Photo: Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Series Media Service
Conor Daly led Marussia Manor pair Tio Ellinas and Nick Cassidy on the first day of the second GP3 Series pre-season test at Barcelona, as all three look to nail down race seats for the 2013 season.
Double Toyota Racing Series champion Cassidy continued with the Marussia Manor team after a day with the team in Estoril, and set the fastest time of the opening morning at the Circuit de Catalunya.
The New Zealander was 0.272 seconds ahead of Kevin Korjus, with Carlos Sainz in third place. Lotus junior Alex Fontana was fourth ahead of Ellinas, Aaro Vainio and Lewis Williamson. Patric Niederhauser was eighth, Adderly Fong ninth and Facu Regalia tenth.
In the afternoon it was Daly in ART?s number 1 machine that posted the fastest time, 0.132s ahead of Ellinas with Cassidy just two thousandths of a second further back.
?We had a lot to figure out with the new GP3/13 car at the first test in Estoril and I believe now we have found a great set-up and a nice balance to achieve that one important hot lap,? said American driver Daly, who finished sixth in the standings last year with ART.
??I am extremely happy and it was a nice surprise to be P1. I feel really positive about the second generation car, it?s much more fun to drive and certainly makes you question yourself before you add more power. I love having more speed.?
Fontana ended a strong day for himself with another fourth place ahead of series returnee Nick Yelloly and Regalia. David Fumanelli led the Red Bull pairing of Daniil Kvyat and Sainz, with Korjus completing the top ten.
There is set to be one driver change for the second and final day, with Formula Renault 2.0 graduate Melville McKee replacing Williamson at Bamboo.
Morning session
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
| 1. | Nick Cassidy | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:34.924 | 21 | |
| 2. | Kevin Korjus | Koiranen GP | 1:35.196 | 0.272 | 19 |
| 3. | Carlos Sainz Jnr | MW Arden | 1:35.261 | 0.337 | 22 |
| 4. | Alex Fontana | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:35.350 | 0.426 | 26 |
| 5. | Tio Ellinas | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:35.436 | 0.512 | 19 |
| 6. | Aaro Vainio | Koiranen GP | 1:35.661 | 0.737 | 28 |
| 7. | Lewis Williamson | Bamboo Engineering | 1:35.711 | 0.787 | 25 |
| 8. | Patric Niederhauser | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:35.722 | 0.798 | 19 |
| 9. | Adderly Fong | Status Grand Prix | 1:35.820 | 0.896 | 25 |
| 10. | Facu Regalia | ART Grand Prix | 1:35.845 | 0.921 | 14 |
| 11. | Nick Yelloly | Carlin | 1:35.878 | 0.954 | 16 |
| 12. | Patrick Kujala | Koiranen GP | 1:35.910 | 0.986 | 18 |
| 13. | Conor Daly | ART Grand Prix | 1:35.934 | 1.010 | 14 |
| 14. | David Fumanelli | Trident | 1:36.045 | 1.121 | 18 |
| 15. | Jack Harvey | ART Grand Prix | 1:36.156 | 1.232 | 12 |
| 16. | Daniil Kvyat | MW Arden | 1:36.163 | 1.239 | 14 |
| 17. | Dino Zamparelli | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:36.354 | 1.430 | 23 |
| 18. | Josh Webster | Status Grand Prix | 1:36.520 | 1.596 | 23 |
| 19. | Emanuele Zonzini | Trident | 1:36.622 | 1.698 | 14 |
| 20. | Giovanni Venturini | Trident | 1:36.783 | 1.859 | 18 |
| 21. | Robert Visoiu | MW Arden | 1:36.827 | 1.903 | 20 |
| 22. | Jimmy Eriksson | Status Grand Prix | 1:37.049 | 2.125 | 17 |
| 23. | Luis Sa Silva | Carlin | 1:37.175 | 2.251 | 19 |
| 24. | Eric Lichtenstein | Carlin | 1:37.747 | 2.823 | 20 |
| 25. | Samin Gomez | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:37.877 | 2.953 | 23 |
| 26. | Ryan Cullen | Bamboo Engineering | 1:38.058 | 3.134 | 17 |
| 27. | Carmen Jorda | Bamboo Engineering | 1:39.522 | 4.598 | 16 |
Afternoon session
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
| 1. | Conor Daly | ART Grand Prix | 1:34.578 | 28 | |
| 2. | Tio Ellinas | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:34.710 | 0.132 | 27 |
| 3. | Nick Cassidy | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:34.715 | 0.137 | 23 |
| 4. | Alex Fontana | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:34.826 | 0.248 | 30 |
| 5. | Nick Yelloly | Carlin | 1:34.900 | 0.322 | 39 |
| 6. | Facu Regalia | ART Grand Prix | 1:34.943 | 0.365 | 27 |
| 7. | David Fumanelli | Trident | 1:35.059 | 0.481 | 32 |
| 8. | Daniil Kvyat | MW Arden | 1:35.171 | 0.593 | 32 |
| 9. | Carlos Sainz Jnr | MW Arden | 1:35.218 | 0.640 | 36 |
| 10. | Kevin Korjus | Koiranen GP | 1:35.313 | 0.735 | 43 |
| 11. | Jimmy Eriksson | Status Grand Prix | 1:35.337 | 0.759 | 34 |
| 12. | Jack Harvey | ART Grand Prix | 1:35.402 | 0.824 | 28 |
| 13. | Emanuele Zonzini | Trident | 1:35.448 | 0.870 | 23 |
| 14. | Patric Niederhauser | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:35.593 | 1.015 | 19 |
| 15. | Lewis Williamson | Bamboo Engineering | 1:35.604 | 1.026 | 30 |
| 16. | Giovanni Venturini | Trident | 1:35.651 | 1.073 | 33 |
| 17. | Dino Zamparelli | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:35.716 | 1.138 | 32 |
| 18. | Adderly Fong | Status Grand Prix | 1:35.759 | 1.181 | 40 |
| 19. | Robert Visoiu | MW Arden | 1:35.934 | 1.356 | 33 |
| 20. | Aaro Vainio | Koiranen GP | 1:35.967 | 1.389 | 39 |
| 21. | Luis Sa Silva | Carlin | 1:36.277 | 1.699 | 34 |
| 22. | Josh Webster | Status Grand Prix | 1:36.424 | 1.846 | 10 |
| 23. | Samin Gomez | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:36.485 | 1.907 | 36 |
| 24. | Eric Lichtenstein | Carlin | 1:36.572 | 1.994 | 44 |
| 25. | Ryan Cullen | Bamboo Engineering | 1:37.909 | 3.331 | 24 |
| 26. | Patrick Kujala | Koiranen GP | 1:37.955 | 3.377 | 12 |
| 27. | Carmen Jorda | Bamboo Engineering | 1:38.683 | 4.105 | 43 |