Not content with topping the timing sheets on Wednesday, Swiss driver Fabio Leimer registered the fastest laps at today’s GP2 test as well.
Running with Rapax squad, Leimer had a trouble free day, completing 38 laps over the course of the session. He topped Josef Král in his Arden machine in the morning (by 0.026 of-a-second) and DPR’s Michael Herck in the afternoon (0.116 of-a-second ahead).
Herck’s competitive times matched his Tuesday form – the Romanian driver was only 0.049 slower than Leimer in the morning and he will be well served should he take this form into the 2011 season. However, with this being testing, it is difficult to know where Herck truly stands in terms of outright pace.
Twice Superleague Formula Champion and former GP2 driver Davide Rigon tested with Rapax today. The 24-year-old’s times fell somewhat short of Leimer’s ultimate pace, with Rigon 19th in the morning 1.62 seconds slower; however that gap shrank to 0.843 of-a-second in the afternoon as the Italian picked some little pace.
Britain’s Sam Bird also had a rewarding day. The 23-year-old was driving for iSport today – his third team this week and confidently gave them 3rd (morning) and 4th (afternoon). He will drive for Super Nova tomorrow.
Bird was partnered at iSport by Rio Haryanto – the GP3 driver was unable to match the pace of his more experienced team mate, finished bottom of the timing sheets in the morning (2.2 seconds slower than Leimer) and then 23rd in the later running (2.5 seconds adrift).
Only ART Grand Prix’ Esteban Gutierrez was slower than Haryanto in the afternoon; the Mexican was running race simulation’s, but the pace was not apparent. Gutierrez did put in a good time in the morning, registering the 8th best lap. Alexander Sims partnered Gutierrez at ART – the 22-year-old found himself near the rear of the timing screens as he struggled to understand the feel of the GP2 machine.
Unseated Formula 1 drivers Romain Grosjean and Karun Chandhok stepped back into GP2 today as part of benchmark runs. Grosjean set top ten times in both sessions while Chandhok had a more difficult day – the Indian driver spent time with Ocean Racing Technology, working on aero set ups, registering 14th (morning) and 13th (afternoon) best times in the process.
Morning Session // Day 3
1 Fabio Leimer Rapax 1:47.856 (18)
2 Josef Král Arden International 1:47.882 (22)
3 Michael Herck DPR 1:47.905 (25)
4 Sam Bird iSport International 1:48.053 (19)
5 Marcus Ericsson Barwa Addax Team 1:48.113 (29)
6 Roberto Merhi Racing Engineering 1:48.279 (31)
7 Brendon Hartley Racing Engineering 1:48.372 (28)
8 Esteban Gutierrez ART Grand Prix 1:48.517 (26)
9 Romain Grosjean Dams 1:48.552 (27)
10 Dani Clos Trident Racing 1:48.634 (20)
11 Oliver Turvey Super Nova Racing 1:48.645 (30)
12 Jolyon Palmer Barwa Addax Team 1:48.647 (29)
13 Alexander Rossi Arden International 1:48.703 (24)
14 Karun Chandhok Ocean Racing Technology 1:48.772 (23)
15 Rodolfo Gonzalez Ocean Racing Technology 1:48.819 (34)
16 Kevin Ceccon DPR 1:49.085 (23)
17 Jake Rosenzweig Super Nova Racing 1:49.439 (24)
18 Julian Leal Trident Racing 1:49.439 (22)
19 Davide Rigon Rapax 1:49.476 (18)
20 Nathanael Berthon Dams 1:49.480 (11)
21 Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Scuderia Coloni 1:49.488 (31)
22 Alexander Sims ART Grand Prix 1:49.605 (29)
23 Armaan Ebrahim Scuderia Coloni 1:49.731 (17)
24 Rio Haryanto iSport International 1:50.067 (18)
Afternoon Session // Day 3
1 Fabio Leimer Rapax 1:47.165 (20)
2 Michael Herck DPR 1:47.281 (23)
3 Sam Bird iSport International 1:47.490 (14)
4 Romain Grosjean Dams 1:47.558 (21)
5 Dani Clos Trident Racing 1:47.567 (17)
6 Marcus Ericsson Barwa Addax Team 1:47.775 (21)
7 Roberto Merhi Racing Engineering 1:47.869 (19)
8 Oliver Turvey Super Nova Racing 1:47.960 (20)
9 Davide Rigon Rapax 1:48.008 (33)
10 Jolyon Palmer Barwa Addax Team 1:48.185 (28)
11 Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Scuderia Coloni 1:48.228 (25)
12 Josef Král Arden International 1:48.303 (26)
13 Karun Chandhok Ocean Racing Technology 1:48.372 (23)
14 Alexander Rossi Arden International 1:48.425 (29)
15 Julian Leal Trident Racing 1:48.499 (21)
16 Brendon Hartley Racing Engineering 1:48.540 (23)
17 Nathanael Berthon Dams 1:48.575 (17)
18 Rodolfo Gonzalez Ocean Racing Technology 1:48.738 (28)
19 Armaan Ebrahim Scuderia Coloni 1:48.857 (30)
20 Alexander Sims ART Grand Prix 1:48.889 (27)
21 Jake Rosenzweig Super Nova Racing 1:49.139 (30)
22 Kevin Ceccon DPR 1:49.549 (7)
23 Rio Haryanto iSport International 1:49.715 (22)
24 Esteban Gutierrez ART Grand Prix 1:50.670 (36)
