Crestani was a surprise leader today for the new Lazarus team - Photo Credit: Daniel Kalisz/GP2 Series Media Service
Fabrizio Crestani put GP2 Series newcomers Venezuela GP Lazarus on top of the timesheets on the first day of the second and final pre-season test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.
The Italian driver, who has stepped up from Auto GP this season, set his laptime towards the end of the morning session. It was enough to put him more than two tenths clear of Jolyon Palmer of iSport come the lunchbreak. Stephane Richelmi was third for Trident Racing ahead of Carlin's Rio Haryanto and Stefano Coletti of Coloni.
Davide Valsecchi, who had dominated the tests at Jerez last week for DAMS, was sixth fastest in the morning, just ahead of Trident's Julian Leal, Caterham's Giedo van der Garde and Max Chilton of Carlin. The top ten was rounded out by Simon Trummer for Arden.
Chilton recorded the fastest time of the afternoon session, going just half a tenth shy of Crestani's benchmark to give him the second best time of the day. 0.15s behind was Leal, with Marcus Ericsson third for iSport. Coletti was fourth ahead of Lotus driver James Calado, with van der Garde sixth.
Valsecchi pipped Calado's teammate Esteban Gutierrez to seventh spot, with Johnny Cecotto ninth and Trummer tenth once again. Trummer's teammate Luiz Razia only managed two laps in the morning before sitting out the remainder of the day due to illness.
For the second day of the test tomorrow, Sergio Canamassas will be replaced at Rapax by Tom Dillmann, who previously ran for the Italian outfit at Jerez last Thursday.
Morning results
| Driver | Team | Laptime | Laps | |
| 1. | Fabrizio Crestani | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 1:29.420 | 23 |
| 2. | Jolyon Palmer | iSport International | 1:29.645 | 23 |
| 3. | Stéphane Richelmi | Trident Racing | 1:29.658 | 23 |
| 4. | Rio Haryanto | Carlin | 1:29.673 | 30 |
| 5. | Stefano Coletti | Scuderia Coloni | 1:29.713 | 15 |
| 6. | Davide Valsecchi | DAMS | 1:29.726 | 23 |
| 7. | Julian Leal | Trident Racing | 1:29.743 | 27 |
| 8. | Giedo van der Garde | Caterham Racing | 1:29.750 | 16 |
| 9. | Max Chilton | Carlin | 1:29.774 | 15 |
| 10. | Simon Trummer | Arden International | 1:29.892 | 29 |
| 11. | Esteban Gutiérrez | Lotus GP | 1:29.932 | 22 |
| 12. | Marcus Ericsson | iSport International | 1:29.994 | 23 |
| 13. | James Calado | Lotus GP | 1:30.245 | 18 |
| 14. | Fabio Leimer | Racing Engineering | 1:30.356 | 22 |
| 15. | Fabio Onidi | Scuderia Coloni | 1:30.366 | 16 |
| 16. | Nigel Melker | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:30.703 | 25 |
| 17. | Johnny Cecotto | Barwa Addax Team | 1:30.726 | 16 |
| 18. | Nathanaël Berthon | Racing Engineering | 1:30.861 | 17 |
| 19. | Felipe Nasr | DAMS | 1:30.907 | 23 |
| 20. | Josef Kral | Barwa Addax Team | 1:31.606 | 9 |
| 21. | Rodolfo Gonzalez | Caterham Racing | 1:32.472 | 24 |
| 22. | Sergio Canamasas | Rapax | 1:32.662 | 30 |
| 23. | Ricardo Teixeira | Rapax | 1:33.189 | 27 |
| 24. | Giancarlo Serenelli | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 1:35.588 | 34 |
| 25. | Luiz Razia | Arden International | — | 2 |
| 26. | Jon Lancaster | Ocean Racing Technology | — | 2 |
Afternoon results
| Driver | Team | Laptime | Laps | |
| 1. | Max Chilton | Carlin | 1:29.479 | 23 |
| 2. | Julian Leal | Trident Racing | 1:29.494 | 24 |
| 3. | Marcus Ericsson | iSport International | 1:29.605 | 21 |
| 4. | Stefano Coletti | Scuderia Coloni | 1:29.687 | 26 |
| 5. | James Calado | Lotus GP | 1:29.740 | 22 |
| 6. | Giedo van der Garde | Caterham Racing | 1:29.769 | 26 |
| 7. | Davide Valsecchi | DAMS | 1:29.877 | 41 |
| 8. | Esteban Gutiérrez | Lotus GP | 1:29.902 | 25 |
| 9. | Johnny Cecotto | Barwa Addax Team | 1:29.947 | 28 |
| 10. | Simon Trummer | Arden International | 1:29.980 | 36 |
| 11. | Nathanaël Berthon | Racing Engineering | 1:30.014 | 29 |
| 12. | Fabio Leimer | Racing Engineering | 1:30.053 | 30 |
| 13. | Fabio Onidi | Scuderia Coloni | 1:30.311 | 20 |
| 14. | Jolyon Palmer | iSport International | 1:30.323 | 28 |
| 15. | Felipe Nasr | DAMS | 1:30.393 | 23 |
| 16. | Stéphane Richelmi | Trident Racing | 1:30.577 | 26 |
| 17. | Nigel Melker | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:30.603 | 18 |
| 18. | Jon Lancaster | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:30.715 | 36 |
| 19. | Sergio Canamasas | Rapax | 1:31.468 | 39 |
| 20. | Rio Haryanto | Carlin | 1:31.646 | 21 |
| 21. | Josef Kral | Barwa Addax Team | 1:31.696 | 29 |
| 22. | Rodolfo Gonzalez | Caterham Racing | 1:31.967 | 24 |
| 23. | Ricardo Teixeira | Rapax | 1:32.613 | 24 |
| 24. | Fabrizio Crestani | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 1:33.456 | 27 |
| 25. | Giancarlo Serenelli | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 1:35.420 | 11 |
