Dean Stoneman dominates day one of post-season GP3 test

Dean Stoneman has powered his way to the top of the timing sheets after the opening day of the GP3 post-season test around Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, only several days after impressing many during the season finale for Koiranen GP. The Briton was followed by rookies’ Pierre Gasly and Oliver Rowland at the sharp-end of the order.

As the Formula 1 fraternity takes a break before reconvening around Austin’s Circuit of the Americas for the first of the final two races of the season, both the GP2 and GP3 Series have remained at Abu Dhabi to carry out their post-season tests around the glorious Yas Marina Circuit. At the start of the morning session British rookie Jan Mardenborough became the first driver to take to the track for Carlin, before Adderly Fong produced the initial benchmark for Koiranen GP.

The first of two red flag delays occurred when GP3 regular David Fumanelli made light contact with the barrier at Turn 8, causing damage to his Jenzer Motorsport machine. As soon as the track action was resumed, the times naturally began to tumble as more drivers began taking to the track. After a highly impressive return to single-seater racing last weekend, British ace Dean Stoneman was quick to rise to the top for Koiranen GP with a time well within the 01:56s ahead of Dino Zamparelli in the MW Arden and Alex Fontana in the ART Grand Prix.

Sam Bird completed a combined 43 laps of development work for Russian Time’s new GP3 team.

After ending the GP2 Series as runner-up to Switzerland’s Fabio Leimer, Sam Bird was behind the wheel of the GP3/13 machine for the opening day of the post-season test. The Briton was carrying out development work for rookies Russian Time, who were gaining their first day of track action in the GP3 Series after purchasing Bamboo Engineering. Sam Bird was instantly on the pace, producing consistent lap times towards the sharp-end of the order in stark contrast to his rookie team-mate of Kuba Dalewski.

The morning session drew to a conclusion with Dean Stoneman in control at the top of the timing sheets with a 01:56.278 after completing 18 laps for Koiranen GP. The 23-year-old ended the session ahead of GP3 regulars Patric Niederhauser for Jenzer Motorsport and Dino Zamparelli for MW Arden, with Sam Bird a close 4th for Russian Time. Former British Formula Three driver Jan Mardenborough was the fastest rookie for Carlin in 6th, only sixth tenths off of the pace set by Dean Stoneman.

After making way for the GP2 Series to take to the Yas Marina Circuit, the 27-car field returned to the circuit for the afternoon session. A red flag delay ensued almost immediately, after the Jenzer Motorsport of Kevin Joerg ground to a halt out on track. Once the Abu Dhabi marshals had cleared the stricken machine, the session was resumed allowing rookie Pierre Gasly to storm to the top of the timing sheets for ART Grand Prix, in doing so becoming the first driver of the day to produce a lap time within the 01:55s.

The reigning Formula Renault 2.0 European Champion remained at the top of the order for a whole hour, before fellow rookie Oliver Rowland displaced the Frenchman for Marussia Manor Racing. As the opening day of the post-season test drew to a conclusion, Dean Stoneman reasserted his authority over proceedings for Koiranen GP, producing a 01:55.829 which would remain unchallenged. Behind the Briton Pierre Gasly managed to pip former Formula Renault 2.0 European rival Oliver Rowland to 2nd position, with Sam Bird once again a competitive 4th for Russian Time.

The GP3 field will return to the Yas Marina Circuit for the second day of track action tomorrow morning at 9am local time, with the afternoon session scheduled to start at 3pm later in the day.

