Home Formula 2 Matsushita keeps ART fastest in opening GP2 test session

Matsushita keeps ART fastest in opening GP2 test session

by Peter Allen
Nobuharu Matsushita

Photo: Sam Bloxham/GP2 Series Media Service

GP2 champions ART Grand Prix remained on top as post-season testing began in Abu Dhabi thanks to its Japanese driver Nobuharu Matsushita.

The opening morning of the three-day test was led by three drivers remaining with their 2015 teams: Matsushita, Alex Lynn of DAMS and Norman Nato of Arden.

A year on from his GP2 debut, Matushita led the way with a 1m49.180s set early in the session and finished up 0.124 seconds ahead of Lynn.

In fourth behind Nato was Stoffel Vandoorne’s ART replacement for the day, Oliver Rowland.

The Formula Renault 3.5 champion edged out his long-time rival Pierre Gasly, who took fifth in the Prema team’s maiden GP2 session.

Nicholas Latifi was sixth in Gasly’s DAMS machine in front of?Tio Ellinas, returning to GP2 to test with Russian Time.

Rapax tester Andre Negrao and Richie Stanaway at Carlin were next, with Nick Yelloly 10th for MP Motorsport. and Jordan King completed the top 10.

Jordan King and?Sergey Sirotkin were next for Racing Engineering ahead of Carlin’s Dean Stoneman.

In 14th was the top GP2 newcomer, European Formula 3 champion Felix Rosenqvist for Status, just ahead of Trident’s GP3 runner-up Luca Ghiotto.

Mercedes DTM champion Pascal Wehrlein took 18th in the other Prema car.

Morning session results
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Nobuharu Matsushita ART Grand Prix 1:49.180 25
2 Alex Lynn DAMS 1:49.304 0.124 9
3 Norman Nato Arden International 1:49.479 0.299 17
4 Oliver Rowland ART Grand Prix 1:49.501 0.321 12
5 Pierre Gasly Prema Racing 1:49.508 0.328 16
6 Nicholas Latifi DAMS 1:49.792 0.612 15
7 Tio Ellinas Russian Time 1:49.816 0.636 14
8 Andre Negrao Rapax 1:49.821 0.641 18
9 Richie Stanaway Carlin 1:49.837 0.657 17
10 Nick Yelloly MP Motorsport 1:50.067 0.887 23
11 Jordan King Racing Engineering 1:50.078 0.898 20
12 Sergey Sirotkin Racing Engineering 1:50.200 1.020 15
13 Dean Stoneman Carlin 1:50.244 1.064 18
14 Felix Rosenqvist Status Grand Prix 1:50.264 1.084 21
15 Luca Ghiotto Trident 1:50.429 1.249 21
16 Artem Markelov Russian Time 1:50.543 1.363 15
17 Jimmy Eriksson Trident 1:50.739 1.559 20
18 Pascal Wehrlein Prema Racing 1:51.022 1.842 18
19 Gustav Malja Arden International 1:51.032 1.852 23
20 Konstantin Tereschenko Campos Racing 1:51.257 2.077 17
21 Alex Fontana Rapax 1:51.309 2.129 16
22 Richard Gonda MP Motorsport 1:51.745 2.565 25
23 Sean Gelael Campos Racing 1:52.340 3.160 7
24 Philo Armand Status Grand Prix 1:54.167 4.987 20