GP3 Series convert Alexander Sims posted the fastest time on a rain-hit first day of pre-season testing at Paul Ricard in France.
The former F3 Euro Series racer, driving for Status Grand Prix, set the benchmark time in the morning session. His rivals were unable to better it during the afternoon as the circuit was showered in rain.
The two-days of running at Paul Ricard is the first of three tests that will be held prior to the opening race of the season at Istanbul in May. The teams and drivers were greeted by wet conditions when the morning session got underway.
MW Arden signing Lewis Williamson set the initial pacesetter, before being knocked off by fellow-Brit Sims as the first hour after an hour. Later in the session the track began to dry and various drivers took turns at the top of the timesheets until a red flag disrupted the session. Once the session was restarted the drivers had just five minutes remaining, with the Status pairing of Sims and Antonio Felix da Costa knocking Addax driver Gabby Chaves off top spot in the dying moments to record a 1-2 for the Irish team. Williamson was fourth quickest, with Miki Monras fifth for Addax.
With the afternoon session starting without rainfall, all of the cars were eager to take to the track. However, just a few minutes in the rain came down. As the cars all returned to the pits, it was James Calado who was at the top of the timing screens for ART. With the rain not easing off until the final half an hour this time was not beaten, but it was nearly three seconds off Sim's time from the morning. The weather conditions created several red flag stoppages during the course of the afternoon.
Morning session:
| Driver | Team | Laps | Best Time | Gap | |
| 1 | Alexander Sims | Status Grand Prix | 1:21827 | ||
| 2 | Antonio Felix Da Costa | Status Grand Prix | 34 | 1:21.913 | 0.086 |
| 3 | Gabby Chaves | Addax Team | 49 | 1:22.067 | 0.240 |
| 4 | Lewis Williamson | MW Arden | 50 | 1:22.221 | 0.394 |
| 5 | Miki Monras | Addax Team | 52 | 1:22.375 | 0.548 |
| 6 | Tamas Pal Kiss | Tech 1 Racing | 34 | 1:22.488 | 0.661 |
| 7 | Adrian Quaife-Hobbs | Manor Racing | 36 | 1:22.870 | 1.043 |
| 8 | Ivan Lukashevich | Status Grand Prix | 41 | 1:22.931 | 1.104 |
| 9 | Tom Dillmann | Carlin | 37 | 1:23.034 | 1.207 |
| 10 | Vittorio Ghirelli | Jenzer Motorsport | 48 | 1:23.180 | 1.353 |
| 11 | Conor Daly | Carlin | 40 | 1:23.278 | 1.451 |
| 12 | Daniel Morad | Addax Team | 38 | 1:23.668 | 1.841 |
| 13 | Marlon Stockinger | Atech CRS GP | 48 | 1:23.993 | 2.166 |
| 14 | Kataro Sakurai | Carlin | 46 | 1:24.959 | 3.132 |
| 15 | Zoel Amberg | Atech CRS GP | 38 | 1:25.017 | 3.190 |
| 16 | Nick Yelloly | Atech CRS GP | 51 | 1:26.584 | 4.757 |
| 17 | Valtteri Bottas | Lotus ART | 36 | 1:27.312 | 5.485 |
| 18 | James Calado | Lotus ART | 27 | 1:27.779 | 5.952 |
| 19 | Aaro Vainio | Tech 1 Racing | 24 | 1:27.868 | 6.041 |
| 20 | Nigel Melker | RSC Mucke Motorsport | 33 | 1:28.207 | 6.380 |
| 21 | Michael Christensen | RSC Mucke Motorsport | 37 | 1:28.299 | 6.472 |
| 22 | Simon Trummer | MW Arden | 36 | 1:28.363 | 6.536 |
| 23 | Rio Haryanto | Manor Racing | 35 | 1:28.520 | 6.693 |
| 24 | Maxim Zimin | Jenzer Motorsport | 37 | 1:28.830 | 7.003 |
| 25 | Doru Sechelariu | Tech 1 Racing | 38 | 1:29.150 | 7.323 |
| 26 | Matias Laine | Manor Racing | 15 | 1:31.104 | 9.277 |
| 27 | Nico Muller | Jenzer Motorsport | 36 | 1:31.823 | 9.996 |
| 28 | Willi Steindl | RSC Mucke Motorsport | 34 | 1:32.335 | 10.50 |
| 29 | Pedro Nunes | Lotus ART | 27 | 1:33.284 | 11.45 |
| 30 | Mitch Evans | MW Arden | 24 | 1:33.645 | 11.81 |
Afternoon session:
| Driver | Team | Laps | Best Time | Gap | |
| 1 | James Calado | Lotus ART | 36 | 1:24.627 | |
| 2 | Ivan Lukashevich | Status Grand Prix | 30 | 1:25.795 | 1.168 |
| 3 | Lewis Williamson | MW Arden | 18 | 1:25.798 | 1.171 |
| 4 | Adrian Quaife-Hobbs | Manor Racing | 33 | 1:25.966 | 1.339 |
| 5 | Tom Dillmann | Carlin | 35 | 1:26.024 | 1.397 |
| 6 | Conor Daly | Carlin | 45 | 1:26.085 | 1.458 |
| 7 | Valtteri Bottas | Lotus ART | 39 | 1:26.092 | 1.465 |
| 8 | Antonio Felix Da Costa | Status Grand Prix | 24 | 1:26.109 | 1.482 |
| 9 | Alexander Sims | Status Grand Prix | 17 | 1:26.198 | 1.571 |
| 10 | Nigel Melker | RSC Mücke Motorsport | 41 | 1:26.567 | 1.940 |
| 11 | Daniel Morad | Addax Team | 10 | 1:26.632 | 2.005 |
| 12 | Nick Yelloly | Atech CRS GP | 8 | 1:26.794 | 2.167 |
| 13 | Maxim Zimin | Jenzer Motorsport | 33 | 1:26.895 | 2.268 |
| 14 | Vittorio Ghirelli | Jenzer Motorsport | 12 | 1:27.349 | 2.722 |
| 15 | Nico Müller | Jenzer Motorsport | 17 | 1:27.479 | 2.852 |
| 16 | Michael Christensen | RSC Mücke Motorsport | 37 | 1:27.679 | 3.052 |
| 17 | Marlon Stockinger | Atech CRS GP | 16 | 1:27.994 | 3.367 |
| 18 | Zoel Amberg | Atech CRS GP | 30 | 1:28.623 | 3.996 |
| 19 | Tamas Pal Kiss | Tech 1 Racing | 39 | 1:29.390 | 4.763 |
| 20 | Kataro Sakurai | Carlin | 36 | 1:29.923 | 5.296 |
| 21 | Matias Laine | Manor Racing | 34 | 1:34.554 | 9.927 |
| 22 | Rio Haryanto | Manor Racing | 24 | 1:35.164 | 10.537 |
| 23 | Willi Steindl | RSC Mücke Motorsport | 37 | 1:35.203 | 10.576 |
| 24 | Mitch Evans | MW Arden | 41 | 1:37.480 | 12.853 |
| 25 | Gabby Chaves | Addax Team | 20 | 1:38.034 | 13.407 |
| 26 | Doru Sechelariu | Tech 1 Racing | 34 | 1:38.483 | 13.856 |
| 27 | Aaro Vainio | Tech 1 Racing | 42 | 1:38.545 | 13.918 |
| 28 | Pedro Nunes | Lotus ART | 34 | 1:38.654 | 14.027 |
| 29 | Simon Trummer | MW Arden | 17 | 1:38.870 | 14.243 |
| 30 | Miki Monras | Addax Team | 12 | 1:39.256 | 14.629 |
