Home Formula 2 Latifi ends GP2 test with best time

Latifi ends GP2 test with best time

by Peter Allen
Latifi

Photo: Zak Mauger/GP2 Series Media Service

Nicholas Latifi ended the GP2 post-season test by setting the best time of the week in the final session.

The Canadian, who seems set to spend a second season with DAMS next year after finishing 16th in the 2016 standings, recorded a time of 1m48.929s.

That was 0.008 seconds faster than the previous benchmark set by?Raffaele Marciello on Wednesday evening.

Johnny Cecotto was 0.212s down in second place for Rapax, just edging out?Jordan King, who set the pace in the morning session with a 1m49.880s for MP Motorsport.

Oliver Rowland?was fourth after spending all three days of testing in?the sister DAMS car, adorned?with the sponsors of fellow Renault Formula 1-affiliated driver Latifi.

Russian Time’s?Artem Markelov was fifth, while?Antonio Fuoco edged out new Prema team-mate?Charles Leclerc?for the honours of top rookie in sixth.

Their GP3 title rival?Alex Albon, fastest overall on day two of the test, was ninth behind Arden tester?Sean Gelael and in front of ART team-mate?Callum Ilott, who has had his first two days in GP2 machinery?despite already signing with Prema for another season of Formula 3 in 2017.

Racing Engineering’s likely 2017 pairing of?Louis Deletraz and?Gustav Malja lapped quickly in the morning, taking second and fourth respectively separated by Cecotto.

Rowland, Markelov and Fuoco were next ahead of?Sergio Sette Camara, who rejoined Carlin – the team with which he finished on the podium at the recent Macau Grand Prix – for the final day of the test despite having already been announced with MP Motorsport for his rookie GP2 campaign next year.