ART Grand Prix’s Jake Hughes has topped the timesheets in the opening session of the 2018 GP3 season, setting the category’s fastest-ever practice time at Barcelona.
Hughes set a lap of 1m32.908s in the final moments, eclipsing the previous-best lap ever produced at this stage of the weekend by Patric Niederhauser in 2013 (1m35.044s) after the track was resurfaced over the winter.
He beat team-mate Anthoine Hubert to the best time after the Frenchman had led much of the session.
Hubert improved to a 1m33.390s late on but missed out on top spot by 0.482s.
Leonardo Pulcini followed up his pre-season testing form to take third above Force India Formula 1 tester Nikita Mazepin, and Dorian Boccolacci.
Sauber F1 test driver Tatiana Calderon finished sixth, with Pedro Piquet seventh and Gabriel Aubry eighth.
Niko Kari and David Beckmann completed the top 10.
Ferrari academy drivers Callum Ilott and Giuliano Alesi were 11th and 12th-quickest.
Diego Menchaca fell to 15th at the session’s end after stopping on track with around 10 of 45 minutes to go, causing a red flag period.
