GP2 Post-Season Test Day Two (Oct 20th, Barcelona)

© Creative Commons / Will Pittenger

Fabio Leimer and Stefano Coletti made it four different drivers quickest across all four GP2 post-season test session in Barcelona on Thursday.

Leimer (Racing Engineering) would prove to the quickest of all on day two of the test (a best of 1:29.324), with Coletti taking the honours in his Scuderia Coloni machine following the slower afternoon running.

Cool conditions were the order of the morning, but it wasn’t going to stop Leimer showing his pace. Although quickest early on, Leimer was soon to be pipped by Esteban Gutierrez (Lotus-Art), before Leimer grabbed the top spot again.
Trident’s Sam Bird also beat Gutierrez to 2nd before the chequered flag flew, while Carlin’s Kevin Magnussen settled for 4th, one-tenth behind the Mexican. Coletti claimed 5th in his Scuderia Coloni machine, some two-hundredths quicker than teammate Kevin Ceccon.

Red flags stopped the morning action three times – the first for Magnussen (spin), then later for rookie Albert Costa (mechanical), before Rio Haryanto (mechanical) halted proceedings one final time.

Coletti collected the top spot, despite only running twenty-one laps in the afternoon with quickest tour of 1:30.607.
It would be a session that saw none of the testers improve on their morning times, although many opted to concentrate on race simulations rather than qualifying runs.

Coletti’s best was enough to beat Caterham Team Air Asia’s Alexander Rossi to the top of the timings. The American was quickest early on, ahead of Brendon Hartley (Ocean Racing Technology), although the pair would later be split by Nathanaël Berthon in the second Racing Engineering machine.

Jake Rosenzweig (Barwa Addax) assumed 5th with a sterling effort in the final hour. The American closed the session a mere 0.005 seconds ahead of Antonio Felix da Costa in his Ocean Racing Technology car.
A single red flag period stopped the afternoon running, when James Calado’s Lotus Art car stopped at turn six.

The Barcelona tests have certainly proved positive for Leimer. The Swiss pilot recently signed up to drive the rookie test for Sauber’s Formula 1 squad – something that may put him in a direct competition with Gutierrez next year.

Combined Times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
 1.  Fabio Leimer              Racing Engineering         1:29.324   65
 2.  Sam Bird                  Trident Racing             1:29.549   52
 3.  Esteban Gutierrez         Lotus ART                  1:29.588   70
 4.  Kevin Magnussen           Carlin                     1:29.697   41
 5.  Stefano Coletti           Scuderia Coloni            1:29.736   46
 6.  Kevin Ceccon              Scuderia Coloni            1:29.753   57
 7.  Antonio Felix Da Costa    Ocean Racing Technology    1:29.758   64
 8.  Alexander Rossi           Caterham Team AirAsia      1:29.808   73
 9.  Rio Haryanto              Dams                       1:29.827   78
10.  Julian Leal               Rapax                      1:29.851   49
11.  Jolyon Palmer             Carlin                     1:29.916   72
12.  Nathanaël Berthon         Racing Engineering         1:29.931   36
13.  Josef Kral                Barwa Addax Team           1:30.024   65
14.  Stéphane Richelmi         Trident Racing             1:30.025   73
15.  Simon Trummer             Arden International        1:30.219   76
16.  Brendon Hartley           Ocean Racing Technology    1:30.268   59
17.  Nigel Melker              iSport International       1:30.276   61
18.  James Calado              Lotus ART                  1:30.308   73
19.  Craig Dolby               Arden International        1:30.374   51
20.  Adrian Quaife-Hobbs       Dams                       1:30.446   70
21.  Jakes Rosenzweig          Barwa Addax Team           1:30.603   68
22.  Albert Costa              Super Nova Racing          1:30.604   56
23.  Rodolfo Gonzalez          Caterham Team AirAsia      1:30.944   67
24.  Fabio Onidi               Rapax                      1:30.998   66
25.  Giacomo Ricci             Super Nova Racing          1:31.031   47
26.  Kuba Giermaziak           iSport International       1:31.043   58

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