Photo: Sam Bloxham/GP2 Series Media Service
Oliver Rowland will move over to DAMS for this week’s GP2 test in Abu Dhabi, while?runner-up?Antonio Giovinazzi?heads?to Arden with?Sean Gelael.
The 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 champion Rowland did try out with DAMS 12 months ago (pictured), but contested his first full campaign in GP2 with MP Motorsport, briefly leading the series after Silverstone but ending up ninth in the standings.
He partners fellow Renault Formula 1 team-affiliated driver?Nicholas Latifi at the three-day test, and effectively takes?the place of fellow Briton?Alex Lynn, who?departed the championship with his sprint race win on Sunday.
After narrowly missing out on the title in his rookie?season with Prema, Giovinazzi will drive for Arden on the first day alongside friend?Sean Gelael, whose backers have funded the Italian’s career up to this point.
Another Italian?Luca Ghiotto will test for Arden later in the?week after his race-winning rookie campaign with Trident, indicating he could occupy?the role of ex-Campos racer Gelael’s team-mate should Giovinazzi move on from GP2.
Prema will test?its newly-confirmed 2017 pairing of GP3 graduates?Charles Leclerc?and?Antonio Fuoco for their first runs in GP2 machinery, with?their rival?Alex Albon stepping up with ART Grand Prix. Honda protege?Nobuharu Matsushita?is expected to remain with the team next year alongside Albon, but is set to?give his car over to new Prema Formula 3 signing?Callum Ilott for Thursday and Friday.
Racing Engineering will run Gustav Malja?and?Louis Deletraz?on all three days, while seven-time Formula V8 3.5 race-winner?Egor Orudzhev?will get his maiden GP2 test?with Campos alongside its GP3 racer Alex Palou. Two other newcomers will be?Felix Serralles and?Mahaveer Raghunathan at Carlin.
Jordan King will test for Russian Time on Wednesday alongside team protege?Artem Markelov, with?Raffaele Marciello returning to Trident alongside?Philo Paz Armand and Ghiotto joining veteran?Johnny Cecotto at Rapax. King is expected alongside?Sergio Sette Camara at MP Motorsport later in the week, with Italian gentleman?Salvatore Del Plano keeping the second?seat warm before then.
Wednesday line-up:
ART Grand Prix: Nobuharu Matsushita, Alex Albon
Racing Engineering: Louis Deletraz, Gustav Malja
DAMS: Oliver Rowland, Nicholas Latifi
Campos: Egor Orudzhev, Alex Palou
Russian Time: Jordan King, Artem Markelov
Rapax: Luca Ghiotto, Johnny Cecotto
Trident: Philo Paz Armand, Raffaele Marciello
Carlin: Mahaveer Raghunathan, Felix Serralles
Prema: Antonio Fuoco, Charles Leclerc
MP Motorsport: Sergio Sette Camara, Salvatore Del Plano
Arden: Antonio Giovinazzi, Sean Gelael