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Matt Parry quickest for Trident as GP3 test kicks off

by Peter Allen
Matt Parry

Photo: Zak Mauger/GP3 Series Media Service

Matt Parry led the way for Trident in the opening session of GP3 post-season testing in Abu Dhabi, with the Briton joined by three rookie compatriots in the top five.

Joining the team that ran Luca Ghiotto in his title challenge after finishing eighth in his rookie season for Koiranen, Parry hit the top of the times at the end of the session with a lap of 1m55.800s.

He displaced fellow Trident tester Antonio Fuoco – sixth in his maiden campaign for Carlin – and the Italian was then relegated to third by Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion Jack Aitken, testing a GP3 car for the second time with Koiranen.

European Formula 3 frontrunner Jake Dennis was the quickest total newcomer to GP3 in fourth for Arden, just beating Koiranen’s FR2.0 graduate Jake Hughes.

Kevin Jorg, returning to a GP3 test after two years away, was sixth for Trident ahead of Steijn Schothorst (Campos).

Ralph Boschung, driving for Status as new team DAMS evaluates drivers, was eighth ahead of Koiranen’s Matevos Isaakyan with the top 10 rounded out by European F3 star Charles Leclerc of ART.

Japanese F3 driver Nirei Fukuzumi (ART) triggered a red flag by hitting the barriers at Turn 1, with two other stoppages were caused by Pedro Cardoso (Campos) and Tatiana Calderon (Status) coming to a halt.

Morning session results
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Matt Parry Trident 1:55.800 17
2 Jack Aitken Koiranen GP 1:55.958 0.158 23
3 Antonio Fuoco Trident 1:55.993 0.193 17
4 Jake Dennis Arden International 1:56.121 0.321 18
5 Jake Hughes Koiranen GP 1:56.228 0.428 18
6 Kevin Jorg Trident 1:56.244 0.444 19
7 Steijn Schothorst Campos Racing 1:56.437 0.637 25
8 Ralph Boschung Status Grand Prix 1:56.536 0.736 19
9 Matevos Isaakyan Koiranen GP 1:56.829 1.029 12
10 Charles Leclerc ART Grand Prix 1:57.090 1.290 25
11 Nabil Jeffri ART Grand Prix 1:57.275 1.475 23
12 Santino Ferrucci Status Grand Prix 1:57.629 1.829 19
13 Pedro Cardoso Campos Racing 1:57.793 1.993 25
14 Leonardo Pulcini Jenzer Motorsport 1:57.921 2.121 18
15 Will Palmer Arden International 1:57.932 2.132 21
16 Tatiana Calderon Status Grand Prix 1:58.004 2.204 20
17 Antoni Ptak Jenzer Motorsport 1:58.557 2.757 18
18 Mahaveer Raghunathan Campos Racing 1:58.792 2.992 27
19 Giuliano Alesi Arden International 1:59.175 3.375 22
20 Nico Rindlisbacher Jenzer Motorsport 1:59.180 3.380 18
21 Nirei Fukuzumi ART Grand Prix 2:16.963 21.163 4