OFFICIAL TEST DAYS IN ESTORIL: LORANDI AND MAINI ON THE PACE

The GP3 Series teams met up between 21^st and 23^rd March 2017 for the official test days at the demanding Circuito do Estoril near Lisbon (P). Alessio Lorandi (I) and Arjun Maini (IND) drove for Jenzer Motorsport.

The Drag Reduction System (DRS) was new and in use for the first time on the car, giving the drivers the opportunity to get used to it. With the flattening of the rear wing a higher final speed is achieved and thus more frequent overtaking is possible.

The first day started very wet and windy. Finally just before noon the track started drying a bit and the afternoon session saw a dry track. Alessio and Arjun, neither of whom had ever driven at Estoril before, both drove very well. In the wet they were both constantly to be found in the first part of the results table. At the end of the morning session Alessio was 9^th and Arjun was 11^th and neither of them had yet changed to slick tyres on the drying track. In the afternoon Arjun achieved an excellent 5^th place, while Alessio, who was held up slightly on his fastest lap, claimed 13^th place.

On the second day rain started falling right at the beginning of the session and the track stayed wet until lunch time. Alessio got his session off to a good start and was an excellent 3^rd by the end of the morning. Arjun was 15^th. He put in his fastest lap just as the session was red flagged and stopped because of an incident elsewhere on the track. In the afternoon the track was wet but drying intermittently and it was very difficult to be out on track at the right moment! In the end Arjun finished in 7^th and Alessio was 10^th.

Both have already shown very good pace and were regularly in the top ten despite the very variable conditions. We are looking forward to the next test days.

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The next official test days are on 19^th/20^th April in Barcelona (E) and 25^th/26^th April 2016 in Valencia (E). The first race of the new season will be part of the Formula 1 Grand Prix programme on 12th/14th May 2017 in Barcelona (E).