Fabio Leimer fastest in soaking GP2 practice at Spa

Cecotto jr. brings proceedings to a premature end with a big shunt

Fabio Leimer has ended practice for this weekend’s GP2 event fastest in soaking conditions at Spa-Francorchamps, with the visibility practically impenetrable for the drivers. The session saw numerous spills and thrills, with Johnny Cecotto jr. bringing a premature end to proceedings with a nasty incident at turn 10.

The start to the opening session of the GP2 weekend was delayed by five minutes, with the conditions gradually worsening as the drivers made their way from the support event paddock to the Formula 1 pit lane. The Lotus duo of Esteban Gutierrez and James Calado led a long line of waiting cars onto the track as the session got underway, with the rain lashing down upon the legendary Spa circuit.

Esteban Gutierrez set the initial pace for Lotus, albeit after running slightly wide at turn 18’s Bus Stop chicane, with a 02:31.201. The Mexican’s team-mate, James Calado, then went faster still with a 02:30.530. Whilst the two Lotus drivers battled for supremacy at the top, Jolyon Palmer and Stefano Coletti spun throughout the turn 5 and 6 Les Combes section of the track. Just like with Formula 1 earlier in the morning, this section of the track seemed the trickiest for the drivers with numerous spins occurring throughout the session.

Whilst Palmer and Coletti returned to racing speeds after their separate spins, Esteban Gutierrez went fastest once again with a 02:28.968. Johnny Cecotto jr. and James Calado became the next set of drivers to make mistakes at turns 5 and 6, however both were luckily able to continue circulating on the track. The same, however, couldn’t be said for the Rapax of Daniël de Jong, who spun on the exit of turn 5 and embedded his car in the barriers, lightly damaging the front-right of his car.

Whilst de Jong extracted himself from his stricken car, the Lotus duo continued to battle amongst each other for the top spot on the timing sheets. Championship leader Luiz Razia ended their reign at the top shortly after, as the Brazilian driver stormed to the top with a 02:24.931. Davide Valsecchi then went momentarily fastest, before Razia once again asserted his authority over proceedings.

Johnny Cecotto jr. then stormed to the top of the timing sheets, before Swiss driver Fabio Leimer went faster still with a 02:22.580. With the rain subsiding and the track becoming less slippery, purple times began to appear on the timing screens as drivers began to get to grips with the tricky track conditions. However, the session was brought to a premature end when Johnny Cecotto jr. spun his Barwa Addax car into the wall at turn 10 after running wide onto the sodden astroturf which lined the track. Luckily Cecotto looked uninjured after his heavy shunt, although his car was well damaged at the rear.

This meant that Fabio Leimer ended the session fastest overall, ahead of the Ocean Racing Technology of Nigel Melker and the Barwa Addax of the unfortunate Johnny Cecotto jr. The GP2 cars will once again return to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit later this afternoon, as the aim to qualify for tomorrow’s main feature race.

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