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Regalia reigns at Budapest mid-season test

2013 GP3 Series Testing. Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary. 6th June 2013. Day 2. Facu Regalia (ARG, ART Grand Prix). Action. Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service. Ref: _A8C9027

ART Grand Prix’s Facu Regalia fastest on day two of testing in Hungary.

Argentine Facu Regalia recorded the quickest time of the two-day test at the Hungaroring in a session affected by heavy rain and changeable weather. Koiranen GP’s Aaro Vainio headed the timesheets in the afternoon.

Day 2 of the test started with overcast, humid conditions and a damp track as the 27 drivers got down to business early on before the expected rain made an appearance. Trident’s Emanuele Zonzini was first onto the circuit but it was fastest man from day one Kevin Korjus (Koiranen GP), who set the early pace. The Estonian was first to lap in the 1m33’s until fellow rookie Melville McKee (Bamboo Engineering) bettered his time with a lap of 1:33.568.

Light rain fell upon the Hungaroring at the midway point of the session and the indecisive weather made it challenging for the drivers, some of which wanted to focus on qualifying and race simulations in preparation for the upcoming races. The Trident pair of David Fumanelli and Giovanni Venturini rose to P2 and P3 respectively, less than a tenth shy of McKee’s fastest time.

In the final 15 minutes the track began to dry and the pitlane was a hype of activity as new Pirelli tyres went on and the drivers surged onto the circuit. Nick Yelloly (Carlin) and Lewis Williamson (Bamboo Engineering) lit up the timing screens and were first to break into the 1m32s barrier. With five minutes left on the clock, Regalia posted the fastest time of the test to go P1.

The top ten in the morning session finished as Regalia, Williamson, Yelloly, MW Arden’s Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz, Patrick Kujala (Koiranen GP), Tio Ellinas (Marussia Manor Racing), Jack Harvey (ART Grand Prix) and the Jenzer Motorsport duo of Alex Fontana and Patric Niederhauser.

The drivers hurried onto the track for the start of the afternoon session as heavy rain clouds loomed above but there was an early red flag when Adderly Fong (Status Grand Prix) stopped on the circuit. Vainio and Kujala topped the timesheets once the action resumed and the heavens opened. The session was red flagged for 35 minutes due to so much water on the circuit which was causing the drivers to aquaplane.

Regalia had a trip to the gravel bed which caused a short interruption covered by red flags. The sun shone down but it wasn’t enough to dry the track, meaning nobody could challenge Vainio and Kujala at the top of the standings. With 20 minutes remaining, Carlin’s Eric Lichtenstein made contact with the tyre barrier which brought the red flag out and once re-started, Ryan Cullen (Marussia Manor Racing) also touched the guardrail which brought the day and the test to a close.

The top eight times of the afternoon session were set before the downpour of rain, therefore at the chequered flag it ended as Vainio, Kujala, Giovanni Venturini (Trident), Josh Webster (Status Grand Prix), Sainz, Fong, Kvyat, Korjus. Conor Daly (ART Grand Prix) and Zonzini completed the top ten.

There is only a short wait before GP3 is back in action as the Series heads to Valencia for Round 2 next week on the 15th and 16th June.

GP3 Press Release

Day 2: Morning

Driver Team Laptime Laps
1. Facu Regalia ART Grand Prix 1:32.341

23

2. Lewis Williamson Bamboo Engineering 1:32.717

24

3. Nick Yelloly Carlin 1:32.948

33

4. Daniil Kvyat MW Arden 1:32.971

29

5. Carlos Sainz MW Arden 1:33.119

32

6. Patrick Kujala Koiranen GP 1:33.339

11

7. Tio Ellinas Marussia Manor Racing 1:33.371

33

8. Jack Harvey ART Grand Prix 1:33.384

34

9. Alex Fontana Jenzer Motorsport 1:33.472

29

10. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer Motorsport 1:33.530

30

11. Melville McKee Bamboo Engineering 1:33.568

16

12. Conor Daly ART Grand Prix 1:33.591

23

13. David Fumanelli Trident 1:33.627

32

14. Giovanni Venturini Trident 1:33.660

35

15. Dino Zamparelli Marussia Manor Racing 1:33.766

30

16. Kevin Korjus Koiranen GP 1:33.799

9

17. Robert Visoiu MW Arden 1:34.005

28

18. Eric Lichtenstein Carlin 1:34.140

34

19. Emanuele Zonzini Trident 1:34.449

28

20. Jimmy Eriksson Status Grand Prix 1:34.589

31

21. Samin Gomez Jenzer Motorsport 1:34.814

32

22. Aaro Vainio Koiranen GP 1:34.866

9

23. Adderly Fong Status Grand Prix 1:35.167

35

24. Luis Sa Silva Carlin 1:35.417

29

25. Ryan Cullen Marussia Manor Racing 1:36.280

34

26. Josh Webster Status Grand Prix 1:36.983

14

27. Carmen Jorda Bamboo Engineering 1:37.299

22

Day 2: Afternoon

Driver Team Laptime Laps
1. Aaro Vainio Koiranen GP 1:32.993

20

2. Patrick Kujala Koiranen GP 1:33.622

14

3. Giovanni Venturini Trident 1:33.869

11

4. Josh Webster Status Grand Prix 1:34.851

11

5. Carlos Sainz MW Arden 1:36.065

18

6. Adderly Fong Status Grand Prix 1:36.115

14

7. Daniil Kvyat MW Arden 1:36.448

11

8. Kevin Korjus Koiranen GP 1:38.459

18

9. Conor Daly ART Grand Prix 1:38.932

14

10. Emanuele Zonzini Trident 1:39.811

12

11. Luis Sa Silva Carlin 1:43. 506

18

12. Melville McKee Bamboo Engineering 1:47.290

16

13. Nick Yelloly Carlin 1:47.829

14

14. Jack Harvey ART Grand Prix 1:51.290

12

15. Alex Fontana Jenzer Motorsport 1:52.640

10

16. Eric Lichtenstein Carlin 1:53.001

21

17. Jimmy Eriksson Status Grand Prix 1:53.320

12

18. Dino Zamparelli Marussia Manor Racing 1:53.652

17

19. Carmen Jorda Bamboo Engineering 1:53.824

12

20. Facu Regalia ART Grand Prix 1:53.933

10

21. Tio Ellinas Marussia Manor Racing 1:54.422

16

22. Samin Gomez Jenzer Motorsport 1:54.734

13

23. David Fumanelli Trident 1:57.028

9

24. Ryan Cullen Marussia Manor Racing 1:57.913

18

25. Lewis Williamson Bamboo Engineering 1:58.056

8

26. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer Motorsport 1:58.092

10

27. Robert Visoiu MW Arden 2:02.381

8