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Jack Aitken ends day 2 on top

2017 GP3 Series Testing Estoril, Portugal. Wednesday 22 March 2017 Jack Aitken (GBR, ART Grand Prix), Nirei Fukuzumi (JAP, ART Grand Prix), George Russell (GBR, ART Grand Prix). Photo: Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service ref: Digital Image 585A1088

Jack Aitken has grabbed the day 2 bragging rights by topping this afternoon’s session in mixed conditions on the final day of the first GP3 Series test session of 2017 at the Circuito de Estoril, easily surpassing George Russell’s best time in wet conditions this morning with a laptime of 1:28.125, but Russell claimed the overall honours with the best time of the test at 1:27.606, set yesterday afternoon.

The GP3 paddock was greeted by rays of sunshine this morning to open day 2 of pre-season testing, but grey clouds made their way across the Portuguese track minutes before the pitlane turned green. As the cars fed onto the track, rain drops fell from the sky and the session was soon declared wet.

There was an early red flag period after Raoul Hyman stopped at Turn 3. When the proceedings resumed, Alessio Lorandi set the pace, but his time was bettered first by Niko Kari and then by Russell who posted his best laptime after 45 minutes.

On the one hour mark, the session was briefly halted when Julien Falchero stopped on track with a broken suspension. The weather conditions improved slightly but remained cold and windy. There were two more red flag periods courtesy of Tatiana Calderon and then Nirei Fukuzumi.

At the chequered flag, Russell sat pretty at the top of the timesheets ahead of Anthoine Hubert, Lorandi, Fukuzumi, Jack Aitken, Ryan Tveter, Kari, Steijn Schothorst, Hyman and Giuliano Alesi.

The afternoon session opened under blue skies. Schothorst was the first man to take to the track on slick tyres and set the pace in a 1:37.326, but fifteen minutes into the session rain started to fall hard over the circuit, sending the few cars scurrying back to the pits.

After a quiet period waiting for the rain to stop, Kari led the rest of the pack back on track. The proceedings were halted after Hyman went off track at Turn 7 and clipped the barrier, although the Campos tester could at least rejoin the session. On a drying track, he switched to slick tyres to take the top spot, but Lorandi also improved and went half a second quicker with one hour left on the clock.

Marcos Siebert was the first man to dip under 1m30s, but the top spot then switched hands between Russell, Maini and Alesi with the Briton able to eventually break the 1m29s barrier just before another short shower.

In the dying minutes, Schothorst, Alesi, Fukuzumi and Aitken improved. The latter set his best laptime of 1:28.125 just before a final red flag caused by Calderon and Bruno Baptista, who went off track at Turns 1 and 13 respectively, effectively ending the day.

The teams will now head back to their factories and start working towards the next test, which will open in just under a month’s time in Barcelona, Spain on 19-20 April.

Day 2 Morning results

  Driver Team Laptime Laps
1. George Russell ART Grand Prix 1:37.543 45
2. Anthoine Hubert ART Grand Prix 1:38.401 38
3. Alessio Lorandi Jenzer Motorsport 1:38.476 35
4. Nirei Fukuzumi ART Grand Prix 1:38.584 44
5. Jack Aitken ART Grand Prix 1:38.875 40
6. Ryan Tveter Trident 1:39.305 41
7. Niko Kari Arden International 1:40.107 23
8. Steijn Schothorst Arden International 1:40.269 22
9. Raoul Hyman Campos Racing 1:40.574 31
10. Giuliano Alesi Trident 1:41.374 18
11. Leonardo Pulcini Arden International 1:41.452 35
12. Dorian Boccolacci Trident 1:41.547 24
13. Kevin Jörg Trident 1:41.734 26
14. Tatiana Calderon DAMS 1:42.366 41
15. Arjun Maini Jenzer Motorsport 1:42.480 45
16. Santino Ferrucci DAMS 1:42.791 40
17. Bruno Baptista DAMS 1:43.059 42
18. Marcos Siebert Campos Racing 1:43.208 29
19. Julien Falchero Campos Racing 1:43.812 22

Day 2 Afternoon results

  Driver Team Laptime Laps
1. Jack Aitken ART Grand Prix 1:28.125 18
2. Nirei Fukuzumi ART Grand Prix 1:28.466 19
3. George Russell ART Grand Prix 1:28.740 18
4. Giuliano Alesi Trident 1:28.871 32
5. Steijn Schothorst Arden International 1:28.913 37
6. Niko Kari Arden International 1:28.938 37
7. Arjun Maini Jenzer Motorsport 1:29.087 51
8. Marcos Siebert Campos Racing 1:29.266 41
9. Leonardo Pulcini Arden International 1:29.444 24
10. Alessio Lorandi Jenzer Motorsport 1:29.510 35
11. Anthoine Hubert ART Grand Prix 1:29.520 21
12. Dorian Boccolacci Trident 1:29.526 32
13. Santino Ferrucci DAMS 1:29.620 34
14. Raoul Hyman Campos Racing 1:29.638 33
15. Kevin Jörg Trident 1:29.693 23
16. Bruno Baptista DAMS 1:29.777 38
17. Ryan Tveter Trident 1:29.937 33
18. Tatiana Calderon DAMS 1:30.355 30
19. Julien Falchero Campos Racing 1:31.098 47

GP3 Press Release