Nyck De Vries tops F2 testing for second day in a row

Photo: Joe Portlock / FIA F2

ART Grand Prix’s Nyck de Vries was fastest once again in the second day of Formula 2 pre-season testing at Jerez.

The Dutchman set his day-topping time in the morning session, with Campos Racing’s Dorian Boccolacci leading the afternoon session with a time 0.770 seconds slower.

De Vries set his time in the opening hour of the day’s running, with Virtuosi Racing’s Lucas Ghiotto getting closest after several attempts to. On his last run Ghiotto got loose at Turn 8 and crashed, causing the third red flag of the session and prematurely ending it.

Guanyu Zhou nearly matched his Virtuosi team-mate, and didn’t crash in the process, with the top three covered by 0.035s.

Carlin driver Louis Deletraz looked to be an early threat to de Vries’ spot at the top, but had already been demoted to fourth once he started concentrating on long runs.

Mick Schumacher was fifth fastest for Prema, ahead of DAMS pair Nicholas Latifi and Sergio Sette Camara – the former the cause of the second red flag – Sauber juniors Callum Ilott and Juan Manuel Correa, Richard Verschoor (MP Motorsport), Jack Aitken (Campos) and de Vries’ team-mate Nikita Mazepin.

This top 12 order remained at the end of the day such was the difference in pace between the two sessions, with Boccolacci’s afternoon benchmark only putting him 13th.

Ilott and Correa, both run by Charouz Racing? System, were the early pacesetters, with reigning GP3 champion Anthoine Hubert not far behind for Arden International. The Frenchman was also logging the most laps until an off at Turn 4 caused the session to be red flagged.

Despite a spin at Turn 1, Ilott stayed at the top of the times until late on, with Boccolacci and Trident’s Giuliano Alesi being the only two to better the Brit’s benchmark.

Jordan King’s mechanical failure from the first day of testing ruled him out of both sessions, but the MP driver is set to compete in the third day at Jerez.

Combined day two times