GP3

Ferrari Driver Academy and ART Grand Prix rookie Charles Leclerc started the 2016 GP3 Series season as a title favourite and today his dream became reality after a very eventful Race 1 at the Yas Marina Circuit.

His title rival Alexander Albon (also from ART GP) started from pole but suffered damage and retired during a battle for the lead of the race. Dutchman Nyck de Vries won the race from the Arden International duo of Jake Dennis and Jack Aitken. The Monegasque also retired in dramatic fashion but he had done enough already to clinch the prestigious crown.

Albon started from pole and made a good getaway to retain the lead. Dennis from the front row lost several positions after a sluggish start, thus promoting Aitken and De Vries. It was a frenetic first lap with the top four drivers glued together. Leclerc remained in fifth at this point until DAMS’ Santino Ferrucci passed the ART driver at the close of the opening lap.

The opening lap saw Trident’s Antonio Fuoco suffer a right front puncture after contact with Jenzer Motorsport’s Arjun Maini: the Italian finished outside of the points. Meanwhile a huge train of cars were sat behind Leclerc in P6 with Kevin Joerg the next one eager to make a move on the Series leader.

Aitken posted the fastest lap of the race in second place, putting the pressure on Albon in P1 who was leading by 2.6s, with Leclerc 7s adrift. The safety car was briefly deployed after Tatiana Calderon spun and stopped at Turn 1. Once the race resumed, the Thai racer controlled his getaway from Aitken well, but the Arden driver was ready to attack as the duo enjoyed a superb wheel to wheel battle for a number of corners with Aitken coming out on top.

Aitken held a half a second advantage over the ART driver but Albon was quick to retaliate and fought back into the lead of the race, knowing a win was vital to help his chances of remaining in the title battle.

On lap 11, disaster struck for Albon as he ran over the kerb whilst dicing for the lead and his ART machine went airborne, making contact with Aitken. Albon’s race was over, as were his hopes of becoming champion. This promoted De Vries into the lead who had been holding off Dennis for the large majority of the race.

Ferrucci was holding onto the final podium position ahead of Leclerc. The Ferrari Driver Academy star was eager to celebrate his newly gained GP3 crown on the podium by passing the American driver but unfortunately there was a small contact between the pair, which resulted into the Monegasque having a puncture and retiring. Still, Leclerc had done enough to clinch the title and returned to the pitlane to celebrate with his ART GP squad.

Aitken carved his way past Ferrucci for P3 in a feisty battle; the DAMS driver was then issued with a 10s time penalty for forcing the Briton off track. Amidst all of the excitement, De Vries continued to drive a mature and confident race, keeping Dennis at bay to pocket his second GP3 win of the season by 1s. Aitken completed the rostrum ahead of Kevin Joerg – his best result in GP3 with fourth. Nirei Fukuzumi, Steijn Schothorst, Jake Hughes, Konstantin Tereschenko (also his best result), Ferrucci and Alex Palou completed the top ten.

George Russell (ART GP) posted the fastest time on Day 3 of testing. The Briton’s best laptime of 1:55.364 which was set in the morning was six tenths quicker than Trident’s Santino Ferrucci and Jenzer Motorsport’s Alessio Lorandi.

It was also the fastest lap of the three day test session. The ART driver also headed the timesheet in the afternoon ahead of Lorandi and Arden International’s Leonardo Pulcini.

There were two familiar faces added to the day three line-up: 2016 GP3 drivers Alex Palou and Matt Parry both testing for Campos Racing.

ART GP tester Arjun Maini headed the times early on for the third and final day of post-season testing at the Yas Marina Circuit. Fellow ART GP tester Anthoine Hubert was first to lap in the 1m57’s, before Russell set a time of 1:56.965.

There was an early red flag when Steijn Schothorst stopped at Turn 19. Trident’s Raoul Hyman went P1 before a length red flag period for Hubert who made contact with the barrier at Turn 7. There was damage to the TecPro barriers so the session was delayed while they were repaired. The session was over for Hubert as the monocoque was damaged from the incident.

Arden International’s Pulcini then set the pace with a 1:56.170 before Russell became the first driver to dip into the 1m55’s. Arden’s Max Defourny and Lorandi moved up to second and third respectively in the final 30 minutes. Ferrucci shot to P2 near the close of the session.

Russell remained on top at the chequered flag; behind him were Ferrucci, Lorandi, Max Defourny, Leonardo Pulcini, Jack Aitken, Maini, Schothorst, Kevin Joerg and Marcos Siebert.

The afternoon session got underway after GP2 Series had their turn on track. Arden’s Pulcini topped the timesheet with a 1:56.363 ahead of Ferrucci and Palou. With less than one hour remaining, Russell shot to P1 with a 1:56.307. There was a brief flag due to debris on track in two different locations. Once the debris cleared, the action resumed, but only shortly as Joerg stopped on track at Turn 20.

ART’s Maini moved up to second in the final stages, until Pulcini displaced the Indian driver to P3. But nobody could better the time set by Russell as he stayed in P1 until the chequered flag. However, there was one final switch in positions when Lorandi bettered his fellow compatriot Pulcini for second position. Behind the top three were Maini, Ferrucci, Giuliano Alesi, Aitken, Robert Shwartzman, Palou and Bruno Baptista.

Day Three – morning session

*Raoul Hyman disqualified as his #5 car was found underweight.

