Paul Ricard HTTT day two test summary

Over 10600 kilometres over two days and a quite impressive speed improvement for 2006

The second and last official GP2 Series test day at the Paul Ricard HTTT was a new opportunity for the teams and drivers to become confident on the south of France test track. Lewis Hamilton (ART Grand Prix) and Jose Maria Lopez (Super Nova) have set the overall fastest times.

If 'rookie' Hamilton completed a true performance and set the pace yesterday, the 2005 drivers such as Nelson Angelo Piquet (Piquet Sport), who is starting his second GP2 series season, did react quite strongly, setting today's overall best lap time.

The GP2 Series staff can be very satisfied after this two-day session which took part under good conditions. 2 757 laps and 10 622 kilometres have been completed by the 26 drivers, without any major incident. Hamilton's best lap (1'12"838) set late on Wednesday afternoon, was the overall fastest lap of this two-day session, almost three seconds faster than the 2005 GP2 best lap set at the Paul Ricard HTTT on the same track solution (1'15''565 Piquet Sport).

For tyre manufacturer Bridgestone, it is also a new start. For the first time, Bridgestone gave the teams the opportunity to run on the new slick tyres which the GP2 Series will use in the 2006 season.

The next test session will be held at the Paul Ricard HTTT on March 16th and 17th before the start of the season in Valencia (Spain) on April 8th and 9th.

-circuitpaulricard.com