Jack Aitken has been the fastest during the first free practice session of GP3 history at Sepang. He finished ahead of Jörg and De Vries.
Let’s remind that Alessio Lorandi made his GP3 debuts with Jenzer and that Ralph Boschung had to withdraw for that week-end for financial reasons.
Kevin Jörg was the first driver to head out on the track that no one knew except Akash Nandy, the Malaysian having raced in Sepang several times already. Jake Hughes was the first driver to set a reference laptime in 1:53.151 although most driver took their time to learn the track and study the behaviour of the Pirelli tyres on the re-surfaced track.
Although DAMS cars were the early pace setter in the session, ART GP cars came back on top with Alexander Albon and Nyck De Vries, the first ones to dip under the 1:53 laptime. Halfway through the session, Albon was alone under the 1:52 laptime ahead of Nirei Fukuzumi and Jake Dennis.
Most of drivers came back to the pits at that moment to study the data gathered during the session which allowed Sandy Stuvik to set an unexpected second best time, only one thousandth slower than Albon.
Back on track, Charles Leclerc lead the way with a laptime three tenths faster than Albon’s before De Vries went even faster than the Monegasque. Staying within the top 5 for the whole session, Jack Aitken showed his pace in the five last minutes, being the only one dipping under the 1:51 laptime
Aitken therefore finished the session in the lead ahead of Jörg and De Vries. Dennis, Ferrucci, Maini, Albon, Fukuzumi, Leclerc and Nandy completed the top 10. Let’s note that Antonio Fuoco stood in P15.
