Carlin’s Deletraz fastest in opening Abu Dhabi F2 test

Louis Deletraz ended the opening day of post-season Formula 2 testing in Abu Dhabi fastest for Carlin.

Fresh from his maiden F1 outing with Haas, Deletraz set the pace in a disrupted afternoon session with a 1m49.984s as he made his first outing with reigning F2 champions Carlin.

The session was paused for half an hour when a fault with the Yas Marina Circuit’s lighting system was encountered.

Deletraz moved to the top of the timesheets when the session resumed and further lowered his pace during the final hour.

Russian Time’s Luca Ghiotto, who had been quickest in the morning, finished two tenths adrift in second place, with 2018 GP3 frontrunner Callum Ilott posting the third-fastest time for the Charouz Racing System outfit that will act as the Sauber Formula 1 team’s junior squad in 2019.

Nicholas Latifi was fourth-quickest for DAMS, ahead of new ART Grand Prix recruit Nyck de Vries and Sauber development driver Tatiana Calderon, who was making her first appearance in F2 machinery with Charouz.

Sergio Sette Camara (DAMS), the retuning Nobuharu Matsushita (Carlin), Sean Gelael (Prema) and Juan Manuel Correa (MP Motorsport) completed the top 10, ahead of ART’s GP3 runner-up Nikita Mazepin and 2018 European Formula 3 champion Mick Schumacher in 12th.

GP3 champion Anthoine Hubert ended the day 13th for MP Motorsport, ahead of Guanyu Zhou, Ryan Tveter and Ralf Aron.

Arden’s highest-placed driver came in the shape of Ralph Boschung, with Marino Sato and Trident’s Leonardo Pulcini faster than sportscar ace Thomas Laurent, who failed to improve on his morning time as he propped up the timesheets in 20th in his first F2 outing.

GP3 testing was also taking place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix venue, with Niko Kari fastest for Trident and over half a second clear of Jehan Daruvala and Sebastian Fernandez.