Raffaele Marciello set the pace for Trident on the opening day of the post-season GP2 test in Abu Dhabi.
Having raced for Russian Time in 2016, Marciello returned to the team he competed with in 2015 for day one of GP2 testing at the Yas Marina Circuit.
He was second fastest in the morning, before moving to the top of the timesheets late in the afternoon with a 1m48.937.
With conditions improving throughout the day and GP3 cars also rubbering it in further during their sessions, the times tumbled in the afternoon.
Nobuharu Matsushita finished second for ART Grand Prix, with DAMS runners Oliver Rowland and Nicholas Latifi third and fourth, a few tenths off first place.
Johnny Cecotto Jr. was fifth for Rapax, following his return to GP2 for the 2016 finale in Abu Dhabi.
GP3 champion Charles Leclerc tested for 2016 GP2 teams’ champion Prema, with the Ferrari Driver Academy member in sixth.
Jordan King joined Russian Time for the test and was seventh, ahead of test team-mate Artem Markelov – who brought the session to a close slightly early after stopping on track.
Luca Ghiotto switched from his 2016 team Trident to Rapax and was ninth, with Sean Gelael testing for Arden and finishing 10th.
This year’s runner-up Antonio Giovinazzi was 11th in the second Arden, while GP3 title contender Alexander Albon was 14th.
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