Briton Jolyon Palmer has set the benchmark on the opening pre-season test day for the GP2 Series at the Yas Marina circuit.
The three-day test comprises of a morning and an afternoon session with DAMS driver Palmer leaving it until the dying stages to post a 1:49.126s lap.
He had earlier clocked the third quickest time in the morning run.
Kiwi star Mitch Evans, who had finished 10th in the morning session that was topped by EQ8 Caterham Racing’s Rio Haryanto, improved his time in the afternoon to finish second quickest in 1:49.292s after turning only 13 laps compared with the 24 completed by Palmer.
The second DAMS driver Stephane Richelmi was third fastest in the afternoon in
1:49.756s.
Rookie Axcil Jefferies (Trident) brought out a final red flag late in the session after spinning and stopping at turn 19.
GP2 testing Day 1 – morning session
| 1 | Rio Haryanto | EQ8 Caterham Racing | 1:50.862 | 13 |
| 2 | Alexander Rossi | EQ8 Caterham Racing | 1:51.135 | 12 |
| 3 | Jolyon Palmer | DAMS | 1:51.232 | 11 |
| 4 | Stéphane Richelmi | DAMS | 1:51.479 | 11 |
| 5 | Felipe Nasr | Carlin | 1:51.590 | 16 |
| 6 | Johnny Cecotto | Trident | 1:51.599 | 9 |
| 7 | Julian Leal | Carlin | 1:51.609 | 12 |
| 8 | Jon Lancaster | MP Motorsport | 1:51.765 | 13 |
| 9 | Rene Binder | Arden International | 1:51.893 | 9 |
| 10 | Mitch Evans | RT RUSSIAN TIME | 1:51.928 | 17 |
| 11 | Stefano Coletti | Racing Engineering | 1:52.121 | 10 |
| 12 | Kimiya Sato | Campos Racing | 1:52.179 | 24 |
| 13 | Daniel Abt | Hilmer Motorsport | 1:52.259 | 18 |
| 14 | Facu Regalia | Hilmer Motorsport | 1:52.398 | 10 |
| 15 | Nathanaël Berthon | Trident Racing | 1:52.586 | 12 |
| 16 | Raffaele Marciello | Racing Engineering | 1:52.621 | 16 |
| 17 | Arthur Pic | Campos Racing | 1:52.820 | 23 |
| 18 | Conor Daly | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 1:53.022 | 16 |
| 19 | Simon Trummer | Rapax | 1:53.041 | 8 |
| 20 | Adrian Quaife-Hobbs | Rapax | 1:53.163 | 10 |
| 21 | Axcil Jefferies | Trident | 1:53.686 | 20 |
| 22 | Artem Markelov | RT RUSSIAN TIME | 1:53.807 | 12 |
| 23 | Takuya Izawa | ART Grand Prix | 2:23.231 | 27 |
| 24 | Stoffel Vandoorne | ART Grand Prix | 2:23.750 | 28 |
| 25 | André Negrao | Arden International | — | 0 |
| 26 | Daniiel De Jong | MP Motorsport | — | 0 |
GP2 testing Day 1 – afternoon session
| 1 | Jolyon Palmer | DAMS | 1:49.126 | 24 |
| 2 | Mitch Evans | RT RUSSIAN TIME | 1:49.292 | 13 |
| 3 | Stéphane Richelmi | DAMS | 1:49.756 | 28 |
| 4 | Daniel Abt | Hilmer Motorsport | 1:49.777 | 22 |
| 5 | Stoffel Vandoorne | ART Grand Prix | 1:49.790 | 28 |
| 6 | Johnny Cecotto | Trident | 1:49.892 | 19 |
| 7 | Felipe Nasr | Carlin | 1:49.896 | 29 |
| 8 | Stefano Coletti | Racing Engineering | 1:49.963 | 23 |
| 9 | Alexander Rossi | EQ8 Caterham Racing | 1:50.018 | 25 |
| 10 | Arthur Pic | Campos Racing | 1:50.204 | 19 |
| 11 | Takuya Izawa | ART Grand Prix | 1:50.219 | 37 |
| 12 | André Negrao | Arden International | 1:50.241 | 22 |
| 13 | Rio Haryanto | EQ8 Caterham Racing | 1:50.256 | 24 |
| 14 | Raffaele Marciello | Racing Engineering | 1:50.261 | 24 |
| 15 | Daniiel De Jong | MP Motorsport | 1:50.265 | 6 |
| 16 | Facu Regalia | Hilmer Motorsport | 1:50.289 | 17 |
| 17 | Jon Lancaster | MP Motorsport | 1:50.434 | 17 |
| 18 | Rene Binder | Arden International | 1:50.496 | 23 |
| 19 | Julian Leal | Carlin | 1:50.541 | 27 |
| 20 | Artem Markelov | RT RUSSIAN TIME | 1:50.925 | 21 |
| 21 | Conor Daly | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 1:50.933 | 25 |
| 22 | Nathanaël Berthon | Venezuela GP Lazarus | 1:51.026 | 20 |
| 23 | Simon Trummer | Rapax | 1:51.043 | 23 |
| 24 | Axcil Jefferies | Trident | 1:51.300 | 29 |
| 25 | Kimiya Sato | Campos Racing | 1:51.331 | 20 |
| 26 | Adrian Quaife-Hobbs | Rapax | 1:51.437 | 16 |
