Arden International driver sets best laptime during GP2 Asia Series Round 1 free practiceCzech Josef Kral set the pace at the wheel of his #3 Arden International car this afternoon in a 1:37.020 lap, three tenths clear from his closest rival Davide Valsecchi at Team AirAsia.Today marked the opening of the fourth season of the GP2 Asia Series in Abu Dhabi. The 4.730 kilometre long Yas Marina Circuit welcomed the twenty six GP2/11 cars on their Pirelli rubber for the first practice session of the 2011 season.The session picked up quickly with the laptimes improving gradually and until Kral set the early pace seven minutes into the session ahead of Rapax’s Fabio Leimer, iSport’s Sam Bird and Lotus ART’s Esteban Gutierrez. Bird put together a good lap and improved enough to take top spot, but that was just temporary. In the same lap, Kral lit all his sectors green and set up the best laptime of the session. In spite of their best efforts, no one could match the Arden racer’s pace.At mid-session, Jules Bianchi at Lotus ART moved up to P2, with Valsecchi in tow, the Italian proving once more that his new team Team AirAsia good form for their GP2 debut. The rest of the session was marked by a few drivers going a bit too wide along the track, but without any incidents. In the final minutes, Valsecchi improved and edged Bianchi out of second spot, but at the chequered flag Kral remained the fastest man of the session and a clear contender for this afternoon’s pole position.The qualifying session will start at 17:25, local time.Abu Dhabi – Practice Session Driver Team Laptime Laps 1. Josef Kral Arden International 1:37.020 14 2. Davide Valsecchi Team AirAsia 1:37.319 15 3. Jules Bianchi Lotus ART 1:37.408 15 4. Romain Grosjean Dams 1:37.578 14 5. Sam Bird iSport International 1:37.601 15 6. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus ART 1:37.602 14 7. Michael Herck Scuderia Coloni 1:37.711 14 8. Stefano Coletti Trident Racing 1:37.742 16 9. Charles Pic Barwa Addax Team 1:37.789 14 10. Max Chilton Carlin 1:37.798 14 11. Fabio Leimer Rapax 1:37.860 15 12. Luiz Razia Team AirAsia 1:37.864 16 13. Johnny Cecotto Super Nova Racing 1:37.949 15 14. Jolyon Palmer Arden International 1:37.972 15 15. Marcus Ericsson iSport International 1:38.010 13 16. Dani Clos Racing Engineering 1:38.016 15 17. Giedo van der Garde Barwa Addax Team 1:38.060 13 18. Mikhail Aleshin Carlin 1:38.134 14 19. Oliver Turvey Ocean Racing Technology 1:38.160 16 20. Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident Racing 1:38.200 16 21. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 1:38.251 14 22. Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova Racing 1:38.446 16 23. Pal Varhaug Dams 1:38.571 15 24. Julian Leal Rapax 1:38.574 15 25. James Jakes Scuderia Coloni 1:38.580 13 26. Andrea Caldarelli Ocean Racing Technology 1:39.042 15
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