Yas Marina Tests, Day 3: Latifi ends on top

DAMS driver fastest overall during three days test

By Franck Drui

2 December 2016 - 18:34
Yas Marina Tests, Day 3: Latifi (...)

Nicholas Latifi concluded his GP2 season on top at Yas Marina Circuit: the Canadian driver from DAMS set the fastest overall laptime over the past three days of post-season testing with a 1:49.929. Johnny Cecotto (Rapax) and Jordan King (MP Motorsport) completed the top three.

The final day of post-season testing opened in slightly cooler conditions with the twenty-one drivers on Medium Pirelli tyres. King set the early pace in a 1:50.136 before a red flag period caused by Sergio Sette Camara after he clipped the barrier at Turn 19.

At the restart, Louis Delétraz found some extra pace to clock in a laptime of 1:50.403 but it was not enough to edge out King of the top spot. Halfway through the session, a second red flag was caused after Cecotto stopped on track at Turn 20. When the action resumed, King bettered his own time and was the first man to dip under 1m50s.

The remainder of the session was trouble-free and studious with most of the drivers completing long runs. At the chequered flag, King’s laptime of 1:49.880 was unbeaten. Delétraz, Cecotto, Gustav Malja, Oliver Rowland, Artem Markelov, Antonio Fuoco, Sette Camara, Egor Orudzhev and Philo Paz Armand completed the top ten.

Once again, the evening session opened at night time but was quickly stopped by a red flag period caused by debris on track. At the restart, it was Sean Gelael who set the early pace with a laptime of 1:49.728 before Markelov posted a laptime of 1:49.226 to go top.

One hour into the session, Rowland clocked in a lap of 1:49.216 which was soon bettered by only 0.01s by his teammate Latifi. In the final stages, the Canadian went even quicker and lapped the track in a 1:48.929 - the fastest time of the past three days. He then remained at the top of the timings until the chequered flag.

The proceedings were briefly halted one last time due to debris on track. At the chequered flag, Latifi topped the session ahead of Cecotto, King, Rowland, Markelov, Fuoco, Charles Leclerc, Gelael, Alexander Albon and Callum Ilott.

This concludes the 2016 GP2 Series season.

Morning results

PosDriverTeamTimeLaps
1. Jordan King MP Motorsport 1:49.880 30
2. Louis Delétraz Racing Engineering 1:50.403 32
3. Johnny Cecotto Rapax 1:50.543 15
4. Gustav Malja Racing Engineering 1:50.547 33
5. Oliver Rowland DAMS 1:50.618 24
6. Artem Markelov RUSSIAN TIME 1:50.737 21
7. Antonio Fuoco PREMA Racing 1:50.783 24
8. Sergio Sette Camara Carlin 1:50.960 24
9. Egor Orudzhev Pertamina Campos Racing 1:51.028 25
10. Philo Paz Armand Trident 1:51.045 26
11. Nyck De Vries Rapax 1:51.256 27
12. Daniel Juncadella Pertamina Campos Racing 1:51.479 29
13. Chris Höher RUSSIAN TIME 1:51.762 27
14. Nabil Jeffri Trident 1:52.245 23
15. Sean Gelael Arden International 1:52.443 37
16. Mahaveer Raghunathan MP Motorsport 1:52.575 27
17. Charles Leclerc PREMA Racing 1:52.598 29
18. Luca Ghiotto Arden International 1:52.694 27
19. Callum Ilott ART Grand Prix 1:52.806 33
20. Nicholas Latifi DAMS 1:52.841 31
21. Alexander Albon ART Grand Prix 1:52.866 37

Afternoon results

PosDriverTeamTimeLaps
1. Nicholas Latifi DAMS 1:48.929 21
2. Johnny Cecotto Rapax 1:49.141 13
3. Jordan King MP Motorsport 1:49.148 12
4. Oliver Rowland DAMS 1:49.188 21
5. Artem Markelov RUSSIAN TIME 1:49.226 7
6. Antonio Fuoco PREMA Racing 1:49.345 27
7. Charles Leclerc PREMA Racing 1:49.384 10
8. Sean Gelael Arden International 1:49.385 15
9. Alexander Albon ART Grand Prix 1:49.405 28
10. Callum Ilott ART Grand Prix 1:49.421 22
11. Nyck De Vries Rapax 1:49.573 13
12. Luca Ghiotto Arden International 1:49.585 17
13. Gustav Malja Racing Engineering 1:49.775 13
14. Louis Delétraz Racing Engineering 1:49.941 19
15. Sergio Sette Camara Carlin 1:50.036 19
16. Philo Paz Armand Trident 1:50.254 11
17. Daniel Juncadella Pertamina Campos Racing 1:50.665 16
18. Chris Höher RUSSIAN TIME 1:50668 15
19. Nabil Jeffri Trident 1:50.719 33
20. Egor Orudzhev Pertamina Campos Racing 1:51.600 28
21. Mahaveer Raghunathan MP Motorsport 1:52.189 15

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