Abu Dhabi GP3 test: Outgoing Red Bull junior Kari leads for MP
Outgoing Red Bull junior Niko Kari topped the times on the first day of GP3's post-season test in Abu Dhabi for MP Motorsport
GP3 race winner Alessio Lorandi ended up with the second fastest time, ahead of European Formula 3 frontrunner Callum Ilott.
Kari, who won the first race of the 2017 GP3 season finale at the Yas Marina circuit last weekend for Arden International, clocked the day's best time of 1m54.960s, which he set in the morning session, and was the only driver to break the 1m55s barrier.
The three-day post-season test is MP's first chance to sample the GP3 cars it has taken over from the DAMS squad, which ended its two-year entry into the Formula 1-supporting third-tier category last weekend.
Lorandi - the winner of the second GP3 race at Jerez in October - ended up 0.165 seconds adrift of Kari's best time, as Ilott, who topped the afternoon session for GP3 powerhouse ART Grand Prix, wound up 0.317s off the pace.
Giuliano Alesi was fourth quickest for the Trident team with which he won three GP3 races in 2017, ahead of Leonardo Pulcini (Campos) and Jehan Daruvala (Arden).
Pedro Piquet - son of triple F1 world champion Nelson Piquet - was seventh fastest for Trident, ahead of Nikita Mazepin and Jake Hughes (both ART).
Formula Renault Eurocup race winner Gabriel Aubry rounded out the top 10 for MP.
Sauber F1 development driver Tatiana Calderon was 12th fastest for ART, with Euro F3 and Macau Grand Prix star Ferdinand Habsburg and FRenault Eurocup frontrunner Will Palmer (both Arden) 17th and 18th overall respectively.
Day one morning times
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niko Kari | MP Motorsport | 1m54.960s | - | 24 |
| 2 | Alessio Lorandi | Trident | 1m55.125s | 0.165s | 20 |
| 3 | Giuliano Alesi | Trident | 1m55.530s | 0.570s | 22 |
| 4 | Jehan Daruvala | Arden International | 1m55.751s | 0.791s | 26 |
| 5 | Ryan Tveter | Trident | 1m55.770s | 0.810s | 20 |
| 6 | Leonardo Pulcini | Campos Racing | 1m55.871s | 0.911s | 19 |
| 7 | Jake Hughes | ART Grand Prix | 1m55.983s | 1.023s | 32 |
| 8 | Tatiana Calderon | ART Grand Prix | 1m56.053s | 1.093s | 34 |
| 9 | Gabriel Aubry | MP Motorsport | 1m56.144s | 1.184s | 28 |
| 10 | Juan Manuel Correa | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m56.243s | 1.283s | 27 |
| 11 | Pedro Piquet | Trident | 1m56.303s | 1.343s | 28 |
| 12 | Ferdinand Habsburg | Arden International | 1m56.467s | 1.507s | 29 |
| 13 | David Beckmann | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m56.618s | 1.658s | 21 |
| 14 | Will Palmer | Arden International | 1m56.904s | 1.944s | 26 |
| 15 | Thiago Vivacqua | Campos Racing | 1m56.937s | 1.977s | 28 |
| 16 | Simo Laaksonen | Campos Racing | 1m56.970s | 2.010s | 31 |
| 17 | Callum Ilott | ART Grand Prix | 1m57.087s | 2.127s | 34 |
| 18 | Nikita Mazepin | ART Grand Prix | 1m57.385s | 2.425s | 34 |
| 19 | Leonard Hoogenboom | MP Motorsport | 1m57.416s | 2.456s | 22 |
| 20 | Job van Uitert | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m57.436s | 2.476s | 25 |
Afternoon times
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Callum Ilott | ART Grand Prix | 1m55.277s | - | 28 |
| 2 | Giuliano Alesi | Trident | 1m55.280s | 0.003s | 23 |
| 3 | Leonardo Pulcini | Campos Racing | 1m55.362s | 0.085s | 32 |
| 4 | Jehan Daruvala | Arden International | 1m55.458s | 0.181s | 29 |
| 5 | Alessio Lorandi | Trident | 1m55.492s | 0.215s | 28 |
| 6 | Pedro Piquet | Trident | 1m55.509s | 0.232s | 37 |
| 7 | Niko Kari | MP Motorsport | 1m55.588s | 0.311s | 30 |
| 8 | Nikita Mazepin | ART Grand Prix | 1m55.598s | 0.321s | 29 |
| 9 | Jake Hughes | ART Grand Prix | 1m55.619s | 0.342s | 30 |
| 10 | Gabriel Aubry | MP Motorsport | 1m55.766s | 0.489s | 30 |
| 11 | Tatiana Calderon | ART Grand Prix | 1m55.855s | 0.578s | 32 |
| 12 | David Beckmann | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m55.903s | 0.626s | 24 |
| 13 | Ryan Tveter | Trident | 1m55.915s | 0.638s | 30 |
| 14 | Thiago Vivacqua | Campos Racing | 1m55.991s | 0.714s | 35 |
| 15 | Job van Uitert | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m56.330s | 1.053s | 31 |
| 16 | Ferdinand Habsburg | Arden International | 1m56.475s | 1.198s | 33 |
| 17 | Juan Manuel Correa | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m56.547s | 1.270s | 27 |
| 18 | Will Palmer | Arden International | 1m56.582s | 1.305s | 33 |
| 19 | Leonard Hoogenboom | MP Motorsport | 1m56.695s | 1.418s | 32 |
| 20 | Simo Laaksonen | Campos Racing | 2m03.387s | 8.110s | 6 |
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