Melker was fastest in the morning. © Drew Gibson/GP3 Media Service

Nigel Melker and Michael Christensen emerged the two top men at third day of GP3 testing at Jerez in Spain.
Melker topped the morning session for RSC Mücke Motorsport in the morning, while Christensen planted his MW Arden at the head of the list in the afternoon; however it was the former that nailed the overall fastest time of the day with a lap at 1:34.747.

Christensen ran Melker close in the morning, registering a time only two-tenths of a second shy of the Dutch driver – unfortunately Melker was unable to recreate his morning later in the day, as he clocked up 21st fastest in he second session. Christensen on the other hand, put his fastest time on the board at the very beginning of the session.Rio Haryanto moved to ART GP for the final day and while he was one second adrift of Melker in the morning, the Indonesian driver took 2nd later in the day, albeit some 0.7 of-a-second shy of Christensen.
Alexander Sims is showing that he could be a force to be reckoned with in GP3 next year – the Londoner has showed some wonderful pace and consistency, regardless of what car he stepped into during these tests. As the clock ran out on Friday, Sims had registered the 9th best time in the morning for Status GP, before making that 3rd in the afternoon.

Carlin Motorsport took on two new drivers today, as Callum MacLeod was joined by Antonio Felix da Costa and Conor Daly. All three struggled to an extent to get close to the fastest times, as their trio of young chargers generally set mid-pack pace.  The Carlin squad finished in 5th in the teams Championship in the inaugural GP3 season – they will be looking to improve on that for 2011.

With testing now complete until the new year, it appears from the six test days that MW Arden may be the team to beat next season. Whether their drivers, whomever they end up being, can do the job is still a vital question – it’s only testing, but for now, a tiny pattern has been set.

Day Three (Friday, October 22nd)
Morning Session

POS DRIVER TEAM LAPS TIMES GAP
1 10   Nigel MELKER RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 37 1:34.747 —-
2 22   Michael CHRISTENSEN MW ARDEN 27 1:34.958 0.211
3 19   Roberto MERHI ADDAX TEAM 29 1:34.980 0.233
4 21   Simon TRUMMER MW ARDEN 31 1:35.020 0.273
5 25   Nico MULLER JENZER MOTORSPORT 34 1:35.036 0.289
6 1   James CALADO ART GRAND PRIX 39 1:35.073 0.326
7 17   Carlos SAINZ Jr ADDAX TEAM 41 1:35.073 0.326
8 11   Carlos MUÑOZ RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 40 1:35.131 0.384
9 4   Alexander SIMS STATUS GRAND PRIX 39 1:35.161 0.414
10 31   Tamas P’AL KISS ATECH CRS GP 33 1:35.188 0.441
11 8   Robin FRIJNS MANOR RACING 29 1:35.283 0.536
12 12   Willi STEINDL RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 52 1:35.285 0.538
13 15   Antonio F. DA COSTA CARLIN 36 1:35.326 0.579
14 7   Adrien TAMBAY MANOR RACING 38 1:35.395 0.648
15 14   Callum MACLEOD CARLIN 36 1:35.475 0.728
16 23   Marlon STOCKINGER JENZER MOTORSPORT 47 1:35.508 0.761
17 9   Thomas HYLKEMA MANOR RACING 35 1:35.545 0.798
18 20   Matias LAINE MW ARDEN 31 1:35.562 0.815
19 27   Arthur PIC TECH 1 RACING 49 1:35.611 0.864
20 5   Leonardo CORDEIRO STATUS GRAND PRIX 50 1:35.644 0.897
21 26   Aaro VAINIO TECH 1 RACING 51 1:35.690 0.943
22 29   Nick YELLOLY ATECH CRS GP 45 1:35.715 0.968
23 24   Juan C. SISTOS JENZER MOTORSPORT 42 1:35.733 0.986
24 30   Albert COSTA ATECH CRS GP 40 1:35.829 1.082
25 28   Miki MONRAS TECH 1 RACING 41 1:35.846 1.099
26 2   Rio HARYANTO ART GRAND PRIX 26 1:35.865 1.118
27 3   Pedro NUNES ART GRAND PRIX 36 1:35.904 1.157
28 6   Facu REGALIA STATUS GRAND PRIX 33 1:36.066 1.319
29 16   Conor DALY CARLIN 44 1:36.160 1.413
30 18   Vittorio GHIRELLI ADDAX TEAM 39 1:36.576 1.829

Afternoon Session

POS DRIVER TEAM LAPS TIMES GAP
1 22   Michael CHRISTENSEN MW ARDEN 18 1:35.509 —-
2 2   Rio HARYANTO ART GRAND PRIX 31 1:36.255 0.746
3 4   Alexander SIMS STATUS GRAND PRIX 26 1:36.337 0.828
4 21   Simon TRUMMER MW ARDEN 33 1:36.343 0.834
5 20   Matias LAINE MW ARDEN 34 1:36.394 0.885
6 7   Adrien TAMBAY MANOR RACING 37 1:36.402 0.893
7 25   Nico MULLER JENZER MOTORSPORT 26 1:36.441 0.932
8 27   Arthur PIC TECH 1 RACING 37 1:36.537 1.028
9 11   Carlos MUÑOZ RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 33 1:36.537 1.028
10 6   Facu REGALIA STATUS GRAND PRIX 30 1:36.593 1.084
11 15   Antonio F. DA COSTA CARLIN 36 1:36.609 0,001
12 19   Roberto MERHI ADDAX TEAM 28 1:36.699 0,001
13 1   James CALADO ART GRAND PRIX 29 1:36.700 1.191
14 8   Robin FRIJNS MANOR RACING 29 1:36.722 1.213
15 12   Willi STEINDL RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 46 1:36.827 1.318
16 17   Carlos SAINZ Jr ADDAX TEAM 19 1:36.838 1.329
17 31   Tamas P’AL KISS ATECH CRS GP 19 1:36.857 1.348
18 14   Callum MACLEOD CARLIN 36 1:36.866 1.357
19 30   Albert COSTA ATECH CRS GP 18 1:37.001 1.492
20 16   Conor DALY CARLIN 36 1:37.023 1.514
21 10   Nigel MELKER RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 21 1:37.024 1.515
22 3   Pedro NUNES ART GRAND PRIX 28 1:37.079 0,002
23 9   Thomas HYLKEMA MANOR RACING 40 1:37.108 1.599
24 24   Juan C. SISTOS JENZER MOTORSPORT 40 1:37.157 1.648
25 28   Miki MONRAS TECH 1 RACING 40 1:37.194 1.685
26 26   Aaro VAINIO TECH 1 RACING 31 1:37.212 1.703
27 29   Nick YELLOLY ATECH CRS GP 14 1:37.229 0,002
28 23   Marlon STOCKINGER JENZER MOTORSPORT 30 1:37.460 1.951
29 5   Leonardo CORDEIRO STATUS GRAND PRIX 25 1:37.489 0,002
30 18   Vittorio GHIRELLI ADDAX TEAM 29 1:37.589 0,002

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