Home Formula 2 Bird tops practice at Monte Carlo

Bird tops practice at Monte Carlo

by Valentin Khorounzhiy

Photo: Charles Coates/GP2 Series Media Service

Sam Bird began the weekend by living up to his “Monaco specialist” fame, topping the GP2 practice session at the track.

Bird led a Russian Time 1-2 ahead of Tom Dillmann, with the two teammates separated by a mere 0.05s. GP3 champion Mitch Evans was third, while his teammate Johnny Cecotto took sixth, having won his first race at the track last year. Carlin’s Jolyon Palmer and Marcus Ericsson of DAMS were between them, in fourth and fifth respectively.

Championship contenders Fabio Leimer and Felipe Nasr were seventh and eighth. Rio Haryanto took ninth, while James Calado rounded out the top ten and effectively ended the session going off-track. Championship leader Stefano Coletti clocked in in 17th.

The qualifying will being at 14:10 GMT, with the drivers being separated into two groups.

Session results
Pos. Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Sam Bird Russian Time 1:21.512 15
2 Tom Dillmann Russian Time 1:21.569 +0.057 18
3 Mitchell Evans Arden International 1:21.754 +0.242 17
4 Jolyon Palmer Carlin 1:22.059 +0.547 19
5 Marcus Ericsson DAMS 1:22.290 +0.778 18
6 Johnny Cecotto Arden International 1:22.391 +0.879 15
7 Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1:22.499 +0.987 13
8 Felipe Nasr Carlin 1:22.516 +1.004 17
9 Rio Haryanto Barwa Addax Team 1:22.578 +1.066 16
10 James Calado ART Grand Prix 1:22.647 +1.135 18
11 Julian Leal Racing Engineering 1:22.795 +1.283 18
12 Kevin Ceccon Trident Racing 1:22.872 +1.360 18
13 Alexander Rossi Caterham Racing 1:22.979 +1.467 18
14 Jake Rosenzweig Barwa Addax Team 1:23.251 +1.739 16
15 Nathanael Berthon Trident Racing 1:23.365 +1.853 19
16 Sergio Canamasas Caterham Racing 1:23.369 +1.857 18
17 Stefano Coletti Rapax 1:23.527 +2.015 17
18 Simon Trummer Rapax 1:23.633 +2.121 17
19 Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1:23.648 +2.136 10
20 Robin Frijns Hilmer Motorsport 1:23.702 +2.190 19
21 Daniel Abt ART Grand Prix 1:23.854 +2.342 19
22 Rene Binder Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:23.905 +2.393 19
23 Daniel de Jong MP Motorsport 1:24.223 +2.711 19
24 Jon Lancaster Hilmer Motorsport 1:24.600 +3.088 11
25 Kevin Giovesi Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:24.755 +3.243 19
26 Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP Motorsport 1:24.916 +3.404 19