Evans, who scored his first GP3 victory at the Circuit de Catalunya last year - Photo Credit: Drew Gibson / GP3 Series Media Service
GP3 Series pre-season favourite Mitch Evans recorded the fastest time on the first day of the second pre-season test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.
The MW Arden driver took over P1 during the morning session from early pacesetter Lotus GP driver Daniel Abt. The Kiwi remained there until the finish, with Cypriot Tio Ellinas jumping into second place at the expense of Abt. The leading trio were separated by less than two tenths at the checkered flag.
David Fumanelli was the best of the rest in fourth place for MW Arden, 0.14 seconds behind Abt and 0.13s clear of fifth placed Tamas Pal Kiss (Atech CRS GP). Just behind him was Antonio Felix da Costa with Carlin, ahead of Matias Laine in the third and final MW Arden machine.
GP3 debutant Kevin Ceccon was a strong eighth for Trident, ahead of the Jenzer duo of Patric Niederhauser and Maxim Zimin.
Abt held top spot for much of the slower afternoon session, although a mighty scrap emerged for the quickest time in the final 30 minutes of the day's running. Ellinas went top, only to be displaced by Carlos Sainz Jr – making a one-off appearance in the Lotus GP car of Aaro Vainio, who was absent due to an exam. Ceccon took second, and then Laine pipped Sainz for top spot. Abt then regained his place at the head of the timesheets with less than five minutes left on the clock.
Laine, Ellinas, Sainz and Ceccon filled the remainder of the top five, with Tom Blomqvist a strong sixth, posting the fastest time of the day for a Status Grand Prix driver. Fumanelli and Niederhauser were next up, with Conor Daly and Felix da Costa completing the top ten times.
For the second and final day tomorrow, Vainio returns to the hotseat in place of his substitute Sainz, while Blomqvist is replaced at Status by a GP3 debutant in the form of Formula Renault race winner Yann Zimmer.
Morning session
| Driver | Team | Laptime | Gap | Laps | |
| 1. | Mitch Evans | MW Arden | 1:38.609 | 17 | |
| 2. | Tio Ellinas | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:38.733 | 0.124 | 15 |
| 3. | Daniel Abt | Lotus GP | 1:38.799 | 0.190 | 30 |
| 4. | David Fumanelli | MW Arden | 1:38.944 | 0.335 | 26 |
| 5. | Tamas Pal Kiss | Atech CRS GP | 1:39.075 | 0.466 | 16 |
| 6. | Antonio Felix Da Costa | Carlin | 1:39.105 | 0.496 | 37 |
| 7. | Matias Laine | MW Arden | 1:39.199 | 0.590 | 9 |
| 8. | Kevin Ceccon | Trident Racing | 1:39.211 | 0.602 | 38 |
| 9. | Patric Niederhauser | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:39.231 | 0.622 | 26 |
| 10. | Maxim Zimin | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:39.271 | 0.662 | 35 |
| 11. | Marlon Stockinger | Status Grand Prix | 1:39.340 | 0.731 | 28 |
| 12. | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Lotus GP | 1:39.470 | 0.861 | 32 |
| 13. | Conor Daly | Lotus GP | 1:39.615 | 1.006 | 29 |
| 14. | Robert Visoiu | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:39.649 | 1.040 | 24 |
| 15. | Tom Blomqvist | Status Grand Prix | 1:39.826 | 1.217 | 23 |
| 16. | Alex Brundle | Carlin | 1:40.083 | 1.474 | 23 |
| 17. | Antonio Spavone | Trident Racing | 1:40.109 | 1.500 | 32 |
| 18. | William Buller | Carlin | 1:40.589 | 1.980 | 24 |
| 19. | Dmitry Suranovich | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:40.760 | 2.151 | 26 |
| 20. | Ethan Ringel | Atech CRS GP | 1:41.013 | 2.404 | 26 |
| 21. | Fabiano Machado | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:41.027 | 2.418 | 27 |
| 22. | Kotaro Sakurai | Status Grand Prix | 1:41.137 | 2.528 | 26 |
| 23. | Vicky Piria | Trident Racing | 1:41.434 | 2.825 | 33 |
| 24. | Robert Cregan | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:42.162 | 3.553 | 23 |
| 25. | John Wartique | Atech CRS GP | 1:43.695 | 5.086 | 22 |
| 26. | Carmen Jorda | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:44.012 | 5.403 | 22 |
Afternoon Session
| Driver | Team | Laptime | Gap | Laps | |
| 1. | Daniel Abt | Lotus GP | 1:38.876 | 24 | |
| 2. | Matias Laine | MW Arden | 1:39.014 | 0.138 | 27 |
| 3. | Tio Ellinas | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:39.079 | 0.203 | 29 |
| 4. | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Lotus GP | 1:39.087 | 0.211 | 28 |
| 5. | Kevin Ceccon | Trident Racing | 1:39.102 | 0.226 | 29 |
| 6. | Tom Blomqvist | Status Grand Prix | 1:39.139 | 0.263 | 25 |
| 7. | David Fumanelli | MW Arden | 1:39.214 | 0.338 | 30 |
| 8. | Patric Niederhauser | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:39.298 | 0.422 | 32 |
| 9. | Conor Daly | Lotus GP | 1:39.320 | 0.444 | 33 |
| 10. | Antonio Felix Da Costa | Carlin | 1:39.330 | 0.454 | 35 |
| 11. | Tamas Pal Kiss | Atech CRS GP | 1:39.398 | 0.522 | 15 |
| 12. | Marlon Stockinger | Status Grand Prix | 1:39.582 | 0.706 | 23 |
| 13. | Antonio Spavone | Trident Racing | 1:39.747 | 0.871 | 45 |
| 14. | Robert Visoiu | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:39.792 | 0.916 | 28 |
| 15. | Mitch Evans | MW Arden | 1:39.849 | 0.973 | 21 |
| 16. | Alex Brundle | Carlin | 1:39.898 | 1.022 | 48 |
| 17. | Fabiano Machado | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:40.107 | 1.231 | 42 |
| 18. | Maxim Zimin | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:40.224 | 1.348 | 20 |
| 19. | Vicky Piria | Trident Racing | 1:40.516. | 1.640 | 28 |
| 20. | Kotaro Sakurai | Status Grand Prix | 1:40.541 | 1.665 | 12 |
| 21. | Dmitry Suranovich | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:40.731 | 1.855 | 34 |
| 22. | Robert Cregan | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:40.951 | 2.075 | 26 |
| 23. | Ethan Ringel | Atech CRS GP | 1:41.059 | 2.183 | 26 |
| 24. | William Buller | Carlin | 1:41.154 | 2.278 | 24 |
| 25. | John Wartique | Atech CRS GP | 1:42.781 | 3.905 | 19 |
| 26. | Carmen Jorda | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:44.009 | 5.133 | 35 |
