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Malja quickest, Russell top rookie in Eurocup test at Catalunya

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
Gustav Malja

Photo: Renault Sport/DPPI

Josef Kaufmann Racing’s Eurocup regular Gustav Malja posted the best lap of the series’ rookie test at Catalunya, while AV Formula’s George Russell was fastest among newcomers.

The Swede was by far quickest in the morning session, eventually settling atop of the timesheets with a lap that ended up unmatched for the rest of the day. More than half a second adrift, karting graduates Russell and Max Verstappen were an impressive second and third respectively, while series veteran Steijn Schothorst posted the fourth quickest time for Manor.

Albert Costa, who took the Eurocup title in 2009, was fifth fastest for Koiranen. Levin Amweg took sixth, ahead of Gregor Ramsay and Nicolas Jamin, while FR1.6 frontrunner Martin Rump and French F4 champion Anthoine Hubert rounded out the top ten.

The afternoon session saw Schothorst, Malja and Amweg take turns topping the session. The Dutchman emerged quickest in the final minutes of the test, with ART rookie and the JKR driver clocking in within less than half a tenth of his time.

Russell was again the fastest newcomer, taking fourth ahead of Rump and Joffrey De Narda. Prema duo Jamin and Damiano Fioravanti were seventh and eighth, with the top ten completed by Hubert and Costa.

Both sessions saw numerous interruptions, with the afternoon run coming to an end slightly ahead of schedule due to a red flag.

Session results
Pos. Driver Team Session 1 Session 2
1 Gustav Malja Josef Kaufmann Racing 1:43.957 1:44.046
2 Steijn Schothorst Manor MP Motorsport 1:44.878 1:44.010
3 Levin Amweg ART Junior Team 1:44.988 1:44.024
4 George Russell AV Formula 1:44.534 1:44.169
5 Martin Rump Fortec Motorsports 1:45.347 1:44.293
6 Joffrey De Narda RC Formula 1:45.518 1:44.424
7 Nicolas Jamin Prema Powerteam 1:45.103 1:44.443
8 Max Verstappen KTR 1:44.634 1:44.774
9 Damiano Fioravanti Prema Powerteam 1:45.701 1:44.662
10 Anthoine Hubert Tech 1 Racing 1:45.476 1:44.665
11 Albert Costa Koiranen GP 1:44.976 1:44.730
12 Simon Gachet ARTA Engineering 1:45.539 1:44.762
13 Matthew Graham Fortec Motorsports 1:45.966 1:44.795
14 Alex Palou AV Formula 1:47.539 1:44.853
15 Gregor Ramsay KTR 1:45.074 1:44.956
16 Erik Johansson Koiranen GP 1:46.495 1:45.201
17 Matevos Isaakyan AV Formula 1:46.692 1:45.373
18 John Filippi/Benjamin Bailly RC Formula 1:45.477 1:47.333
19 Dennis Anoschin ARTA Engineering 1:45.667 1:46.186
20 Tristan Viidas Josef Kaufmann Racing 1:47.927 1:45.854
21 Leonardo Pulcini Interwetten.com Racing 1:49.258 1:45.919
22 Robin Hansson Fortec Motorsports 1:46.848 1:45.939
23 Kang Ling Manor MP Motorsport 1:47.414 1:45.997
24 Lukas Sundahl Jenzer Motorsport 1:48.774 1:46.180
25 Tom Le Coq ART Junior Team 1:47.880 1:46.223
26 Vasily Romanov Tech 1 Racing 1:48.071 1:46.306
27 Chris Middlehurst Manor MP Motorsport 1:47.280 1:46.316
28 Jules Gounon Prema Powerteam 1:46.828 1:46.470
29 Max Weinzierl Interwetten.com Racing 1:49.214 1:47.093
30 Alain Valente Jenzer Motorsport 1:49.170 1:47.326
31 Jocelyn Vuadens/Christophe Hurni Jenzer Motorsport 1:49.507 1:49.161

Quickest personal time in bold
Quickest time of session in italics