Ceccon is pictured at GP2 testing at Jerez. He's now looking elsewhere for a 2012 race seat. - Photo Credit: Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Reigning Auto GP champion Kevin Ceccon will drive a GP3 car for the first time when he takes part in the second pre-season test at Barcelona tomorrow with Trident Racing.
The 18-year-old Italian has struggled to secure his goal of a GP2 race seat for this year, despite doing a day's running with Ocean at Jerez a couple of weeks ago. He joins confirmed driver Vicky Piria as well as Antonio Spavone – who raced in Auto GP at Monza this weekend – in the Trident lineup for the test.
Elsewhere, Estoril test pacesetter Aaro Vainio has an exam tomorrow, so will be replaced at Lotus GP by Carlos Sainz Jr – who is already signed up to race in British F3 this year with Carlin. The Spaniard previously tested a GP3 car with Addax at the end of 2010.
MW Arden and Marussia Manor once again bring their confirmed trios of drivers, while at Status Grand Prix confirmed race driver Marlon Stockinger is joined by two drivers who have already tested for the Silverstone-based team on previous occasions. McLaren development driver Tom Blomqvist drove for them at Jerez and Valencia at the end of last year, while British F3 Rookie Class champion Kotaro Sakurai was with them at Jerez, Valencia and Barcelona last year, and returns for this week's test. The team ran Miki Weckstrom in one car at Estoril, with Alexander Sims and Nil Montserrat sharing the other.
Ocean Racing Technology make their GP3 Series debut after taking over Tech 1's entry. They will be running just two cars for now, to be driven by Carmen Jorda and Robert Cregan who were announced as race drivers yesterday. It will be Jorda's first appearance at a GP3 test, while Cregan drove the car for Tech 1 at Estoril.
There is one change at Jenzer Motorsport, who have already confirmed Robert Visoiu and Patric Niederhauser as race drivers for this season. They ran the impressive Matheo Tuscher at Estoril, but he has been replaced by Maxim Zimin – the Russian youngster who raced for the team last year.
Carlin's lineup is identical to Estoril, with confirmed racer Alex Brundle being joined again by British F3 race winner William Buller as well as Portugal's Antonio Felix da Costa – who told Peter Windsor that he is in the final stages of talks with Carlin over a deal for this season, and hence why he won't be driving for Ocean – the team run by his own manager Tiago Monteiro.
And finally at Atech CRS GP, they are running a third car in Barcelona alongside the two they ran for Ethan Ringel and Tamas Pal Kiss in Estoril. The additional seat is taken by Belgian driver John Wartique, who has most recently contested Clio Cup races.
Want-away team Mucke Motorsport are once again absent.
Entry List Monday 12th March 2012 – Barcelona:
Lotus GP
1. Daniel Abt
2. Conor Daly
3. Carlos Sainz Jr
MW Arden
4. Mitch Evans
5. David Fumanelli
6. Matias Laine
Marussia Manor Racing
7. Dmitry Suranovich
8. Fabiano Machado
9. Tio Ellinas
Status Grand Prix
14. Marlon Stockinger
15. Kotaro Sakurai
16. Tom Blomqvist
Ocean Racing Technology
18. Carmen Jorda
19. Robert Cregan
Jenzer Motorsport
20. Robert Visoiu
21. Patric Niederhauser
22. Maxim Zimin
Trident Racing
23. Vicky Piria
24. Antonio Spavone
25. Kevin Ceccon
Carlin
26. Alex Brundle
27. Antonio Felix Da Costa
28. William Buller
Atech CRS GP
29. Tamas Pal Kiss
30. John Wartique
31. Ethan Ringel
