Home Formula 2 Markelov pips Latifi in morning session on day two of test

Markelov pips Latifi in morning session on day two of test

by Peter Allen
Artem Markelov

Photo: Sam Bloxham/GP2 Series Media Service

Russian Time racer Artem Markelov edged out DAMS tester Nicholas Latifi to top the morning session on day two of GP2 post-season testing in Abu Dhabi.

Markelov, who finished 13th in his second GP2 campaign this year, moved to the front with an hour remaining in the session.

He was just 0.017s quicker than Latifi, who repeated his second-place from the evening session of day one.

Andre Negrao spent time at the head of the order for Rapax and ended up third ahead of Richie Stanaway, who will hand over his Carlin car to Antonio Giovinazzi this evening before returning in place of Dean Stoneman on Friday.

Pierre Gasly took fifth after switching from Prema to Russian Time, while Nick Yelloly was sixth for MP Motorsport.

Norman Nato was seventh after joining ART Grand Prix, Alex Fontana took a strong eighth as top newcomer for Status, and the top 10 was completed by Sergey Sirotkin (Rapax) and Stoneman.

GP3 runner-up Luca Ghiotto took 11th for Racing Engineering ahead of fellow graduate Jimmy Eriksson (Arden).

The session was interrupted by three red flags: the first to remove debris at Turn 1, the second by Mitch Evans stopping in his first run out with likely 2016 team Campos and the third by Gasly coming to a halt.

Day two morning session results
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Artem Markelov Russian Time 1:49.008 21
2 Nicholas Latifi DAMS 1:49.025 0.017 35
3 Andre Negrao Rapax 1:49.103 0.095 24
4 Richie Stanaway Carlin 1:49.137 0.129 23
5 Pierre Gasly Russian Time 1:49.205 0.197 13
6 Nick Yelloly MP Motorsport 1:49.270 0.262 22
7 Norman Nato ART Grand Prix 1:49.318 0.310 32
8 Alex Fontana Status Grand Prix 1:49.392 0.384 23
9 Sergey Sirotkin Rapax 1:49.570 0.562 27
10 Dean Stoneman Carlin 1:49.596 0.588 13
11 Luca Ghiotto Racing Engineering 1:49.614 0.606 29
12 Jimmy Eriksson Arden International 1:49.695 0.687 32
13 Jordan King Racing Engineering 1:49.717 0.709 25
14 Gustav Malja Arden International 1:49.895 0.887 25
15 Mitch Evans Campos Racing 1:49.910 0.902 16
16 Marlon Stockinger ART Grand Prix 1:49.991 0.983 30
17 Oliver Rowland Prema Racing 1:50.347 1.339 24
18 Richard Gonda MP Motorsport 1:50.362 1.354 28
19 Sean Gelael Campos Racing 1:50.375 1.367 31
20 Felix Rosenqvist Prema Racing 1:50.461 1.453 20
21 Artur Janosz Trident 1:50.807 1.799 23
22 Philo Armand Status Grand Prix 1:51.667 2.659 22
23 Zoel Amberg Trident 1:52.192 3.184 13
24 Alex Lynn DAMS 1:53.358 4.350 29