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| June 15, 2012 |
| GP3 Series: Buller Leaves Spanish Test P1 |
 | William Buller exited day two of the mid-season Valencia test with the quickest time in hot temperatures
(Photo: GP3 Series Media Services) |
Britain’s William Buller set the pace on Friday (June 15) in the second and final day of testing at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, after producing a lap time of 1:26.389, which was three tenths faster than Matias Laine on day one. Mitch Evans (MW Arden) headed the afternoon timings by just one thousandth of a second over the Carlin man.
There was one change to the line-up, with Robert Visoiu absent from the test due to an exam, so Irishman Gary Thompson made his debut in the Jenzer Motorsport car.
The session started in glorious sunshine and much hotter temperatures than day one, with the drivers eager to set a fast time early on. Trident Racing’s Nico Muller set an early benchmark and was on another hot lap when his team mate Vicky Piria spun into the gravel after 20 minutes, thus causing a halt for a red flag. Buller who was in second, soon went P1, a tenth faster than the Swiss driver.
As the track temperature climbed to 42 degrees, the drivers returned to the pits to make set-up changes and to concentrate on long runs in preparation for the upcoming races. Evans and Buller’s Carlin teammate Antonio Felix Da Costa posted the third and fourth fastest times, ahead of Marussia Manor Racing’s Tio Ellinas, who snuck ahead of Patric Niederhauser (Jenzer Motorsport) at the mid-point of the morning session. Seventh was series leader Aaro Vainio (Lotus GP), and Kevin Ceccon progressed to eighth in the latter stages in his Ocean Racing Technology car after having a brief moment off track which caused a momentary red flag. Daniel Abt (Lotus GP) and Marlon Stockinger (Status Grand Prix) completed the top-10. Americans Conor Daly (Lotus GP), and Ethan Ringel (Atech CRS GP) were 12th and 18th respectively.
When the afternoon session commenced after the one hour break, the MW Arden trio were first out the blocks along with the Status Grand Prix drivers, with Evans topping the timesheets. Stockinger shot to P2 ahead of David Fumanelli and Laine in the first hour. The focus for a lot of the teams was race simulation, along with pit stop practice for some crews. Tamas Pal Kiss (Atech CRS GP) jumped up to fourth at the midway point, followed by Niederhauser going P3.
GP3 debutant Thompson rose to P4 in the final 30 minutes of the session, whilst fastest man of the day Buller set a lap time just one thousandth of a second off Evans’ best time of the afternoon, but remained in P2 at the chequered flag. Stockinger was also just 0.023s off the New Zealander’s best lap, showing how fierce the competition at the front is. Ellinas was fourth, ahead of Niederhauser, Thompson, Fumanelli, Ceccon, Pal-Kiss and Da Costa. Daly and Ringel were 15th and 19th in the final session.
The GP3 Series drivers and teams return to Valencia, at the street circuit this time, on June 23-24 for Rounds Five and Six of the 2012 season.
The top-three, along with how the North American racers did, will be posted following every session on the EFCN Facebook page, and EFCN Twitter page. |
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