Status GP closes GP3 season with positive Jerez test
The GP3 Series ended the 2011 season with the final official two-day test at Circuito de Jerez in southern Spain, with Status Grand Prix running five different drivers over the two days.
Marlon Stockinger returned to the team for third consecutive test, and the Filipino driver performed strongly on both days. After completing 33 laps in warm, sunny conditions on the first morning, the 20-year-old improved his Dallara GP3 car through the afternoon to post the eighth fastest time when he bolted on his second new set of Pirelli P Zero tyres.
Joining him at Status GP on Day 1 were two reigning national class F3 champions, Kotaro Sakurai and Fabio Gamberini. Japanese driver Sakurai, who won the national title in British F3, completed his five-day GP3 test programme by producing his best performance to date, producing a lap less than 0.5s off a Top 5 time.
Brazilian teenager Gamberini, who dominated the Copa class in Euro Open F3 this year, made his debut with Status GP, but unfortunately was suffering the ill effects of a virus. After running only a handful of laps in the morning, he galvanised his strength in the afternoon to produce an impressive run on old tyres even though ended with the 22nd fastest time out of the 27 cars running.
On Day 2, Britain's Tom Blomqvist and Argentina's Facu Regalia, who both tested with Status GP the previous week in Valencia, returned to join Stockinger.
A cool, cloudy start to the day produced track conditions that provided the quickest overall times of the test, and Stockinger shone by setting the fastest lap of all by 0.4s on the first new-tyre runs, with Blomqvist and Regalia also inside the Top 10. Stockinger's mark was later eclipsed by three drivers using a second set of new tyres, before rain interrupted the final hour of the session.
All three Status GP cars had a second set of new tyres saved for the afternoon, but frustratingly the final runs in the last 15 minutes of the day were blighted by two red flag interruptions which prevented the trio setting a representative time on their fresh rubber.
Blomqvist, having set the 8th fastest time on old tyres, had just set a 'purple' fastest overall time in sectors 1 and 3 on the new slicks, and was 0.5s up on the P1 mark, when the red flag waved. Regalia and Stockinger had both also set personal bests in each sector which had them headed for the Top 5.
"It's frustating that our drivers did not have the chance to show their true speed at the end of a productive test in which they'd all worked well to improve the cars," said Status GP team manager Simon Cayzer.
"But we're very pleased with the development of them all, and it's been a good end to another title-contending year for Status GP. We'll be working hard all winter to ensure we're right at the front again in GP3 Series in 2012."
Posted Date: 17th Jan 2012