Photo: GP3series.com

Nico Müller quickest on final day at Paul Ricard

Jenzer Motorsport’s Nico Müller was the fastest man on track for the final day of testing at Circuit Paul Ricard today, after setting the quickest time in this morning’s session.

The GP3 Series was back on track today for the second and final day of pre-season testing at Circuit Paul Ricard. After yesterday’s downpour, teams were greeted with much improved conditions in Le Castellet, albeit with low temperatures and a wet track. Status Grand Prix’s Antonio Felix Da Costa was first to complete a benchmark lap with the rest of the field in hot pursuit. Together with Atech CRS GP’s newcomer Nick Yelloly, Da Costa mastered the damp conditions, and the pair topped the time sheet for nearly all the opening part of the session.

Mid-way through the morning the sun was shining and the track was finally dry enough for the drivers to swap their wet weather tyres for slicks. Yesterday’s quickest man Alexander Sims was the first to make a move planting his #4 Status GP car in the number one spot. Except for an initial flurry of track activity, the rest of the session was slow until a late rush of fast laps on new rubber. Nico Müller took top honours for Jenzer Motorsport, with RSC Mücke Motorsport’s Nigel Melker and Michael Christensen filling the next two spots. MW Arden was the only team to have all three drivers in the top ten.

The rain held off for the afternoon session and the teams were treated to warmer temperatures and a dry track. Slowly but surely the young drivers made their way out of the pits to do installation laps, and one again it was Sims who found the top spot. The Status driver was closely followed by rookies Valtteri Bottas, Maxim Zimin, James Calado and sophomore Pedro Nunes. The positions remained relatively unchanged during what was a quiet afternoon until once again drivers made a last minute dash to the track with new Pirelli rubber. With all other drivers struggling to match Sims’s time, Calado produced an outstanding last lap of the day pushing his fellow Brit off the top spot. However, the Lotus ART driver was found to have cut the chicane on his quickest and final lap, therefore, his two fastest laps of the afternoon were deleted. This restored Sims to the top spot, with MW Arden’s rookie Mitch Evans ending the session in second ahead of Müller whose best morning laptime remained unbeaten.

GP3 Series will be back on track at Silverstone Circuit in just over three weeks for the second of three 2011 pre-season tests.

Morning times:

POS DRIVER CAR # TEAM LAPS BEST TIME GAP
1 Nico Müller 7 JENZER MOTORSPORT 54 1:20.896  
2 Nigel Melker 31 RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 43 1:20.982 0.086
3 Michael Christensen 30 RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 46 1:20.998 0.102
4 Simon Trummer 27 MW ARDEN 53 1:21.122 0.226
5 Antonio Felix Da Costa 5 STATUS GRAND PRIX 48 1:21.158 0.262
6 Mitch Evans 26 MW ARDEN 57 1:21.192 0.296
7 Adrian Quaife-Hobbs 10 MANOR RACING 39 1:21.243 0.347
8 Alexander Sims 4 STATUS GRAND PRIX 47 1:21.288 0.392
9 Lewis Williamson 28 MW ARDEN 58 1:21.291 0.395
10 Aaro Vainio 17 TECH 1 RACING 44 1:21.464 0.568
11 Pedro Nunes 1 LOTUS ART 37 1:21.580 0.684
12 Matias Laine 12 MANOR RACING 41 1:21.582 0.686
13 Valtteri Bottas 2 LOTUS ART 53 1:21.711 0.815
14 Tamas Pal Kiss 19 TECH 1 RACING 33 1:21.720 0.824
15 Nick Yelloly 21 ATECH CRS GP 55 1:21.740 0.844
16 Tom Dillmann 15 CARLIN 58 1:21.752 0.856
17 Maxim Zimin 8 JENZER MOTORSPORT 49 1:21.762 0.866
18 Gabby Chaves 24 ADDAX TEAM 50 1:21.772 0.876
19 Vittorio Ghirelli 9 JENZER MOTORSPORT 50 1:21.773 0.877
20 Doru Sechelariu 18 TECH 1 RACING 58 1:21.833 0.937
21 Daniel Morad 23 ADDAX TEAM 58 1:21.866 0.970
22 Marlon Stockinger 20 ATECH CRS GP 56 1:21.996 1.100
23 James Calado 3 LOTUS ART 32 1:22.063 1.167
24 Conor Daly 14 CARLIN 59 1:22.168 1.272
25 Bruno Mendes 25 ADDAX TEAM 64 1:22.301 1.405
26 Willi Steindl 29 RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 52 1:22.328 1.432
27 Rio Haryanto 11 MANOR RACING 45 1:22.447 1.551
28 Ivan Lukashevich 6 STATUS GRAND PRIX 19 1:22.812 1.916
29 Kotaro Sakurai 16 CARLIN 49 1:23.058 2.162
30 Zoel Amberg 22 ATECH CRS GP 38 1:23.204 2.308

Afternoon times:

POS DRIVER CAR # TEAM LAPS BEST TIME GAP
1 Alexander Sims 4 STATUS GRAND PRIX 56 1:20.898  
2 Mitch Evans 26 MW ARDEN 34 1:20.969 0.071
3 Nico Müller 7 JENZER MOTORSPORT 43 1:21.110 0.212
4 Antonio Felix Da Costa 5 STATUS GRAND PRIX 49 1:21.128 0.230
5 Daniel Morad 23 ADDAX TEAM 40 1:21.189 0.291
6 Nigel Melker 31 RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 27 1:21.204 0.306
7 Simon Trummer 27 MW ARDEN 32 1:21.254 0.356
8 Valtteri Bottas 2 LOTUS ART 37 1:21.254 0.356
9 Lewis Williamson 28 MW ARDEN 42 1:21.341 0.443
10 Matias Laine 12 MANOR RACING 39 1:21.405 0.507
11 Adrian Quaife-Hobbs 10 MANOR RACING 41 1:21.408 0.510
12 Michael Christensen 30 RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 44 1:21.464 0.566
13 Gabby Chaves 24 ADDAX TEAM 33 1:21.464 0.566
14 Tom Dillmann 15 CARLIN 35 1:21.548 0.650
15 Bruno Mendes 25 ADDAX TEAM 38 1:21.549 0.651
16 Tamas Pal Kiss 19 TECH 1 RACING 40 1:21.671 0.773
17 Aaro Vainio 17 TECH 1 RACING 48 1:21.680 0.782
18 James Calado 3 LOTUS ART 47 1:21.735 0.837
19 Marlon Stockinger 20 ATECH CRS GP 46 1:21.797 0.899
20 Nick Yelloly 21 ATECH CRS GP 43 1:21.808 0.910
21 Willi Steindl 29 RSC MÜCKE MOTORSPORT 45 1:21.861 0.963
22 Maxim Zimin 8 JENZER MOTORSPORT 47 1:21.938 1.040
23 Vittorio Ghirelli 9 JENZER MOTORSPORT 38 1:21.951 1.053
24 Pedro Nunes 1 LOTUS ART 40 1:21.955 1.057
25 Doru Sechelariu 18 TECH 1 RACING 32 1:21.967 1.069
26 Rio Haryanto 11 MANOR RACING 48 1:22.003 1.105
27 Conor Daly 14 CARLIN 37 1:22.225 1.327
28 Ivan Lukashevich 6 STATUS GRAND PRIX 46 1:22.267 1.369
29 Zoel Amberg 22 ATECH CRS GP 39 1:22.371 1.473
30 Kotaro Sakurai 16 CARLIN 51 1:22.560