Nyck de Vries quickest at F2 test in Jerez de la Frontera 26.02.2019: Dutchman sets the pace in Day 1 of first F2 test Nyck De Vries ended Day 1 of the first 2019 FIA Formula 2 pre-season test at Jerez de la Frontera as the fastest driver. The ART Grand Prix ace set the quickest laptime in both the morning and after

Dutchman sets the pace in Day 1 of first F2 test
 


Nyck De Vries ended Day 1 of the first 2019 FIA Formula 2 pre-season test at Jerez de la Frontera as the fastest driver. The ART Grand Prix ace set the quickest laptime in both the morning and afternoon sessions to head the timesheets ahead of Nicholas Latifi and Mick Schumacher.
 


The sun greeted the teams as the pitlane opened on Day 1 of testing. Latifi was the first driver to hit the track for the DAMS team while the rest of the pack followed him closely for their customary installation laps.
 


The opening hour was very studious with Schumacher setting up the first laptime, but it was Louis Delétraz who topped the timesheets on the one hour mark in a1:27.779 ahead of Dorian Boccolacci, Nobuharu Matsushita, Schumacher and Sean Gelael.
 


The session was briefly red flagged after Sergio Sette Camâra spun and stopped at Turn 1 and when the running got back underway, ten drivers had set a laptime. At the midway point, Callum Ilott went quickest in a 1:26.508, but Delétraz reclaimed the top spot with a laptime of a 1:26.217.
 


De Vries put first position with one hour left in the session: he clocked in a laptime of a 1:26.044 which was good enough to remain at the top of the standings until the chequered flag. Sette Camâra slotted in behind the Dutchman in the dying minutes for second ahead of teammate Latifi. Luca Ghiotto was fourth quickest ahead of Delétraz, Schumacher, Guanyu Zhou, Boccolacci, Ilott and Gelael.
 


The proceedings resumed two hours later with Delétraz the first man to dive onto the track but it was Ilott who set the early pace in a 1:26.573 ahead of teammate Juan Manuel Correa and Schumacher. There was a first red flag period after Jordan King stopped at Turn 14 following mechanical issues.


 
At the re-start, Schumacher went top thanks to a laptime four tenths better than Ilott’s whilst Ghiotto moved up to third. Halfway through the session, the Italian from UNI Virtuosi went one spot better in a 1:26.181 before the running was halted a second time courtesy of Correa who went wide and stopped at Turn 4.


 
With one hour left in the session, the pitlane went green one more time. De Vries put his head down and dipped under 1m26s to claim the top spot in a 1:25.973, but Ghiotto improved on the Dutchman’s time thirty minutes later.
 


In the closing stages, a final Red flag period quickly paused the proceedings after Gelael stopped at Turn 8. The track went live one last time and de Vries clocked in a laptime of 1:25.358 to top the afternoon session and the day overall ahead of Latifi ad Schumacher who also improved in the dying minutes. Ghiotto finished fourth ahead of Nikita Mazepin, Delétraz, Ilott, Giuliano Alesi, Sette Camâra and Zhou.
 


Day 2 of testing will commence tomorrow at 09.00 local time.



 
FIA Formula 2 Jerez de la Frontera Test – Day 1 Morning Session*
    
1    Nyck de Vries    ART Grand Prix    1:25.819    17
2    Sergio Sette Camâra    DAMS    1:25.874    28
3    Nicholas Latifi    DAMS    1:25.964    34
4    Luca Ghiotto    UNI Virtuosi    1:26.082    21
5    Louis Delétraz    Carlin    1:26.217    28
6    Mick Schumacher    PREMA Racing    1:26.326    28
7    Guanyu Zhou    UNI Virtuosi    1:26.349    21
8    Dorian Boccolacci    Campos Racing    1:26.430    31
9    Callum Ilott    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz    1:26.508    14
10    Sean Gelael    PREMA Racing    1:26.614    35
11    Richard Verschoor    MP Motorsport    1:26.657    25
12    Juan Manuel Correa    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz    1:26.742    21
13    Giuliano Alesi    Trident    1:26.744    35
14    Jordan King    MP Motorsport    1:26.869    16
15    Anthoine Hubert    BWT Arden    1:26.908    25
16    Nikita Mazepin    ART Grand Prix    1:26.910    18
17    Jack Aitken    Campos Racing    1:27.027    33
18    Nobuharu Matsushita    Carlin    1:27.167    29
19    Ralph Boschung    Trident    1:27.244    20

 
*Car #18 (Tatiana Caldéron) – All times deteted after the car was found underweight





FIA Formula 2 Jerez de la Frontera Test – Day 1 Afternoon Session*


1    Nyck de Vries    ART Grand Prix    1:25.358    51
2    Nicholas Latifi    DAMS    1:25.727    41
3    Mick Schumacher    PREMA Racing    1:25.783    31
4    Luca Ghiotto    UNI Virtuosi    1:25.887    27
5    Nikita Mazepin    ART Grand Prix    1:26.230    48
6    Louis Delétraz    Carlin    1:26.512    38
7    Callum Ilott    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz    1:26.573    40
8    Giuliano Alesi    Trident    1:26.577    41
9    Sergio Sette Camâra    DAMS    1:26.579    36
10    Guanyu Zhou    UNI Virtuosi    1:26.593    23
11    Nobuharu Matsushita    Carlin    1:26.625    26
12    Sean Gelael    PREMA Racing    1:26.733    29
13    Juan Manuel Correa    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz    1:26.882    24
14    Ralph Boschung    Trident    1:27.076    14
15    Richard Verschoor    MP Motorsport    1:27.102    20
16    Jack Aitken    Campos Racing    1:27.227    24
17    Jordan King    MP Motorsport    1:27.317    11
18    Anthoine Hubert    BWT Arden    1:27.551    31
19    Tatiana Caldéron    BWT Arden    1:28.515    33
20    Dorian Boccolacci    Campos Racing    1:28.903    26



 

- Alexa Quintin, photo FIA F2