Jerez Formula Renault 3.5 test: Tio Ellinas fastest for Strakka

The Cypriot recorded a quickest lap of 1m28.260s during the morning session, while Frenchman Matthieu Vaxiviere headed the timing screens in the afternoon thanks to a lap of 1m28.759s.

The second day of FR3.5 testing was officially set aside for teams to run and hone the series' low-downforce set-up. It will be mandatory this season during Saturday qualifying and the opening race of a weekend.

Egor Orudzhev was the first to suffer a spin and bring out the red flags. Other stoppages in the morning were required to recover the cars of Beitske Visser, who stranded her AVF machine in the Jerez gravel, and Dutch compatriot Meindert van Buuren.

Mid-way through the morning session, Ellinas had already set his benchmark time and led Vaxiviere, Visser and Jazeman Jaafar.

A late change in the order came when single-seater veteran Tom Dillmann moved up into third spot, his time of 1m28.680s edging out Visser by 0.038 seconds.

Several likely championship contenders had relatively subdued mornings. Oliver Rowland was 12th, Dean Stoneman 19th and Roberto Merhi, quickest on Thursday morning, 20th.

As a consequence of his heavy shunt on Thursday, Stoneman's DAMS mechanics worked through the night, until 6.30am, to ready the Briton's car for action.

Racing Steps-backed Rowland immediately featured at the sharp end following the lunchbreak. An hour into the afternoon session, Rowland was the only driver to lap under the 1m30s mark, ahead of Fortec team-mate Jaafar, Vaxiviere and Dillmann.

Vaxiviere also dipped into the 1m29s with half-an-hour of testing left to run. The 2011 French Formula 4 champion's time of 1m29.701s shaded Rowland's 1m29.901s.

Jaafar fleetingly jumped ahead of both men, before Charouz Lotus driver Vaxiviere offered his final, successful, response.

Rowland ended the afternoon in second, ahead of championship returnee team Carlin's pairing of Sean Gelael and Dillmann.

Among the culprits to inadvertently cause red flags in the afternoon were Pons Racing's Philo Paz Patrick Armand, Formula 3 graduate Nicolas Latifi and GP2 race winner Johnny Cecotto Jr.

Patrick Armand, who competed in Formula Renault 2.0 last year, ended the afternoon a respectable ninth.

MORNING TIMES:

AFTERNOON TIMES: