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
