GP3 testing: Boccolacci halts ART's run of top times for Trident
The currently un-signed Dorian Boccolacci set the fastest time on the second and final day of the second GP3 pre-season test at Barcelona for the Trident team
Boccolacci's best lap of 1m32.896s was set just over an hour into the day's morning session, which took place in bright and mild conditions - in contrast to the cold and wet weather that opened the test on Wednesday.
The fine weather meant the teams used the morning running to simulate qualifying conditions and several drivers - including Boccolacci, Arjun Maini, Niko Kari - enjoyed spells at the top of the timesheets during a frenetic opening hour.
Boccolacci finished second in the Formula Renault Eurocup and third in the NEC series last year after stepping back down following a 2015 European Formula 3 campaign with Signature.
The 18-year-old Frenchman had already tested with the DAMS and Arden GP3 teams in late-2016, and though he has not yet sealed a deal with Trident, he has driven for it at every '17 test so far.
Thursday's result was the first time any team other than ART Grand Prix had been fastest on a GP3 test day in 2017, but the champion squad was second with Nirei Fukuzumi - the Wednesday pacesetter 0.012 seconds behind Boccolacci.
Fukuzumi's ART team-mates Jack Aitken and Mercedes Formula 1 junior driver George Russell were third and fourth, and no driver improved their times in the afternoon as they concentrated on long run practice after the lunchbreak.
Red Bull junior Kari finished fifth for Arden, ahead of Campos Racing's Raoul Hyman and Boccolacci's Trident team-mate Kevin Jorg.
Marcos Siebert - the 2016 Italian Formula 4 champion who is testing for Campos but is also yet to be confirmed as taking part in the '17 GP3 season - was eighth fastest, with Santino Ferrucci and Maini completing the top 10.
After only one red flag came out in the morning - so Steijn Schothorst's Arden car could be recovered after he stopped at Turn 5 just after the halfway point of the three-hour session - the afternoon was twice briefly brought to a halt.
Ryan Tveter stopped at Turn 2 one hour after lunch and 30 minutes later Tatiana Calderon and Hyman ground to a halt at Turn 9 and Turn 6.
The third GP3 pre-season test will take place at Valencia on 25-26 April, with the season getting under way on 13-14 May on the support bill for the Spanish Grand Prix.
MORNING TIMES:
Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dorian Boccolacci | Trident | 1m32.896s | - | 45 |
2 | Nirei Fukuzumi | ART Grand Prix | 1m32.908s | 0.012s | 41 |
3 | Jack Aitken | ART Grand Prix | 1m32.915s | 0.019s | 46 |
4 | George Russell | ART Grand Prix | 1m32.944s | 0.048s | 57 |
5 | Niko Kari | Arden International | 1m33.303s | 0.407s | 47 |
6 | Raoul Hyman | Campos Racing | 1m33.374s | 0.478s | 44 |
7 | Kevin Jorg | Trident | 1m33.437s | 0.541s | 45 |
8 | Marcos Siebert | Campos Racing | 1m33.445s | 0.549s | 36 |
9 | Santino Ferrucci | DAMS | 1m33.451s | 0.555s | 41 |
10 | Arjun Maini | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m33.534s | 0.638s | 36 |
11 | Leonardo Pulcini | Arden International | 1m33.593s | 0.697s | 41 |
12 | Anthoine Hubert | ART Grand Prix | 1m33.640s | 0.744s | 43 |
13 | Tatiana Calderon | DAMS | 1m33.702s | 0.806s | 35 |
14 | Bruno Baptista | DAMS | 1m33.849s | 0.953s | 40 |
15 | Alessio Lorandi | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m33.873s | 0.977s | 40 |
16 | Ryan Tveter | Trident | 1m33.973s | 1.077s | 42 |
17 | Julien Falchero | Campos Racing | 1m34.009s | 1.113s | 34 |
18 | Steijn Schothorst | Arden International | 1m34.141s | 1.245s | 44 |
19 | Giuliano Alesi | Trident | 1m34.234s | 1.338s | 41 |
AFTERNOON TIMES:
Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dorian Boccolacci | Trident | 1m34.022s | - | 43 |
2 | Alessio Lorandi | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m35.425s | 1.403s | 41 |
3 | Tatiana Calderon | DAMS | 1m35.624s | 1.602s | 34 |
4 | Raoul Hyman | Campos Racing | 1m35.716s | 1.694s | 37 |
5 | Santino Ferrucci | DAMS | 1m35.963s | 1.941s | 47 |
6 | Julien Falchero | Campos Racing | 1m36.281s | 2.259s | 39 |
7 | Arjun Maini | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m36.358s | 2.336s | 35 |
8 | Marcos Siebert | Campos Racing | 1m36.374s | 2.352s | 40 |
9 | Ryan Tveter | Trident | 1m36.430s | 2.408s | 41 |
10 | Niko Kari | Arden International | 1m36.928s | 2.906s | 54 |
11 | Leonardo Pulcini | Arden International | 1m36.987s | 2.965s | 35 |
12 | Steijn Schothorst | Arden International | 1m37.147s | 3.125s | 51 |
13 | Giuliano Alesi | Trident | 1m37.160s | 3.138s | 44 |
14 | George Russell | ART Grand Prix | 1m37.546s | 3.524s | 53 |
15 | Kevin Jorg | Trident | 1m37.600s | 3.578s | 46 |
16 | Anthoine Hubert | ART Grand Prix | 1m37.713s | 3.691s | 53 |
17 | Nirei Fukuzumi | ART Grand Prix | 1m37.732s | 3.710s | 54 |
18 | Jack Aitken | ART Grand Prix | 1m37.753s | 3.731s | 48 |
19 | Bruno Baptista | DAMS | 1m37.809s | 3.787s | 44 |
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