ART Grand Prix’s Nyck de Vries set the quickest time as Formula 2 pre-season testing began at the Circuito de Jerez on Tuesday.
Formula 2’s 10 teams have gathered at the Spanish venue for three days of running with the F2/18, with another three planned next week at Barcelona before the season opener in Bahrain at the end of March.
De Vries topped both the morning and afternoon session at Jerez and his time of 1:25.358 left him comfortably clear of Williams F1 tester Nicholas Latifi, who has stayed with DAMS for 2019.
Reigning Formula 3 champion Mick Schumacher was third for Prema Racing, with McLaren F1 tester Sergio Sette Camara placing fourth, having switched from Carlin to DAMS.
UNI-Virtuosi, which has taken over Russian Time’s entry, finished fifth and eighth respectively with series veteran Luca Ghiotto and Renault F1 development driver Guan Yu Zhou.
They were split by Carlin’s Louis Deletraz and de Vries’ ART team-mate Nikita Mazepin.
Dorian Boccolacci – yet to secure a 2019 deal but testing for Campos – was ninth as Sauber Junior Team by Charouz rookie Callum Ilott rounded out the top 10.
