Da Costa tops Jerez GP3 test

Portuguese driver da Costa contested several GP3 races with Carlin alongside his Formula 3 Euro Series campaign this season, but moved to the MW Arden team for the Jerez test. He led the way in both the morning and afternoon sessions today, despite some technical issues limiting his mileage in the latter.

Second-fastest in both sessions was one of da Costa's Euro F3 rivals - Alexander Sims. The Briton had taken part in some of the pre-season F3 tests and returned to the category with his F3 team ART.

Championship frontrunner Nico Muller was third for Jenzer in the morning, followed by ART's James Calado and Michael Christensen, with Formula Renault 3.5 driver Albert Costa sixth for Tech 1.

Christensen and Costa improved to third and fifth later on, split by the latter's team-mate Aaro Vainio.

Other drivers getting a first taste of GP3 today included Formula Renault graduate Arthur Pic, the brother of GP2 race-winner Charles, European Formula 3 Open frontrunner Callum MacLeod and Eddie Cheever, son of the former Formula 1 and IndyCar star of the same name. The 17-year-old has raced in the Italian-based Formula Azzurra series this season.

Session one:

Pos  Driver                  Team       Time       Gap
 1.  Antonio Felix da Costa  MW Arden   1m35.458s
 2.  Alexander Sims          ART        1m35.783s  + 0.325s
 3.  Nico Muller             Jenzer     1m35.822s  + 0.364s
 4.  James Calado            ART        1m35.943s  + 0.485s
 5.  Michael Christensen     ART        1m35.955s  + 0.497s
 6.  Albert Costa            Tech 1     1m35.969s  + 0.511s
 7.  Callum Macleod          Carlin     1m35.973s  + 0.515s
 8.  Doru Sechelariu         Tech 1     1m35.981s  + 0.523s
 9.  Roberto Merhi           Atech CRS  1m36.016s  + 0.558s
10.  Simon Trummer           MW Arden   1m36.129s  + 0.671s
11.  Rio Haryanto            Manor      1m36.196s  + 0.738s
12.  Miki Monras             Status     1m36.211s  + 0.753s
13.  Robin Frijns            Manor      1m36.221s  + 0.763s
14.  Conor Daly              Status     1m36.363s  + 0.905s
15.  Marlon Stockinger       Atech CRS  1m36.364s  + 0.906s
16.  Nick Yelloly            Atech CRS  1m36.554s  + 1.096s
17.  Pedro Nunes             Addax      1m36.667s  + 1.209s
18.  Nigel Melker            Mucke      1m36.697s  + 1.239s
19.  Willi Steindl           Mucke      1m36.711s  + 1.253s
20.  Arthur Pic              Status     1m36.803s  + 1.345s
21.  Zoel Amberg             Jenzer     1m36.870s  + 1.412s
22.  Facu Regalia            Addax      1m36.914s  + 1.456s
23.  Matias Laine            MW Arden   1m36.999s  + 1.541s
24.  Kevin Giovesi           Carlin     1m37.073s  + 1.615s
25.  Vittorio Ghirelli       Addax      1m37.178s  + 1.720s
26.  Thomas Hylkema          Manor      1m37.338s  + 1.880s
27.  Eddie Cheever           Jenzer     1m37.786s  + 2.328s
28.  George Katsinis         Mucke      1m37.884s  + 2.426s
29.  Juan Carlos Sistos      Carlin     1m37.920s  + 2.462s
30.  Aaro Vainio             Tech 1     1m38.819s  + 3.361s

Session two

Pos  Driver                  Team       Time       Gap
 1.  Antonio Felix da Costa  MW Arden   1m36.430s
 2.  Alexander Sims          ART        1m36.438s  + 0.008s
 3.  Michael Christensen     ART        1m36.529s  + 0.099s
 4.  Aaro Vainio             Tech 1     1m36.668s  + 0.238s
 5.  Albert Costa            Tech 1     1m36.703s  + 0.273s
 6.  Arthur Pic              Status     1m36.722s  + 0.292s
 7.  Simon Trummer           MW Arden   1m36.775s  + 0.345s
 8.  Nigel Melker            Mucke      1m36.795s  + 0.365s
 9.  Rio Haryanto            Manor      1m36.825s  + 0.395s
10.  Roberto Merhi           Atech CRS  1m36.904s  + 0.474s
11.  Callum Macleod          Carlin     1m36.932s  + 0.502s
12.  Marlon Stockinger       Atech CRS  1m36.941s  + 0.511s
13.  Pedro Nunes             Addax      1m36.955s  + 0.525s
14.  Willi Steindl           Mucke      1m37.021s  + 0.591s
15.  James Calado            ART        1m37.025s  + 0.595s
16.  Conor Daly              Status     1m37.065s  + 0.635s
17.  Nico Muller             Jenzer     1m37.077s  + 0.647s
18.  Zoel Amberg             Jenzer     1m37.101s  + 0.671s
19.  Miki Monras             Status     1m37.155s  + 0.725s
20.  Matias Laine            MW Arden   1m37.188s  + 0.758s
21.  Robin Frijns            Manor      1m37.369s  + 0.939s
22.  Doru Sechelariu         Tech 1     1m37.447s  + 1.017s
23.  Nick Yelloly            Atech CRS  1m37.534s  + 1.104s
24.  Kevin Giovesi           Carlin     1m37.684s  + 1.254s
25.  Thomas Hylkema          Manor      1m37.722s  + 1.292s
26.  Facu Regalia            Addax      1m37.877s  + 1.447s
27.  George Katsinis         Mucke      1m37.961s  + 1.531s
28.  Juan Carlos Sistos      Carlin     1m37.990s  + 1.560s
29.  Vittorio Ghirelli       Addax      1m38.225s  + 1.795s
30.  Eddie Cheever           Jenzer     1m38.323s  + 1.893s