Felix Da Costa chats to a Carlin engineer - Photo Credit: Drew Gibson/GP3 Series Media Service
Antonio Felix da Costa displayed his potential ahead of a possible second season in the GP3 Series by setting the pace on the second and final day of the second pre-season test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.
The Portuguese driver has been in the final stages of talks with the Carlin team over a drive for the coming season, and put the British squad at the top of the timesheets during the morning session.
He finished up just 0.059 seconds clear of Matias Laine. Laine's MW Arden teammate Mitch Evans, the pre-season title favourite and pacesetter on Monday, was next up.
Kevin Ceccon continued to show promise in just his second day in a GP3 car, with Trident in fourth. Marlon Stockinger was fifth for Status, ahead of Conor Daly of Lotus GP and the Jenzer Motorsport duo of Robert Visoiu and Patric Niederhauser.
Aaro Vainio, returning to the Lotus GP cockpit after missing Monday's running due to an exam, was ninth, with Will Buller completing the top ten for Carlin.
An engine problem meant that Daniel Abt was only 22nd in the morning, but he bounced back in the afternoon to post the fastest time of the session, eight tenths off Felix da Costa's morning benchmark.
Maxim Zimin was second for Jenzer, 0.267s off the pace and a fraction ahead of Marussia Manor ace Tio Ellinas. It was another ex-Formula Renault UK racer Tamas Pal Kiss who was fourth best, ahead of Visoiu and Felix da Costa.
Evans was seventh ahead of Status drivers Kotaro Sakurai and Stockinger, with Marussia Manor's Fabiano Machado holding tenth. The third Status car was driven today by GP3 debutant Yann Zimmer, but the Frenchman had his afternoon times deleted for his car being found underweight.
The third and final pre-season test will take place at Silverstone on 11-12 April before the teams return to Barcelona for the opening round of the season in May.
Morning Session
| Driver | Team | Laptime | Gap | Laps | |
| 1. | Antonio Felix Da Costa | Carlin | 1:37.934 | 29 | |
| 2. | Matias Laine | MW Arden | 1:37.993 | 0.059 | 33 |
| 3. | Mitch Evans | MW Arden | 1:38.154 | 0.220 | 30 |
| 4. | Kevin Ceccon | Trident Racing | 1:38.239 | 0.305 | 21 |
| 5. | Marlon Stockinger | Status Grand Prix | 1:38.283 | 0.349 | 26 |
| 6. | Conor Daly | Lotus GP | 1:38.322 | 0.388 | 34 |
| 7. | Robert Visoiu | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:38.391 | 0.457 | 34 |
| 8. | Patric Niederhauser | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:38.452 | 0.518 | 32 |
| 9. | Aaro Vainio | Lotus GP | 1:38.469 | 0.535 | 34 |
| 10. | William Buller | Carlin | 1:38.471 | 0.537 | 40 |
| 11. | David Fumanelli | MW Arden | 1:38.542 | 0.608 | 29 |
| 12. | Tamas Pal Kiss | Atech CRS GP | 1:38.593 | 0.659 | 26 |
| 13. | Tio Ellinas | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:38.603 | 0.669 | 35 |
| 14. | Maxim Zimin | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:38.692 | 0.758 | 32 |
| 15. | Dmitry Suranovich | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:38.955 | 1.021 | 32 |
| 16. | Antonio Spavone | Trident Racing | 1:38.977 | 1.043 | 34 |
| 17. | Alex Brundle | Carlin | 1:39.129 | 1.195 | 40 |
| 18. | Yann Zimmer | Status Grand Prix | 1:39.153 | 1.219 | 38 |
| 19. | Fabiano Machado | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:39.318 | 1.384 | 21 |
| 20. | Vicky Piria | Trident Racing | 1:39.348 | 1.414 | 33 |
| 21. | Kotaro Sakurai | Status Grand Prix | 1:39.419 | 1.485 | 31 |
| 22. | Daniel Abt | Lotus GP | 1:39.492 | 1.558 | 4 |
| 23. | Ethan Ringel | Atech CRS GP | 1:39.785 | 1.851 | 33 |
| 24. | Robert Cregan | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:40.601 | 2.667 | 31 |
| 25. | John Wartique | Atech CRS GP | 1:40.930 | 2.996 | 27 |
| 26. | Carmen Jorda | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:41.997 | 4.063 | 30 |
Afternoon Session
| Driver | Team | Laptime | Gap | Laps | |
| 1. | Daniel Abt | Lotus GP | 1:38.760 | 49 | |
| 2. | Maxim Zimin | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:39.027 | 0.267 | 28 |
| 3. | Tio Ellinas | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:39.058 | 0.298 | 35 |
| 4. | Tamas Pal Kiss | Atech CRS GP | 1:39.321 | 0.561 | 27 |
| 5. | Robert Visoiu | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:39.354 | 0.594 | 32 |
| 6. | Antonio Felix Da Costa | Carlin | 1:39.379 | 0.619 | 35 |
| 7. | Mitch Evans | MW Arden | 1:39.635 | 0.875 | 42 |
| 8. | Kotaro Sakurai | Status Grand Prix | 1:39.646 | 0.886 | 34 |
| 9. | Marlon Stockinger | Status Grand Prix | 1:39.690 | 0.930 | 37 |
| 10. | Fabiano Machado | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:39.791 | 1.031 | 37 |
| 11. | Patric Niederhauser | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:39.946 | 1.186 | 25 |
| 12. | Conor Daly | Lotus GP | 1:40.014 | 1.254 | 28 |
| 13. | Dmitry Suranovich | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:40.016 | 1.256 | 37 |
| 14. | William Buller | Carlin | 1:40.076 | 1.316 | 23 |
| 15. | Matias Laine | MW Arden | 1:40.329 | 1.569 | 34 |
| 16. | Alex Brundle | Carlin | 1:40.344 | 1.584 | 35 |
| 17. | Aaro Vainio | Lotus GP | 1:40.638 | 1.878 | 37 |
| 18. | Antonio Spavone | Trident Racing | 1:40.902 | 2.142 | 34 |
| 19. | David Fumanelli | MW Arden | 1:40.977 | 2.217 | 38 |
| 20. | Kevin Ceccon | Trident Racing | 1:41.012 | 2.252 | 39 |
| 21. | John Wartique | Atech CRS GP | 1:41.075 | 2.315 | 9 |
| 22. | Robert Cregan | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:41.197 | 2.437 | 26 |
| 23. | Ethan Ringel | Atech CRS GP | 1:41.582 | 2.822 | 28 |
| 24. | Vicky Piria | Trident Racing | 1:42.192 | 3.432 | 34 |
| 25. | Carmen Jorda | Ocean Racing Technology | 1:42.878 | 4.118 | 25 |
