Abu Dhabi GP3 test: Kari fastest again on day two for MP Motorsport
Niko Kari topped the times for MP Motorsport on the second day of GP3's post-season test in Abu Dhabi
Kari - who was also quickest on the opening day of the test on Thursday - was again the only driver to set a lap time in the 1m54-second bracket.
Leonardo Pulcini and Giuliano Alesi completed the top three on middle day of the three-day event for Campos Racing and Trident respectively.
The day was again split into two sessions - held either side of the first Formula 2 running of the day at the Yas Marina circuit - with the field setting a flurry of fast times in the morning session.
Kari went fastest in that segment with a 1m54.733s, which he set shortly before the running was halted by red flags that had been brought out by Juan Manuel Correa stopping on the long main straight.
With only six drivers setting quicker times in the afternoon session, outgoing Red Bull junior Kari's morning effort therefore stood as the best time of the day.
Pulcini - Kari's team-mate at Arden International during the 2017 GP3 season - was 0.387 seconds slower than the Finn, but did top the afternoon session, with three-time reverse-grid winner Alesi 0.641s adrift of the top spot in third.
Trident runner Pedro Piquet was fourth ahead of European Formula 3 frontrunner Callum Ilott, who ended the afternoon session in second spot for ART Grand Prix.
Alessio Lorandi (Trident) was sixth overall, ahead of ART's Nikita Mazepin and Jehan Daruvala (Arden).
David Beckmann and Jake Hughes rounded out the top 10 for Jenzer Motorsport and ART respectively.
Will Palmer, the 2015 BRDC Formula 4 champion, was 16th overall, while Euro F3 and Macau Grand Prix star Ferdinand Habsburg finished 18th - the pair both driving for Arden.
Day two morning times
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niko Kari | MP Motorsport | 1m54.733s | - | 17 |
| 2 | Leonardo Pulcini | Campos Racing | 1m55.120s | 0.387s | 16 |
| 3 | Giuliano Alesi | Trident | 1m55.374s | 0.641s | 22 |
| 4 | Pedro Piquet | Trident | 1m55.375s | 0.642s | 31 |
| 5 | Alessio Lorandi | Trident | 1m55.401s | 0.668s | 29 |
| 6 | Jehan Daruvala | Arden International | 1m55.472s | 0.739s | 25 |
| 7 | Callum Ilott | ART Grand Prix | 1m55.520s | 0.787s | 29 |
| 8 | David Beckmann | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m55.672s | 0.939s | 26 |
| 9 | Jake Hughes | ART Grand Prix | 1m55.743s | 1.010s | 25 |
| 10 | Gabriel Aubry | ART Grand Prix | 1m55.985s | 1.252s | 30 |
| 11 | Ryan Tveter | Trident | 1m55.992s | 1.259s | 30 |
| 12 | Leonard Hoogenboom | MP Motorsport | 1m55.994s | 1.261s | 23 |
| 13 | Simo Laaksonen | Campos Racing | 1m56.171s | 1.438s | 31 |
| 14 | Will Palmer | Arden International | 1m56.301s | 1.568s | 23 |
| 15 | Nikita Mazepin | ART Grand Prix | 1m56.341s | 1.608s | 28 |
| 16 | Juan Manuel Correa | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m56.358s | 1.625s | 25 |
| 17 | Ferdinand Habsburg | Arden International | 1m56.409s | 1.676s | 32 |
| 18 | Max Defourny | MP Motorsport | 1m56.505s | 1.772s | 27 |
| 19 | Ben Hingeley | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m56.814s | 2.081s | 31 |
| 20 | Louis Gachot | Campos Racing | 1m57.419s | 2.686s | 28 |
Day two afternoon times
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leonardo Pulcini | Campos Racing | 1m55.210s | - | 30 |
| 2 | Callum Ilott | ART Grand Prix | 1m55.398s | 0.188s | 35 |
| 3 | Nikita Mazepin | ART Grand Prix | 1m55.457s | 0.247s | 33 |
| 4 | Giuliano Alesi | Trident | 1m55.514s | 0.304s | 30 |
| 5 | Niko Kari | MP Motorsport | 1m55.539s | 0.329s | 27 |
| 6 | Alessio Lorandi | Trident | 1m55.660s | 0.450s | 32 |
| 7 | Pedro Piquet | Trident | 1m55.706s | 0.496s | 26 |
| 8 | Jehan Daruvala | Arden International | 1m55.815s | 0.605s | 36 |
| 9 | David Beckmann | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m55.885s | 0.675s | 23 |
| 10 | Ryan Tveter | Trident | 1m55.903s | 0.693s | 34 |
| 11 | Gabriel Aubry | ART Grand Prix | 1m56.091s | 0.881s | 35 |
| 12 | Juan Manuel Correa | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m56.108s | 0.898s | 31 |
| 13 | Simo Laaksonen | Campos Racing | 1m56.135s | 0.925s | 33 |
| 14 | Leonard Hoogenboom | MP Motorsport | 1m56.167s | 0.957s | 36 |
| 15 | Ben Hingeley | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m56.313s | 1.103s | 31 |
| 16 | Will Palmer | Arden International | 1m56.439s | 1.229s | 33 |
| 17 | Max Defourny | MP Motorsport | 1m56.662s | 1.452s | 22 |
| 18 | Ferdinand Habsburg | Arden International | 1m56.680s | 1.470s | 30 |
| 19 | Louis Gachot | Campos Racing | 1m58.122s | 2.912s | 17 |
| 20 | Jake Hughes | ART Grand Prix | 1m59.202s | 3.992s | 7 |
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About this article
| Series | FIA F3 |
| Drivers | Niko Kari |
| Teams | MP Motorsport |
| Author | Alex Kalinauckas |
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