ART Grand Prix’s Nyck de Vries started 2019 FIA Formula 2 (F2) Championship official test at Jerez by topping the first day ahead of DAMS’ Nicholas Latifi.
While Formula 1 tests at Barcelona, its junior F2 category teams and drivers are also in action at Jerez with its first of the two pre-season test. It was a smooth run for majority of the field as de Vries led the way on Day 1.
The Dutchman set a 1m25.819s in the morning session and bettered it with a 1m25.358s in the second session to remain on top with 68 laps to his name. DAMS’ Latifi improved to second in the afternoon session to set a 1m25.727s with 75 laps.
F2 rookie and Prema’s Mick Schumacher ended up third after his best time of 1m25.783s in the afternoon session with 59 laps. The Ferrari junior headed the standings mostly in the afternoon but was beaten by de Vries and Latifi towards the end.
Despite a spin which caused the day’s first red flag, DAMS’ Sergio Sette Camara (1m25.874s) was fourth after his best time set in morning session with the McLaren junior still completing 64 laps in all.
UNI-Virtuosi’s Luca Ghiotto (1m25.887s) finished fifth with his best time in the afternoon session with 48 laps as Carlin’s Louis Deletraz (1m26.217s) was sixth from his time in the morning ahead of ART Grand Prix’s Nikita Mazepin (1m26.230s).
The Swiss driver did 66 laps with the Russian doing the same. The Top 10 was rounded out by UNI-Virtuosi’s Guanyu Zhou (1m26.349s), Campos’ Dorian Boccolacci (1m26.430s) and Sauber’s Callum Ilott (1m26.508s) – with all three setting their best time in the morning.
The three drivers did 44, 57 and 54 laps respectively as Trident’s Giuliano Alesi (1m26.577s) just missed on a Top 10 spot to end up 11th with 76 laps, while late red flag culprit Prema’s Sean Gelael (1m26.614s) was 12th with 64 laps to his name.
Carlin’s Nobuharu Matsushita (1m26.625s) finished 13th with 55 laps ahead of MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor (1m26.657s) with 45 laps and Sauber’s Juan Manuel Correa (1m26.742s), who caused the day’s third red flag.
The Colombian did 45 laps in all. MP Motorsport’s Jordan King (1m26.869s), who also caused a red flag, was 16th from BWT Arden’s Anthoine Hubert (1m26.908s) with the two completing 27 and 56 laps respectively.
Campos’s Jack Aitken (1m27.027s) finished 18th with Trident’s Ralph Boschung (1m27.076s) and BWT Arden’s Tatiana Calderon (1m28.515s) rounded out the 20 runners – the latter’s morning times were deleted due to underweight car.
Aitken undertook 57 laps with Boschung doing 34 and Calderon 33. Among the 20 runners on the first day, Verschoor, Boschung, King and Boccolacci aren’t confirmed drivers for the 2019 F2 season thus far.