Pla tests new car at Paul Ricard

The 25-year-old raced in the series during 2005 and 2006, and he was brought in to test the new car as Nelson Piquet Jr was unavailable due to his testing commitments with Renault.

GP2's technical director Didier Perrin said that they had pushed the car hard during the test, in a bid to test the reliability of the new machine.

"The two days at Paul Ricard were a good occasion to put mileage on the car, and put it through more robust challenges," he said.

"We knew from the previous test the high performance potential of the new car, so for this test we were able to concentrate our efforts on other developments."

Much of Pla's work was focused around new mechanical parts, such as a carbon clutch, and the 2008 engine ECU and gearbox controller.

However, other key areas of the test included trying new aerodynamic parts, and deliberately running over kerbs to test the strength of the suspension.

Pla's feedback was also key at the test, as the series aims to make sure that the car is as much of a challenge to drive and set up as its predecessor.

"I was pleased with Olivier's feedback, and we are now sure that the configuration that we have chosen for the first season in 2008 will keep the new car as difficult to set up and as tricky to drive as the teams and drivers have found the first car," Perrin added.