Grosjean sets Abu Dhabi test pace
Renault's reserve driver Romain Grosjean set the pace on the opening day of GP2 Asia series testing at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi
The Frenchman, who will race in the series with the DAMS team, posted the best time of the day in the afternoon following a very slow morning, during which there was very little running due to the track conditions.
A sandstorm on Tuesday meant the track was too dusty for any significant work to be carried out, and most drivers settled for installations laps.
Conditions improved in the afternoon despite some early rain, however, and Grosjean emerged on top with a time that was around half a second quicker than his closest rival, Jules Bianchi in the ART car.
GP3 Series graduate Stefano Coletti, quickest in the morning, was third fastest in the afternoon with the Trident car, with the two Addax cars of Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pix completing the top five.
The test continues tomorrow.
Morning times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Stefano Coletti Trident 1m54.161s 8 2. Max Chilton Carlin 1m54.810s + 0.649s 5 3. Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident 1m55.347s + 1.186s 8 4. Giedo van der Garde Addax 1m55.496s + 1.335s 5 5. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 1m55.803s + 1.642s 6 6. Dani Clos Racing Engineering 1m56.654s + 2.493s 7 7. Oliver Turvey Ocean 1m57.134s + 2.973s 6 8. Charles Pic Addax 1m57.408s + 3.247s 5 9. Andrea Caldarelli Ocean 1m58.195s + 4.034s 7 10. Pal Varhaug DAMS 1m59.827s + 5.666s 8 11. Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova 2m00.373s + 6.212s 4 12. James Jakes Coloni 2m01.180s + 7.019s 3 13. Johnny Cecotto Super Nova 2m02.287s + 8.126s 5 14. Esteban Gutierrez ART 2m07.039s + 12.878s 4 15. Luiz Razia AirAsia 2m19.672s + 25.511s 10 16. Michael Herck Coloni 2 17. Marcus Ericsson iSport 1 18. Sam Bird iSport 1 19. Josef Kral Ardent 1 20. Jolyon Palmer Arden 1 21. Romain Grosjean DAMS 1 22. Julian Leal Rapax 1 23. Mikhail Aleshin Carlin 1 24. Davide Valsecchi AirAsia 1 25. Fabio Leimer Rapax 0 26. Jules Bianchi ART 0
Afternoon times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Romain Grosjean DAMS 1m49.768s 39 2. Jules Bianchi ART 1m50.212s + 0.444s 30 3. Stefano Coletti Trident 1m50.388s + 0.620s 9 4. Giedo van der Garde Addax 1m50.474s + 0.706s 21 5. Charles Pic Addax 1m50.477s + 0.709s 20 6. Michael Herck Coloni 1m50.526s + 0.758s 29 7. Marcus Ericsson iSport 1m50.580s + 0.812s 16 8. Esteban Gutierrez ART 1m50.727s + 0.959s 31 9. Josef Kral Arden 1m50.820s + 1.052s 17 10. Oliver Turvey Ocean 1m50.992s + 1.224s 19 11. Davide Valsecchi AirAsia 1m51.004s + 1.236s 21 12. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 1m51.046s + 1.278s 22 13. Max Chilton Carlin 1m51.111s + 1.343s 17 14. Julian Leal Rapax 1m51.127s + 1.359s 19 15. Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident 1m51.169s + 1.401s 29 16. Pal Varhaug DAMS 1m51.362s + 1.594s 30 17. Andrea Caldarelli Ocean 1m51.396s + 1.628s 26 18. Luiz Razia AirAsia 1m51.505s + 1.737s 32 19. Fabio Leimer Rapax 1m51.636s + 1.868s 21 20. Jolyon Palmer Arden 1m51.662s + 1.894s 25 21. Mikhail Aleshin Carlin 1m51.765s + 1.997s 17 22. Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova 1m52.021s + 2.253s 23 23. Johnny Cecotto Super Nova 1m52.206s + 2.438s 30 24. James Jakes Coloni 1m52.587s + 2.819s 9 25. Sam Bird iSport 1m52.616s + 2.848s 4 26. Dani Clos Racing Engineering 2m05.096s + 15.328s 21
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