Home Formula 2 Nobuharu Matsushita tops afternoon session on day two of Bahrain test

Nobuharu Matsushita tops afternoon session on day two of Bahrain test

by Peter Allen
Nobuharu Matsushita

Photo: Sam Bloxham/GP2 Series Media Service

Honda protege Nobuharu Matsushita recorded the best time so far of the GP2 test in Bahrain, topping the afternoon session on day two.

The Japanese F3 champion claimed top spot with five minutes remaining, as many drivers fitted soft tyres for a late push.

He was 0.159s ahead of second-placed Arthur Pic, while erstwhile leader Raffaele Marciello was bumped down to third.

Morning pace-setter Sergey Sirotkin was fourth ahead of Marco Sorensen and Stoffel Vandoorne. Seventh was Daniel De Jong just ahead of his MP Motorsport team-mate for the week, Sergio Canamasas.

Rio Haryanto and Nigel Melker completed the top ten.

Afternoon session results
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Nobuharu Matsushita ART Grand Prix 1:40.191 31
2 Arthur Pic Campos Racing 1:40.350 0.159 27
3 Raffaele Marciello Trident 1:40.446 0.255 16
4 Sergey Sirotkin Rapax 1:40.561 0.370 24
5 Marco Sorensen Carlin 1:40.658 0.467 25
6 Stoffel Vandoorne ART Grand Prix 1:40.666 0.475 26
7 Daniel De Jong MP Motorsport 1:40.927 0.736 20
8 Sergio Canamasas MP Motorsport 1:40.958 0.767 33
9 Rio Haryanto Campos Racing 1:40.981 0.790 29
10 Artem Markelov Russian Time 1:41.034 0.843 24
11 Richie Stanaway Status Grand Prix 1:41.086 0.895 21
12 Rene Binder Trident 1:41.097 0.906 25
13 Robert Visoiu Rapax 1:41.128 0.937 27
14 Norman Nato Arden International 1:41.183 0.992 32
15 Nick Yelloly Hilmer Motorsport 1:41.227 1.036 22
16 Alexander Rossi Racing Engineering 1:41.341 1.150 21
17 Alex Lynn DAMS 1:41.352 1.161 22
18 Mitch Evans Russian Time 1:41.372 1.181 16
19 Zoel Amberg Lazarus 1:41.440 1.249 35
20 Julian Leal Carlin 1:41.497 1.306 21
21 Pierre Gasly DAMS 1:41.606 1.415 31
22 Marlon Stockinger Status Grand Prix 1:41.669 1.478 33
23 Nathanael Berthon Lazarus 1:42.467 2.276 5
24 Andre Negrao Arden International 1:42.509 2.318 23
25 Nigel Melker Hilmer Motorsport 1:43.631 3.440 13
26 Jordan King Racing Engineering 1:44.181 3.990 34