Jake Hughes tops Barcelona Formula 3.5 V8 test with Carlin

Fresh from a recent European Formula 3 test with Carlin, Hughes continued with the Farnham-based team and topped a 15-car field on the first of two days of running in Barcelona.

The Formula Renault 2.0 ace's time of 1m29.918s was recorded in the afternoon session, and edged out AVF's 2016 signing Tom Dillmann by 0.275 seconds.

"Overall testing has gone really well for us today," said Hughes.

"We never know what other teams are doing but we were fast and spent the day focusing on ourselves.

"I think our performance shows and we've still got more to come so I'm obviously pleased and looking forward to tomorrow."

Former Tech 1 Racing driver Roy Nissany set the fastest time in the morning session.

The Israeli's effort of 1m30.553s was 0.437s quicker than reigning FR2.0 Eurocup and ALPS champion Jack Aitken.

RP Motorsport made its F3.5 V8 debut with Vitor Baptista, who it ran to this year's Euro Formula Open title, and the Brazilian's predecessor as Euro Formula Open champion Sandy Stuvik.

Behind Fortec's Aitken, European Formula 3 racer Pietro Fittipaldi was third in the morning, shading Hughes by 0.026s.

Force India Formula 1 development driver Alfonso Celis Jr, who is already confirmed to remain with AVF for a second season in the category, set the fifth quickest time in the morning ahead of Fortec's Louis Deletraz.

Kevin Jorg was seventh for Lotus, while dual 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 race winner Egor Orudzhev was among those to head the timing screens in the first session, before slipping to eighth.

Arden driver Orudzhev was partnered by European Formula 3 race winner Markus Pommer on the opening day.

The 2014 German Formula 3 champion, Pommer will make way for GP3 frontrunner Antonio Fuoco for the final day of testing on Tuesday.

Orudzhev improved to third in the afternoon session, ahead of Fittipaldi, Nissany and Jorg.

MORNING TIMES:

Pos	Driver	Team	Time	Gap	Laps
1	Roy Nissany	Lotus	1m30.553s	-	37
2	Jack Aitken	Fortec Motorsports	1m30.990s	0.437s	36
3	Pietro Fittipaldi	Carlin	1m31.350s	0.797s	40
4	Jake Hughes	Carlin	1m31.376s	0.823s	34
5	Alfonso Celis	AVF	1m31.455s	0.902s	34
6	Louis Deletraz	Fortec Motorsports	1m31.554s	1.001s	47
7	Kevin Jorg	Lotus	1m31.690s	1.137s	32
8	Egor Orudzhev	Arden Motorsport	1m31.755s	1.202s	31
9	Tom Dillmann	AVF	1m31.940s	1.387s	36
10	Markus Pommer	Arden Motorsport	1m32.350s	1.797s	19
11	Vladimir Atoev	Spirit of Race	1m32.405s	1.852s	18
12	Josef Zaruba	Pons Racing	1m32.791s	2.238s	34
13	Sandy Stuvik	RP Motorsport	1m33.328s	2.775s	27
14	Matevos Isaakyan	Spirit of Race	1m33.333s	2.780s	8
15	Vitor Baptista	RP Motorsport	1m33.768s	3.215s	21

AFTERNOON TIMES:

Pos	Driver	Team	Time	Gap	Laps
1	Jake Hughes	Carlin	1m29.918s	-	30
2	Tom Dillmann	AVF	1m30.193s	0.275s	31
3	Egor Orudzhev	Arden Motorsport	1m30.444s	0.526s	39
4	Pietro Fittipaldi	Carlin	1m30.474s	0.556s	33
5	Roy Nissany	Lotus	1m30.548s	0.630s	32
6	Kevin Jorg	Lotus	1m30.644s	0.726s	29
7	Jack Aitken	Fortec Motorsports	1m30.658s	0.740s	27
8	Alfonso Celis	AVF	1m30.674s	0.756s	14
9	Markus Pommer	Arden Motorsport	1m31.126s	1.208s	36
10	Vladimir Atoev	Spirit of Race	1m31.235s	1.317s	21
11	Sandy Stuvik	RP Motorsport	1m31.719s	1.801s	29
12	Louis Deletraz	Fortec Motorsports	1m31.840s	1.922s	19
13	Vitor Baptista	RP Motorsport	1m31.902s	1.984s	26
14	Josef Zaruba	Pons Racing	1m31.976s	2.058s	25