GP3 Series kicks off with first official test day at Circuit Paul Ricard

After months of anticipation the GP3 Series was off to a flying start in Le Castellet today, with all 30 GP3 cars taking to the track in the morning session of the first official test in the history of the Series. Stormy conditions the day before the test thankfully cleared overnight and the young drivers were left with a dry, almost sunny morning in the South of France, albeit with very low temperatures.

Robert Wickens, (CAN, Status GP) Credit: Alastair Staley/GP3 Media

Driving on a 3D configuration layout, first to take to the track were Buzaid and Chilton from Carlin, soon followed by the remainder of the field. After the first ever successful installation laps were completed by all ten teams, the session was paused for one hour in order for mechanics and engineers to closely analyse initial technical data from their new machinery.

When the session was given the green light again, the times improved consistently throughout the remainder of the morning, with times dropping drastically during the last thirty minutes.

Five drivers seemed more eager to top the timing sheet: Alexander Rossi driving for ART, Max Chilton for Carlin, Michael Christensen for MW Arden, Renger Van der Zander for RSC Mucke Motorsport and Kazimieras Vasiliauskas for Tech 1 Racing who kept on swapping position. It was Rossi who eventually won the title of quickest man on track for now, finishing two hundredths ahead of Chilton, posting a time of 1:22.188 and completing 20 laps.

The session will resume at 14.30 with just one driver change: Alexander Simms will take over the wheel from Jim Pla at Atech CRS GP.

Morning session complete results :

    Driver                   Team                 Time     Laps
    
1.  Alexander Rossi          ART Grand Prix       1:22.188  20
2.  Max Chilton              Carlin               1:22.206  31
3.  Michael Christensen      MW Arden             1:22.345  30
4.  Renger van der Zande     RSC Mucke Motorsport 1:22.920  29
5.  Kazimieras Vasiliauskas  Tech 1 Racing        1:23.137  16
6.  Luca Foresti             Carlin               1:23.673  25
7.  Leonardo Cordeiro        MW Arden             1:23.690  46
8.  Pal Varhaug              Jenzer Motorsport    1:23.934  38
9.  Nigel Melker             RSC Mucke Motorsport 1:23.958  24
10. Simon Trummer            Jenzer Motorsport    1:24.068  29
11. Dean Stoneman            Tech 1 Racing        1:24.203  19
12. Pedro Nunes              ART Grand Prix       1:24.257  28
13. Pablo Sanchez Lopez      Addax Team           1:24581   22
14. Mirko Bortolotti         Addax Team           1:24.585  22
15. Nico Muller              Jenzer Motosport     1:24.640  34
16. Jim Pla                  Atech CRS GP         1:24.740  16
17. Luiz Razia               Manor Racing         1:25.157  22
18. Rio Haryanto             Manor Racing         1:26.066  27
19. Tobias Hegewald          RSC Mucke Motorsport 1:26.826  17
20. Adriano Buzaid           Carlin               1:29.631  14
21. James Jakes              Manor Racing         1:30.561  10
22. Esteban Guttierez        ART Grand Prix       1:30.997  13
23. Doru Sechelariu          Tech 1 Racing        1:31.996  16
24. Viktor Jensen            Atech CRS GP         1:34.175  10
25. Miki Monras              MW Arden             1:38.504  17
26. Daniel Morad             Status GP            1:39.600  13
27. Ivan Lukashevich         Status GP            1:42.960  11
28. Vittorio Ghirelli        Atech CRS GP               --   1
29. Oliver Oakes             Addax Team                 --   9
30. Robert Wickens           Status GP                  --   4

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