Photo: World Series by Renault
Formula Renault 3.5 Series rookie Stoffel Vandoorne showed again he could be a threat for the championship as he beat favourite Antonio Felix da Costa to the fastest time on the first day of the Paul Ricard test.
Following abandoned test at Motorland Aragon due to snow and ice, the teams were greeted in France by rain as the two-day test got underway. Red Bull man Felix da Costa posted the best time at the end of the session, 2.259 seconds clear of Kevin Magnussen.
Sam Bird, back with ISR, took third spot ahead of Daniil Move and Marco Sorensen. Lucas Foresti, Will Stevens and the Carlin pairing of Carlos Huertas and Jazeman Jaafar came next, with the top ten completed by Caterham-liveried Pietro Fantin.
Vandoorne only finished the morning session down in 19th but was back at the front in the dry afternoon running, resuming the first place he held on the one day of action at Motorland. He edged out Felix da Costa by just 0.028s.
Stevens took third just ahead of Sorensen, with Nico Muller narrowly ahead of Draco teammate Andre Negrao in fifth and sixth respectively.
Magnussen was seventh ahead of Nick Yelloly, who has switched to race in GP3 this year but is driving for new entrant Zeta Corse in France. Huertas and Nikolay Martsenko.
Morning session
| Pos | Name | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
| 1 | Antonio Felix da Costa | Arden Caterham Motorsport | 1:57.555 | 30 | |
| 2 | Kevin Magnussen | DAMS | 1:59.814 | 2.259 | 31 |
| 3 | Sam Bird | ISR | 2:00.954 | 3.399 | 32 |
| 4 | Daniil Move | SMP Racing By Comtec | 2:01.383 | 3.828 | 19 |
| 5 | Marco Sorensen | Lotus | 2:01.920 | 4.365 | 34 |
| 6 | Lucas Foresti | SMP Racing By Comtec | 2:02.154 | 4.599 | 31 |
| 7 | Will Stevens | P1 Motorsport | 2:02.199 | 4.644 | 39 |
| 8 | Carlos Huertas | Carlin | 2:02.529 | 4.974 | 29 |
| 9 | Jazeman Jaafar | Carlin | 2:02.700 | 5.145 | 47 |
| 10 | Pietro Fantin | Arden Caterham Motorsport | 2:03.065 | 5.510 | 42 |
| 11 | Nico Muller | International Draco Racing | 2:03.105 | 5.550 | 37 |
| 12 | Andre Negrao | International Draco Racing | 2:03.195 | 5.640 | 36 |
| 13 | Nikolay Martsenko | Pons Racing | 2:04.596 | 7.041 | 43 |
| 14 | Yann Cunha | AV Formula | 2:04.790 | 7.235 | 46 |
| 15 | Oliver Webb | Fortec Motorsports | 2:04.913 | 7.358 | 31 |
| 16 | Sergey Sirotkin | ISR | 2:04.976 | 7.421 | 37 |
| 17 | Mikhail Aleshin | Tech 1 Racing | 2:05.200 | 7.645 | 30 |
| 18 | Nigel Melker | Tech 1 Racing | 2:05.350 | 7.795 | 36 |
| 19 | Stoffel Vandoorne | Fortec Motorsports | 2:06.154 | 8.599 | 25 |
| 20 | Matias Laine | P1 Motorsport | 2:06.337 | 8.782 | 41 |
| 21 | Mihai Marinescu | Zeta Corse | 2:07.220 | 9.665 | 24 |
| 22 | Norman Nato | DAMS | 2:07.316 | 9.761 | 38 |
| 23 | Marlon Stockinger | Lotus | 2:07.817 | 10.262 | 42 |
| 24 | Zoel Amberg | Pons Racing | 2:07.857 | 10.302 | 15 |
| 25 | Arthur Pic | AV Formula | 2:08.316 | 10.761 | 12 |
| 26 | Nick Yelloly | Zeta Corse | No time |
Afternoon session
| Pos | Name | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
| 1 | Stoffel Vandoorne | Fortec Motorsports | 1:46.745 | 25 | |
| 2 | Antonio Felix da Costa | Arden Caterham Motorsport | 1:46.773 | 0.028 | 34 |
| 3 | Will Stevens | P1 Motorsport | 1:46.943 | 0.170 | 28 |
| 4 | Marco Sorensen | Lotus | 1:46.979 | 0.036 | 18 |
| 5 | Nico Muller | International Draco Racing | 1:47.185 | 0.206 | 31 |
| 6 | Andre Negrao | International Draco Racing | 1:47.240 | 0.055 | 24 |
| 7 | Kevin Magnussen | DAMS | 1:47.281 | 0.041 | 27 |
| 8 | Nick Yelloly | Zeta Corse | 1:47.584 | 0.303 | 30 |
| 9 | Carlos Huertas | Carlin | 1:47.684 | 0.100 | 26 |
| 10 | Nikolay Martsenko | Pons Racing | 1:47.705 | 0.021 | 42 |
| 11 | Lucas Foresti | SMP Racing By Comtec | 1:47.738 | 0.033 | 35 |
| 12 | Sergey Sirotkin | ISR | 1:47.775 | 0.037 | 28 |
| 13 | Mikhail Aleshin | Tech 1 Racing | 1:47.989 | 0.214 | 38 |
| 14 | Oliver Webb | Fortec Motorsports | 1:48.021 | 0.032 | 26 |
| 15 | Norman Nato | DAMS | 1:48.127 | 0.106 | 30 |
| 16 | Zoel Amberg | Pons Racing | 1:48.178 | 0.051 | 24 |
| 17 | Daniil Move | SMP Racing By Comtec | 1:48.202 | 0.024 | 29 |
| 18 | Marlon Stockinger | Lotus | 1:48.307 | 0.105 | 21 |
| 19 | Matias Laine | P1 Motorsport | 1:48.372 | 0.065 | 21 |
| 20 | Pietro Fantin | Arden Caterham Motorsport | 1:48.439 | 0.067 | 36 |
| 21 | Jazeman Jaafar | Carlin | 1:48.440 | 0.001 | 41 |
| 22 | Yann Cunha | AV Formula | 1:49.211 | 0.771 | 40 |
| 23 | Nigel Melker | Tech 1 Racing | 1:49.703 | 0.492 | 16 |
| 24 | Sam Bird | ISR | 1:49.778 | 0.075 | 8 |
| 25 | Mihai Marinescu | Zeta Corse | 1:50.220 | 0.442 | 29 |
| 26 | Arthur Pic | AV Formula | 1:59.888 | 9.668 | 4 |