Morning times

Pos Driver                    Team              Time       Gap      Laps
 1. Dean Stoneman             Koiranen          1m56.278s           18
 2. Patric Niederhauser       Jenzer            1m56.584s  +0.306s  19
 3. Dino Zamparelli           MW Arden          1m56.649s  +0.371s  18
 4. Sam Bird                  Russian Time      1m56.711s  +0.433s  16
 5. Kevin Korjus              Status            1m56.837s  +0.559s  16
 6. Jan Mardenborough         Carlin            1m56.858s  +0.580s  22
 7. Melville McKee            Manor             1m56.921s  +0.643s  25
 8. Alex Fontana              ART               1m56.927s  +0.649s  20
 9. Roman de Beer             Trident           1m56.986s  +0.708s  27
10. Emil Bernstorff           Carlin            1m57.067s  +0.789s  24
11. Pierre Gasly              ART               1m57.198s  +0.920s  19
12. Marvin Kirchhofer         MW Arden          1m57.211s  +0.933s  20
13. Oliver Rowland            Manor             1m57.430s  +1.152s  12
14. Edward Jones              MW Arden          1m57.511s  +1.233s  16
15. Jimmy Eriksson            Russian Time      1m57.635s  +1.357s   8
16. Adderly Fong              Koiranen          1m57.665s  +1.387s  20
17. Emanuele Zonzini          ART               1m57.670s  +1.392s  19
18. David Fumanelli           Jenzer            1m57.881s  +1.603s  15
19. Jordan King               Status            1m57.883s  +1.605s   5
20. Nick Cassidy              Status            1m58.023s  +1.745s  19
21. Nicholas Latifi           Carlin            1m58.349s  +2.071s  21
22. Santiago Urrutia          Koiranen          1m58.701s  +2.423s  21
23. Ryan Cullen               Manor             1m58.771s  +2.493s  26
24. Kevin Joerg               Jenzer            1m59.080s  +2.802s  26
25. Ivan Taranov              Trident           1m59.225s  +2.947s  27
26. Juan Branger              Trident           2m02.334s  +6.056s  20
27. Kuba Dalewski             Russian Time      2m03.730s  +7.452s   6

Afternoon times

Pos Driver                    Team              Time       Gap      Laps
 1. Dean Stoneman             Koiranen          1m55.829s           25
 2. Pierre Gasly              ART               1m55.940s  +0.111s  29
 3. Oliver Rowland            Manor             1m55.967s  +0.138s  17
 4. Sam Bird                  Russian Time      1m56.028s  +0.199s  27
 5. Kevin Korjus              Status            1m56.419s  +0.590s  24
 6. Alex Fontana              ART               1m56.432s  +0.603s  25
 7. Marvin Kirchhofer         MW Arden          1m56.468s  +0.639s  26
 8. Jan Mardenborough         Carlin            1m56.469s  +0.640s  33
 9. Roman de Beer             Trident           1m56.549s  +0.720s  23
10. Nick Cassidy              Status            1m56.603s  +0.774s  16
11. Patric Niederhauser       Jenzer            1m56.614s  +0.785s  24
12. Dino Zamparelli           MW Arden          1m56.628s  +0.799s  25
13. Adderly Fong              Koiranen          1m56.653s  +0.824s  25
14. Emil Bernstorff           Carlin            1m56.678s  +0.849s  33
15. Edward Jones              MW Arden          1m56.845s  +1.016s  23
16. Jimmy Eriksson            Russian Time      1m56.904s  +1.075s  28
17. Emanuele Zonzini          ART               1m57.019s  +1.190s  29
18. Melville McKee            Manor             1m57.247s  +1.418s  23
19. David Fumanelli           Jenzer            1m57.269s  +1.440s  20
20. Jordan King               Status            1m57.274s  +1.445s  26
21. Santiago Urrutia          Koiranen          1m57.295s  +1.466s  22
22. Nicholas Latifi           Carlin            1m57.381s  +1.552s  30
23. Ryan Cullen               Manor             1m57.675s  +1.846s  25
24. Ivan Taranov              Trident           1m57.978s  +2.149s  30
25. Juan Branger              Trident           1m58.652s  +2.823s  34
26. Kevin Joerg               Jenzer            1m58.798s  +2.969s  14
27. Kuba Dalewski             Russian Time      1m59.116s  +3.287s  30

Picture(s) Copyright © Sam Bloxham/GP3 Series Media Service

Ellinas fends off Stoneman to take final race victory in GP3 at Abu Dhabi

Tio Ellinas has managed to hold off the advances of Dean Stoneman to take the final race victory of the 2013 GP3 season, after yet another thrilling race around Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit. The leading duo were closely followed by a throng of drivers, with Conor Daly only just ahead of team-mate Jack Harvey and Champion Daniil Kvyat.

