in Paul Ricard
The Japanese driver set the fastest laptime of the day in a 1:15.434
The track conditions were still wet and difficult this afternoon with heavy rain pouring down the circuit towards the end of the session.
The GP2 drivers had very little time to set their fastest lap and once again it was Kamui Kobayashi at the wheel of Dams who was the most competitive of them all clocking a best time of 1:15.434, ahead of rookie Will Brat on DPR in a 1:15.749. Another impressive rookie was Koudai Tsukakoshi.
On Campos, the Japanese ace set the third fastest laptime of the day quickly followed by Luca Filippi on Super Nova racing, rookies Charles Pic on Piquet and Giedo Van der Garde on iSport, Dams’ Jérôme d’Ambrosio, Roldan Rodriguez on the second Piquet car and Andreas Zuber on Racing Engineering.
The Top 10 was completed by another rookie: Nico Hulkenberg at the wheel of ART Grand Prix. Twelve drivers posted time within a second.
Today’s session will start at 9am local time and will wrap up testing for 2008.
Heavy rain is anticipated for the entire day.
Afternoon session Driver Nationality Team Time Laps
1. Kamui Kobayashi JPN Dams 1:15.434 29 2. Will Brat GBR DPR 1:15.749 48 3. Koudai Tsukakoshi JPN Barwa Int Campos Team 1:16.072 40 4. Luca Filippi ITA Super Nova Racing 1:16.082 23 5. Charles Pic FRA Piquet Sports 1:16.221 32 6. Giedo Van der Garde NED iSport International 1:16.268 15 7. Jerome D Ambrosio BEL Dams 1:16.368 41 8. Roldan Rodriguez ESP Piquet Sports 1:16.394 33 9. Andreas Zuber UAE Racing Engineering 1:16.395 17 10. Nico Hulkenberg GER ART Grand Prix 1:16.432 31 11. Luiz Razia BRA Fisichella Motor Sport Int 1:16.520 46 12. Davide Valsecchi ITA Durango 1:16.541 16 13. Mike Conway GBR iSport International 1:16.557 25 14. Vitaly Petrov RUS Barwa Int Campos Team 1:16.638 23 15. Alberto Valerio BRA ART Grand Prix 1:16.893 14 16. Michael Herck ROM DPR 1:17.268 16 17. Marcello Puglisi ITA Durango 1:17.457 27 18. Julien Jousse FRA Trident Racing 1:17.472 32 19. Fabio Onidi ITA Super Nova Racing 1:17.656 39 20 Sten Pentus EST Racing Engineering 1:18.205 22 21. Fabio Leimer SUI Trident Racing 1:18.353 34 22. Christian Ebbesvik NOR Trust Team Arden 1:18:549 20 23. Nelson Panciatici FRA Trust Team Arden 1:19.404 17 24. Natacha Gachnang SUI Fisichella Motor Sport Int 1:28.710 22
