GP2 runner-up Sam Bird to drive for Russian Time in GP3 test

The 26-year-old Briton, who won five times in GP2 for the team this year, but missed out on the title at the final round to Fabio Leimer, will help establish baseline set-ups for the squad, which will be running GP3 cars for the first time.

Bird's GP2 team-mate Tom Dillmann had been scheduled to drive instead, but has been ruled out as a result of the neck injuries he sustained in an opening-lap collision in race one last weekend.

The team will also run series regular Jimmy Eriksson and Formula Renault ALPS podium finisher Kuba Dalewski.

British Formula 3 champion Jordan King will drive for Status on the opening day alongside Kevin Korjus and Nick Cassidy while German champion Marvin Kirchhofer will turn out for MW Arden.

Pierre Gasly and Oliver Rowland, the top two finishers in the Formula Renault Eurocup this year, will drive for ART and Manor respectively while Brits Jann Mardenborough and Emil Bernstorff join Nicholas Latifi at Carlin.

The test runs for three days with half-a-day of running on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as the series shares the track time with GP2.

Day 1 line-up:

ART
1. Emanuele Zonzini (RSM)
2. Pierre Gasly (F)
3. Alex Fontana (CH)

MW Arden
4. Ed Jones (UAE)
5. Dino Zamparelli (GB)
6. Marvin Kirchhofer (D)

Carlin
7. Nicholas Latifi (CDN)
8. Jan Mardenborough (GB)
9. Emil Bernsorff (GB)

Jenzer Motorsport
10. Patric Niederhauser (CH)
11. David Fumanelli (I)
12. Kevin Joerg (CH)

Marussia Manor
14. Oliver Rowland (GB)
15. Ryan Cullen (GB)
16. Melville McKee (GB)

Status 
17. Kevin Korjus (ES)
18. Jordan King (GB)
19. Nick Cassidy (NZ)

Russian Time
20. Sam Bird (GB)
21. Jimmy Eriksson (S)
22. Kuba Dalewski (PL)

Trident
23. Juan Branger (BEN)
24. Ivan Taranov (RUS)
25. Roman De Beer (RSA)

Koiranen GP
26. Santiago Urrutia (RO)
27. Dean Stoneman (GB)
28. Adderly Fong  (PRC)