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Nico Muller Tops Second Day Of Paul Ricard Test

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Second year GP3 Series driver Nico Muller recorded the fastest time on the second and final day of the pre-season test at Paul Ricard in France. The Swiss driver posted the time for Jenzer Motorsport during the morning session.

Following a rain-hit first day at the track in Le Castellet, the teams enjoyed improved conditions for the second day, but were greeted by a damp track at the start of the morning. It was Status driver Antonio Felix da Costa and Atech CRS's Nick Yelloly who set the initial pace in the tricky conditions.

The track dried throughout the morning, and once drivers were able to fit slick tyres the times began to fall. Alexander Sims, who had been the pacesetter on the opening day, took the top spot for Status, but a rush of quick laps on new rubber late in the session adjusted the order. Muller came out on top, with the RSC Mucke Motorsport pairing of Nigel Melker and Michael Christensen locking out the top three positions for the second-year drivers. MW Arden's Simon Trummer was fourth quickest, with Felix da Costa ending up fifth.

In the afternoon it was Sims who set the pace once again. His time was not matched until late in the session, when drivers once again fitted fresh tyres. James Calado went to the top of timing screens for ART, but was found to have cut the chicane on his quickest lap. This meant that his two fastest times from the afternoon session were deleted. This restored Sims to P1, with New Zealand rookie Mitch Evans second for MW Arden and Muller third, his morning benchmark time not being bettered during the afternoon. Felix da Costa was fourth, with Daniel Morad fifth for Addax.

GP3 Series pre-season testing will resume at Silverstone in just over three weeks time.

Morning session:

Pos Driver Team Laps Best Lap Gap
1 Nico Müller Jenzer Motorsport 54 1:20.896  
2 Nigel Melker RSC Mücke Motorsport 43 1:20.982 0.086
3 Michael Christensen RSC Mücke Motorsport 46 1:20.998 0.102
4 Simon Trummer MW Arden 53 1:21.122 0.226
5 Antonio Felix Da Costa Status Grand Prix 48 1:21.158 0.262
6 Mitch Evans MW Arden 57 1:21.192 0.296
7 Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Manor Racing 39 1:21.243 0.347
8 Alexander Sims Status Grand Prix 47 1:21.288 0.392
9 Lewis Williamson MW Arden 58 1:21.291 0.395
10 Aaro Vainio Tech 1 Racing 44 1:21.464 0.568
11 Pedro Nunes Lotus ART 37 1:21.580 0.684
12 Matias Laine Manor Racing 41 1:21.582 0.686
13 Valtteri Bottas Lotus ART 53 1:21.711 0.815
14 Tamas Pal Kiss Tech 1 Racing 33 1:21.720 0.824
15 Nick Yelloly Atech CRS GP 55 1:21.740 0.844
16 Tom Dillmann Carlin 58 1:21.752 0.856
17 Maxim Zimin Jenzer Motorsport 49 1:21.762 0.866
18 Gabby Chaves Addax Team 50 1:21.772 0.876
19 Vittorio Ghirelli Jenzer Motorsport 50 1:21.773 0.877
20 Doru Sechelariu Tech 1 Racing 58 1:21.833 0.937
21 Daniel Morad Addax Team 58 1:21.866 0.970
22 Marlon Stockinger Atech CRS GP 56 1:21.996 1.100
23 James Calado Lotus ART 32 1:22.063 1.167
24 Conor Daly Carlin 59 1:22.168 1.272
25 Bruno Mendes Addax Team 64 1:22.301 1.405
26 Willi Steindl RSC Mücke Motorsport 52 1:22.328 1.432
27 Rio Haryanto Manor Racing 45 1:22.447 1.551
28 Ivan Lukashevich Status Grand Prix 19 1:22.812 1.916
29 Kotaro Sakurai Carlin 49 1:23.058 2.162
30 Zoel Amberg Atech CRS GP 38 1:23.204 2.308

Afternoon session:

Pos Driver Team Laps Best Time Gap
1 Alexander Sims Status Grand Prix 56 1:20.898  
2 Mitch Evans MW Arden 34 1:20.969 0.071
3 Nico Müller Jenzer Motorsport 43 1:21.110 0.212
4 Antonio Felix Da Costa Status Grand Prix 49 1:21.128 0.230
5 Daniel Morad Addax Team 40 1:21.189 0.291
6 Nigel Melker RSC Mücke Motorsport 27 1:21.204 0.306
7 Simon Trummer MW Arden 32 1:21.254 0.356
8 Valtteri Bottas Lotus ART 37 1:21.254 0.356
9 Lewis Williamson MW Arden 42 1:21.341 0.443
10 Matias Laine Manor Racing 39 1:21.405 0.507
11 Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Manor Racing 41 1:21.408 0.510
12 Michael Christensen RSC Mücke Motorsport 44 1:21.464 0.566
13 Gabby Chaves Addax Team 33 1:21.464 0.566
14 Tom Dillmann Carlin 35 1:21.548 0.650
15 Bruno Mendes Addax Team 38 1:21.549 0.651
16 Tamas Pal Kiss Tech 1 Racing 40 1:21.671 0.773
17 Aaro Vainio Tech 1 Racing 48 1:21.680 0.782
18 James Calado Lotus ART 47 1:21.735 0.837
19 Marlon Stockinger Atech CRS GP 46 1:21.797 0.899
20 Nick Yelloly Atech CRS GP 43 1:21.808 0.910
21 Willi Steindl RSC Mücke Motorsport 45 1:21.861 0.963
22 Maxim Zimin Jenzer Motorsport 47 1:21.938 1.040
23 Vittorio Ghirelli Jenzer Motorsport 38 1:21.951 1.053
24 Pedro Nunes Lotus ART 40 1:21.955 1.057
25 Doru Sechelariu Tech 1 Racing 32 1:21.967 1.069
26 Rio Haryanto Manor Racing 48 1:22.003 1.105
27 Conor Daly Carlin 37 1:22.225 1.327
28 Ivan Lukashevich Status Grand Prix 46 1:22.267 1.369
29 Zoel Amberg Atech CRS GP 39 1:22.371 1.473
30 Kotaro Sakurai Carlin 51 1:22.560 1.662
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About author
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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