 Afternoon Session

Jenzer Motorsport’s Alessio Lorandi clocked the quickest time on day two of post-season testing. The Italian’s laptime of 1:55.734 was set in the afternoon.

Finn and Red Bull protégé Niko Kari led the way in the morning session at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Day 2 of post-season testing in Abu Dhabi got underway with a brand new face: Frenchman Anthoine Hubert with ART GP, as well as the return of Kevin Joerg (Arden). ART GP’s Jack Aitken was first into the 1m56’s with the track slightly damp at Turns 13/14 at the start of the day. Matheus Leist clocked the second quickest time for Trident in a busy start to proceedings.

Switching to Arden Motorsport for day 2, Steijn Schothorst moved up to P2 ahead of Max Defourny (ART GP). After the one hour mark, Aitken continued to lead the way by half a second, until Kari shot to the head of the timesheet with a 1:55.949. Lorandi went third at the start of the final hour where the top three remained unchanged in a trouble-free session.

At the chequered flag it was Kari, Aitken, Lorandi, Leist, Arjun Maini, Schothorst, Hubert, Giuliano Alesi, Max Defourny and Leonardo Pulcini.

Schothorst was first to set the early pace at the beginning of the afternoon session. There was a brief red flag for Alesi who stopped on track. Once the session resumed it was Kari who lit up the timing screens to take top spot until Leist demoted the Finn to second. Santino Ferrucci (testing for Trident) then bettered his time to go P1 as he was the first driver to dip into the 1m56’s.

Lorandi again showed his pace as he flew to the top of the timings before Kari re-claimed P1. There was a second red flag when Ferrucci stopped at the pitlane exit. The action was quick to resume and it was an Arden one-two-three briefly with Schothorst leading the way over Kari and Joerg.

Koiranen GP tester Raoul Hyman moved up the order to P2 in the final half hour while the Dutchman improved on his own personal best to lap in the 1m55’s in P1. There was another short interruption to proceedings when Julian Falchero stopped on the back straight. There were under 10 minutes remaining when the track was live again, but there was enough time for Italian Lorandi to sweep into P1 and retain it until the chequered flag.

Behind the Jenzer driver was: Ferrucci, Schothorst, Kari, Hubert, Raoul Hyman, Aitken, Leist, Maini and Joerg.

Tomorrow’s third and final day of post-season testing will run from 08.00 – 10.30 with the afternoon session at 13.20 - 15.50 local time (GMT+4).

Day Two – morning session

Honda protégé Nirei Fukuzumi posted the quickest time in both the morning and afternoon session on day one of post-season testing at the Yas Marina Circuit.

The ART Grand Prix driver’s best time was set in the afternoon with a 1:55.479. Jack Aitken (testing for French squad ART GP) was second quickest in both sessions.

Following the conclusion of the 2016 GP3 Series season, the teams embarked on a three day post-season test in Abu Dhabi. Fukuzumi was first into the 1m56’s ahead of Aitken. Jenzer Motorsport’s Alessio Lorandi then headed the timings, with Aitken lapping a mere 0.001s slower than the Italian. 

DAMS’ Santino Ferrucci then picked up the pace to lead the pack before there was a red flag due a signalling issue along with Arjun Maini – testing for Trident, stopped on track. There was a second interruption to proceedings at Turn 7 as there was debris on track.

Once the action resumed, Fukuzumi lapped second fastest before Aitken displaced the Japanese driver. Maini then shot up to P2, posting a time a tenth off the American driver. Trident and Ferrari Driver Academy’s Giuliano Alesi then leapt up the order to set the quickest time of the session before Fukuzumi returned to the top of the timesheet.

As the clock ticked down, Fukuzumi increased his advantage over the field to half a second with Aitken and George Russell (also testing for the reigning Team Champions) making it an ART one-two-three until Maini rose to third in the latter moments.

Fukuzumi bettered his personal best by dipping into the 1m55’s to retain P1 at the chequered flag. Aitken, Maini, Russell, Alesi, Niko Kari (Arden), Santino Ferrucci, Steijn Schothorst (DAMS), Lorandi and Ryan Tveter (Trident) completed the top ten.

Following the break in action, the GP3 drivers returned to the track for the afternoon session. Lorandi set the initial pace before Alesi demoted the Jenzer driver to P2 after thirty minutes. Ferrucci then shot to the top of the timesheet and bettered his own personal best a lap later as he broke into the 1m56’s.

Marcos Siebert went second fastest before Koiranen GP’s Patricio O’Ward took P2 from the Jenzer tester. Honda’s Fukuzumi returned to his sparkling morning form shooting to the head of the timings, three hundredths quicker than Ferrucci.

Meanwhile the ART duo of Russell and Aitken moved up to second and third respectively before a brief red flag period when Kari stopped at Turn 1. Fukuzumi retained P1 at the chequered flag, ahead of Aitken, Russell, Maini, Ferrucci, Lorandi, Raoul Hyman, Alesi, Schothorst and Tveter.

Day One – morning session

Following the close of the 2016 GP3 Series season, the Yas Marina Circuit hosts a three day post-season test in Abu Dhabi.

The line-up includes many familiar faces as well as many newcomers to the category getting their first taste of GP3 machinery.

The teams will have the Soft Pirelli compound at their disposal.

GP3 will be on track for both a morning and afternoon session with GP2 Series on track in between. On day one the morning session runs from 08.55 - 11.25 with the afternoon session at 14.30 - 17.00.

Driver Entry List for Day 1 of post-season testing: