GP2 Series

Gutierrez Sets Pace On Penultimate Day Of Pre-Season Testing

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Esteban Gutierrez - Photo Credit: Daniel Kalisz/GP2 Series Media Service

Gutierrez navigates his Lotus GP car through the opening turns at Barcelona today - Photo Credit: Daniel Kalisz/GP2 Series Media Service

Esteban Gutierrez posted the fastest time on the penultimate day of GP2 pre-season testing at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.

The Mexican Lotus GP driver recorded the best time of the morning session, just four thousandths of a second faster than Caterham pilot Giedo van der Garde.

In what was an extremely close session, Carlin's Max Chilton was just a further four thousandths behind in third place.

Close behind was Davide Valsecchi for DAMS, ahead of Stefano Coletti of Coloni. Luiz Razia (back in the hotseat at Arden after feeling ill yesterday) ensured there were six different teams in the top six places. James Calado took seventh in the second Lotus car, ahead of yesterday's surprise pacesetter Fabrizio Crestani, Jolyon Palmer and Fabio Onidi.

In the afternoon session it was the Trident Racing pairing of Julian Leal and Stephane Richelmi who hit the front early on. Leal remained there until the checkered flag, while Richelmi was demoted to third place by Ocean's Nigel Melker.

Josef Kral took fourth place for Addax, just ahead of Tom Dillmann – the Frenchman back in the driving seat at Rapax. Razia was sixth again, ahead of Jon Lancaster, who announced his race seat with Ocean yesterday. Angola's Ricardo Teixeira took an impressive eighth for Rapax, ahead of Rio Haryanto and Gutierrez.

Morning results

  Driver Team Laptime Laps
1. Esteban Gutiérrez Lotus GP 1:28.740 36
2. Giedo van der Garde Caterham Racing 1:28.744 30
3. Max Chilton Carlin 1:28.748 29
4. Davide Valsecchi DAMS 1:28.785 25
5. Stefano Coletti Scuderia Coloni 1:29.047 24
6. Luiz Razia Arden International 1:29.065 35
7. James Calado Lotus GP 1:29.100 37
8. Fabrizio Crestani Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:29.150 22
9. Jolyon Palmer iSport International 1:29.195 21
10. Fabio Onidi Scuderia Coloni 1:29.198 27
11. Tom Dillmann Rapax 1:29.289 26
12. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1:29.339 28
13. Nathanaël Berthon Racing Engineering 1:29.397 29
14. Rio Haryanto Carlin 1:29.515 26
15. Jon Lancaster Ocean Racing Technology 1:29.533 30
16. Nigel Melker Ocean Racing Technology 1:29.540 28
17. Marcus Ericsson iSport International 1:29.547 27
18. Josef Kral Barwa Addax Team 1:29.621 32
19. Felipe Nasr DAMS 1:29.865 35
20. Simon Trummer Arden International 1:29.881 33
21. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham Racing 1:30.169 36
22. Johnny Cecotto Barwa Addax Team 1:30.200 28
23. Stéphane Richelmi Trident Racing 1:30.553 24
24. Julian Leal Trident Racing 1:30.747 6
25. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax 1:31.220 22
26. Giancarlo Serenelli Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:32.740 37

Afternoon results

  Driver Team Laptime Laps
1. Julian Leal Trident Racing 1:29.653 42
2. Nigel Melker Ocean Racing Technology 1:29.680 16
3. Stéphane Richelmi Trident Racing 1:29.860 37
4. Josef Kral Barwa Addax Team 1:29.924 27
5. Tom Dillmann Rapax 1:29.937 23
6. Luiz Razia Arden International 1:29.970 30
7. Jon Lancaster Ocean Racing Technology 1:30.259 34
8. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax 1:31.877 28
9. Rio Haryanto Carlin 1:32.581 30
10. Esteban Gutiérrez Lotus GP 1:32.613 47
11. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1:32.751 36
12. Fabrizio Crestani Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:32.842 21
13. Giancarlo Serenelli Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:33.089 24
14. Stefano Coletti Scuderia Coloni 1:33.154 30
15. Marcus Ericsson iSport International 1:33.225 37
16. Giedo van der Garde Caterham Racing 1:33.387 48
17. Jolyon Palmer iSport International 1:33.410 41
18. Felipe Nasr DAMS 1:33.461 32
19. Davide Valsecchi DAMS 1:33.485 32
20. Max Chilton Carlin 1:33.485 37
21. Fabio Onidi Scuderia Coloni 1:33.616 33
22. James Calado Lotus GP 1:33.677 49
23. Nathanaël Berthon Racing Engineering 1:33.751 45
24. Simon Trummer Arden International 1:33.761 52
25. Johnny Cecotto Barwa Addax Team 1:34.542 34
26. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham Racing 1:35.054 47
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Peter joined the TCF team in September 2010 and covers GP2 and GP3 along with WTCC and Formula Two. You can find him on twitter at @PeteAllen_
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