iSport racer Marcus Ericsson made his intentions for the 2012 GP2 title clear after topping day one of the post-season test in Barcelona.
The Swede topped twenty-six runners over the course of the day, although Ericsson was helped somewhat by generally slower afternoon showing.
The pack ran a set of 2012 Pirelli hard compound tyres throughout the day, although it was Ericsson’s iSport teammate, Tom Dillmann, who set the early pace.
From his thirty-four laps, Ericsson’s best of 1:29.705 was enough to give the Swede a one-tenth advantage over GP2 veteran Dani Clos (Scuderia Coloni), with Sauber F1-reserve pilot Esteban Gutierrez (Lotus-ART) a further tenth behind in 3rd.
Both Clos and Gutierrez led the standings at different periods of the test, progressively bedding their tyres with each tour of the Catalunya circuit.
Kevin Ceccon (Scuderia Coloni) and Nigel Melker (Ocean Racing Technology) set identical times (1:29.978) come the chequered flag to secure 4th and 5th respectively.
Melker’s quick lap made him the fastest rookie of the entire day. Dillmann, meanwhile, eventually finished up 6th, three-tenths adrift of the top spot.
GP3 graduate Dillmann would later be the quickest in the afternoon session. The Frenchman kicked Antonio Felix da Costa off the top with thirty minutes remaining.
In the cooler conditions of the approaching evening, da Costa would fall to 6th, jumped by Gutierrez (2nd), Melker (3rd), Alexander Rossi (4th, Caterham Team AirAsia) and Ceccon (5th).
Red flags interrupted the session late on as Rio Haryanto beached his DAMS machine into the gravel.
Combined times: Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Marcus Ericsson iSport International 1:29.705 54 2. Dani Clos Scuderia Coloni 1:29.810 52 3. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus ART 1:29.911 47 4. Kevin Ceccon Scuderia Coloni 1:29.978 56 5. Nigel Melker Ocean Racing Technology 1:29.978 48 6. Tom Dillmann iSport International 1:30.025 61 7. Julian Leal Barwa Addax Team 1:30.084 48 8. Alexander Rossi Caterham Team AirAsia 1:30.140 49 9. Kevin Magnussen Carlin 1:30.158 42 10. Jolyon Palmer Barwa Addax Team 1:30.299 60 11. Max Chilton Carlin 1:30.399 44 12. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1:30.416 50 13. Roberto Merhi Arden International 1:30.446 51 14. Josef Kral Trident Racing 1:30.453 45 15. Brendon Hartley Ocean Racing Technology 1:30.526 46 16. Rio Haryanto Dams 1:30.536 53 17. Antonio Felix Da Costa Lotus ART 1:30.798 53 18. Stefano Coletti Dams 1:30.880 52 19. Stéphane Richelmi Trident Racing 1:30.993 63 20. Craig Dolby Arden International 1:31.042 43 21. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Super Nova Racing 1:31.137 51 22. Luiz Razia Caterham Team AirAsia 1:31.176 50 23. Pal Varhaug Rapax 1:31.197 63 24. Fabio Onidi Rapax 1:31.257 40 25. Nathanaël Berthon Racing Engineering 1:31.259 45 26. Jake Rosenzweig Scuderia Coloni 1:31.342 55