At the start Tio Ellinas stormed into the lead of the race, whilst initial poleman Patrick Kujala endured a torrid getaway off of the line and plummeted down the order with Dean Stoneman and Conor Daly swamping the Finn during the opening few corners. Despite some drivers running wide on the exit of Turn 1 and a slight wheel-banging contest between Facu Regalia and Emanuele Zonzini, the field managed to negotiate the tricky first sector without too much trouble.

By the end of the opening lap Dean Stoneman was beginning to pile serious amounts of pressure on race leader Tio Ellinas, with Conor Daly also proving to be a threat in 3rd position. Further down the order battles raged on, with Dino Zamparelli and Robert Visoiu in particular lightly colliding at the end of the long back-straight. Luckily both drivers managed to continue racing, with no serious damage sustained to either of their cars. At the front of the pack Tio Ellinas asserted his authority by producing the fastest lap of the race, in a bid to break away from the hard-charging Dean Stoneman.

As the race wore on newly-crowned Champion Daniil Kvyat soon began scything his way through the order, after initially starting the race from way down in 8th due to the reversal of the top eight after the opening race of the weekend. Eventually the impressive Russian managed to nip ahead of the Carlin of Nick Yelloly for 6th at Turn 7, before then being forced to defend heavily as the Briton strove to retake the position down the back-straight. After securing the reverse grid pole, Finnish driver Patrick Kujala began to seriously struggle as the race progressed.

Soon the 17-year-old Finn was under severe pressure from the MW Arden of Daniil Kvyat, who managed to simply glide around the outside of him for 5th position. Despite Kvyat’s impressive maneuver on Kujala, others found it difficult to find a way around the Koiranen GP driver. As the race progressed, a long line of drivers began to form behind Patrick Kujala, headed by the Carlin duo of Nick Yelloly and Alexander Sims. After many laps striving to repeat Daniil Kvyat’s move around the outside, Yelloly and Sims finally muscled their way around the Finn at Turn 14 in superlative style.

This maneuver by the duo finally opened the proverbial floodgates for the rest of the field, as Patrick Kujala unfortunately continued to plummet through the order as the final laps of the race ticked away. After being released from behind the Koiranen GP driver, Nick Yelloly managed to produce the fastest lap of the race as the battle at the front began to intensify within the closing laps.

With only several laps remaining, Dean Stoneman began reeling in race leader Tio Ellinas once again. Meanwhile Conor Daly was beginning to be pressurized by team-mate Jack Harvey, with Champion Daniil Kvyat waiting in the wings should anyone make a mistake. Despite the two ART Grand Prix drivers of Conor Daly and Jack Harvey running side-by-side down the back-straight, the positions at the front remained unchanged as Tio Ellinas once again crossed the line to secure the final race victory of the season for Marussia Manor Racing.

During the final lap the Cypriot’s team-mate of Ryan Cullen was involved in a minor incident with the Jenzer Motorsport of Samin Gomez, however both drivers managed to make it to the finish albeit towards the rear of the order. Alice Powell endured a frustrating return to the GP3 Series for Bamboo Engineering, however her pace on the final lap showed she certainly has the pace in the GP3/13 machine.

With the 2013 GP3 Series season now officially at a conclusion, many drivers will be aiming to ‘graduate’ to other categories in their quest to eventually make it in the frenetic world of Formula 1. Daniil Kvyat has already secured such ambitions, and will return next season behind the wheel of the Toro Rosso. With such a fearsome display of pace throughout the season, the Russian ace will undoubtedly be an exciting new prospect for the Red Bull family.

Picture Copyright © Sam Bloxham/GP3 Series Media Service