Stefano Coletti sets pace as Barcelona GP2 test ends

GP2 veteran Stefano Coletti set the pace on the final day of pre-season testing at Barcelona on Thursday.

The Rapax driver came out on top during a flurry of activity in the morning session, as most drivers ran the soft tyre compound once the track had dried out.

Coletti was also one of the leading runners in the slower afternoon session, setting the second fastest time on the hard tyre as Felipe Nasr led the way with a soft compound run.

Marcus Ericsson, who had been setting the pace before Coletti’s run in the morning, ended the day with the second fastest time overall.

Nasr’s afternoon lap was good enough for third on the day, while the top five was completed by Stephane Richelmi and Jolyon Palmer.

Only 25 of the 26 cars featured on track for the final day of the test, as Trident ran a sole car for Rodolfo Gonzalez.

The Italian team had planned not to run at all as Gonzalez initially felt too ill to drive. It did not have a driver for its second car either as Formula Renault 3.5 champion Robin Frijns switched to new team Russian Time, and Nathanael Berthon, who Frijns had filled in for on the first two days, continued to be sidelined by contractual issues.

The GP2 season kicks off at Sepang, where it will support the Malaysian Grand Prix on March 22-24.

Morning session:

Pos  Driver               Team                Time       Gap       Laps
 1.  Stefano Coletti      Rapax               1m29.055s            30
 2.  Marcus Ericsson      DAMS                1m29.217s  + 0.162s  35
 3.  Stephane Richelmi    DAMS                1m29.453s  + 0.398s  39
 4.  Jolyon Palmer        Carlin              1m29.467s  + 0.412s  28
 5.  Sergio Canamasas     Caterham            1m29.611s  + 0.556s  36
 6.  James Calado         ART                 1m29.624s  + 0.569s  33
 7.  Kevin Giovesi        Lazarus             1m29.812s  + 0.757s  32
 8.  Mitch Evans          Arden               1m29.902s  + 0.847s  34
 9.  Daniel Abt           ART                 1m29.994s  + 0.939s  30
10.  Adrian Quaife-Hobbs  MP                  1m30.012s  + 0.957s  23
11.  Daniel de Jong       MP                  1m30.037s  + 0.982s  26
12.  Robin Frijns         Russian Time        1m30.168s  + 1.113s  24
13.  Fabio Leimer         Racing Engineering  1m30.244s  + 1.189s  22
14.  Pal Varhaug          Hilmer              1m30.300s  + 1.245s  26
15.  Felipe Nasr          Carlin              1m30.459s  + 1.404s  27
16.  Rene Binder          Lazarus             1m30.484s  + 1.429s  19
17.  Jake Rosenzweig      Addax               1m30.620s  + 1.565s  16
18.  Johnny Cecotto       Arden               1m30.635s  + 1.580s  31
19.  Simon Trummer        Rapax               1m30.667s  + 1.612s  28
20.  Riccardo Agostini    Hilmer              1m30.724s  + 1.669s  35
21.  Rio Haryanto         Addax               1m30.813s  + 1.758s  29
22.  Tom Dillmann         Russian Time        1m30.855s  + 1.800s  27
23.  Rodolfo Gonzalez     Trident             1m31.029s  + 1.974s  13
24.  Ma Qing Hua          Caterham            1m31.035s  + 1.980s  32
25.  Julian Leal          Racing Engineering  1m31.220s  + 2.165s  14

Afternoon session:

Pos  Driver               Team                Time       Gap       Laps
 1.  Felipe Nasr          Carlin              1m29.381s            46
 2.  Stefano Coletti      Rapax               1m29.414s  + 0.033s  28
 3.  Tom Dillmann         Russian Time        1m29.843s  + 0.462s  37
 4.  Fabio Leimer         Racing Engineering  1m29.862s  + 0.481s  30
 5.  Adrian Quaife-Hobbs  MP                  1m29.914s  + 0.533s  39
 6.  Robin Frijns         Russian Time        1m30.053s  + 0.672s  29
 7.  James Calado         ART                 1m30.256s  + 0.875s  55
 8.  Kevin Giovesi        Lazarus             1m30.318s  + 0.937s  33
 9.  Mitch Evans          Arden               1m30.324s  + 0.943s  34
10.  Conor Daly           Hilmer              1m30.417s  + 1.036s  37
11.  Daniel de Jong       MP                  1m30.441s  + 1.060s  29
12.  Rene Binder          Lazarus             1m30.454s  + 1.073s  28
13.  Pal Varhaug          Hilmer              1m30.554s  + 1.173s  41
14.  Julian Leal          Racing Engineering  1m30.601s  + 1.220s  36
15.  Stephane Richelmi    DAMS                1m30.643s  + 1.262s  40
16.  Daniel Abt           ART                 1m30.721s  + 1.340s  52
17.  Sergio Canamasas     Caterham            1m30.813s  + 1.432s  54
18.  Johnny Cecotto       Arden               1m30.821s  + 1.440s  33
19.  Marcus Ericsson      DAMS                1m30.823s  + 1.442s  40
20.  Simon Trummer        Rapax               1m30.884s  + 1.503s  43
21.  Jolyon Palmer        Carlin              1m30.918s  + 1.537s  28
22.  Rio Haryanto         Addax               1m30.997s  + 1.616s  42
23.  Jake Rosenzweig      Addax               1m31.271s  + 1.890s  38
24.  Rodolfo Gonzalez     Trident             1m31.368s  + 1.987s  37
25.  Ma Qing Hua          Caterham            1m31.370s  + 1.989s  53