Sims on top as rain hits GP3 test

The morning session began wet, with the track only dry enough for slicks in the closing stages.

That meant a late rush of fast laps from which Sims emerged on top with a 1m21.827s around the circuit's 3D layout. Da Costa was less than a tenth of a second slower.

Third went to 2009 Formula BMW Americas champion Gabby Chaves, the 17-year-old Colombian having a run with Addax. He was followed by 2010 McLaren/AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winner Lewis Williamson in the MW Arden car and second-year GP3 driver Miki Monras in another Addax machine.

There were only a few minutes of dry running after lunch before the rain returned with a vengeance. ART driver James Calado managed to top the timesheets with a 1m24.627s just before the track became too wet, while Manor's Rio Haryanto was credited with the best rain time - a 1m35.164s.

The test continues tomorrow.

Morning session:

Pos  Driver                  Team       Time       Gap
 1.  Alexander Sims          Status     1m21.827s
 2.  Antonio Felix da Costa  Status     1m21.913s  + 0.086s
 3.  Gabby Chaves            Addax      1m22.067s  + 0.240s
 4.  Lewis Williamson        MW Arden   1m22.221s  + 0.394s
 5.  Miki Monras             Addax      1m22.375s  + 0.548s
 6.  Tamas Pal Kiss          Tech 1     1m22.488s  + 0.661s
 7.  Adrian Quaife-Hobbs     Manor      1m22.870s  + 1.043s
 8.  Ivan Lukashevich        Status     1m22.931s  + 1.104s
 9.  Tom Dillmann            Carlin     1m23.034s  + 1.207s
10.  Vittorio Ghirelli       Jenzer     1m23.180s  + 1.353s
11.  Conor Daly              Carlin     1m23.278s  + 1.451s
12.  Daniel Morad            Addax      1m23.668s  + 1.841s
13.  Marlon Stockinger       Atech CRS  1m23.993s  + 2.166s
14.  Kataro Sakurai          Carlin     1m24.959s  + 3.132s
15.  Zoel Amberg             Atech CRS  1m25.017s  + 3.190s
16.  Nick Yelloly            Atech CRS  1m26.584s  + 4.757s
17.  Valtteri Bottas         ART        1m27.312s  + 5.485s
18.  James Calado            ART        1m27.779s  + 5.952s
19.  Aaro Vainio             Tech 1     1m27.868s  + 6.041s
20.  Nigel Melker            RSC Mucke  1m28.207s  + 6.380s
21.  Michael Christensen     RSC Mucke  1m28.299s  + 6.472s
22.  Simon Trummer           MW Arden   1m28.363s  + 6.536s
23.  Rio Haryanto            Manor      1m28.520s  + 6.693s
24.  Maxim Zimin             Jenzer     1m28.830s  + 7.003s
25.  Doru Sechelariu         Tech 1     1m29.150s  + 7.323s
26.  Matias Laine            Manor      1m31.104s  + 9.277s
27.  Nico Muller             Jenzer     1m31.823s  + 9.996s
28.  Willi Steindl           RSC Mucke  1m32.335s  + 10.508s
29.  Pedro Nunes             ART        1m33.284s  + 11.457s
30.  Mitch Evans             MW Arden   1m33.645s  + 11.818s

Afternoon session:

Pos  Driver                  Team       Time       Gap
 1.  James Calado            ART        1m24.627s
 2.  Ivan Lukashevich        Status     1m25.795s  + 1.168s
 3.  Lewis Williamson        MW Arden   1m25.798s  + 1.171s
 4.  Adrian Quaife-Hobbs     Manor      1m25.966s  + 1.339s
 5.  Tom Dillmann            Carlin     1m26.024s  + 1.397s
 6.  Conor Daly              Carlin     1m26.085s  + 1.458s
 7.  Valtteri Bottas         ART        1m26.092s  + 1.465s
 8.  Antonio Felix da Costa  Status     1m26.109s  + 1.482s
 9.  Alexander Sims          Status     1m26.198s  + 1.571s
10.  Nigel Melker            RSC Mucke  1m26.567s  + 1.940s
11.  Daniel Morad            Addax      1m26.632s  + 2.005s
12.  Nick Yelloly            Atech CRS  1m26.794s  + 2.167s
13.  Maxim Zimin             Jenzer     1m26.895s  + 2.268s
14.  Vittorio Ghirelli       Jenzer     1m27.349s  + 2.722s
15.  Nico Müller             Jenzer     1m27.479s  + 2.852s
16.  Michael Christensen     RSC Mucke  1m27.679s  + 3.052s
17.  Marlon Stockinger       Atech CRS  1m27.994s  + 3.367s
18.  Zoel Amberg             Atech CRS  1m28.623s  + 3.996s
19.  Tamas Pal Kiss          Tech 1     1m29.390s  + 4.763s
20.  Kataro Sakurai          Carlin     1m29.923s  + 5.296s
21.  Matias Laine            Manor      1m34.554s  + 9.927s
22.  Rio Haryanto            Manor      1m35.164s  + 10.537s
23.  Willi Steindl           RSC Mucke  1m35.203s  + 10.576s
24.  Mitch Evans             MW Arden   1m37.480s  + 12.853s
25.  Gabby Chaves            Addax      1m38.034s  + 13.407s
26.  Doru Sechelariu         Tech 1     1m38.483s  + 13.856s
27.  Aaro Vainio             Tech 1     1m38.545s  + 13.918s
28.  Pedro Nunes             ART        1m38.654s  + 14.027s
29.  Simon Trummer           MW Arden   1m38.870s  + 14.243s
30.  Miki Monras             Addax      1m39.256s  + 14.629s