The GP3 field completed their year's work with one final two-day post-season test at the Jerez circuit, where the names at the top of the times were slightly more mixed up that at Valencia the week before. Only slightly, mind you.
The final GP3 on-track action of the season saw the teams complete their trio of post-season Spanish-based test sessions with one final blast around the Jerez track, with the ten GP3 teams again running a litany of young driving talent as they continue to make their minds up over their line-ups for next season.After the ART team and Daniel Abt dominated the preceding test in Valencia, the German could only top one of the two days at the Jerez test, but still continued to play himself into a role of pre-season title favourite, even before he is officially confirmed in a seat.
Indeed, of the 30 available seats for next year, only two are currently filled, with Finn Aaro Vainio in at ART and American driver Ethan Ringel joining the ATECH squad. So there was plenty of reason for the youngsters to look to perform at Jerez, and try and fill one of those 28 other seats for 2012.
Day 1
On the opening day, Abt was forced to play not just second fiddle, but eighth fiddle to a host of other potential starts of the future.
It was Cypriot driver Tio Ellinas who topped the times, the 2011 British FRenault race winner going fastest in the morning session and remaining there as the times failed to significantly improve in the afternoon to top the day for the Marussia Manor team.
The star of the afternoon was European F3 Open driver David Fumanelli, who impressed for MW Arden to set the afternoon pace, but with the times being slower, his morning time was the one that counted, and he ended up just 0.05s off Ellinas.
Finnish driver Mattias Laine continued his strong winter form, finishing third fastest in another Manor car, while a second MW Arden machine went fourth fastest in the hands of Russian driver Maxim Zimin.
2011 European F3 Open champion Alex Fontana was fifth for Tech 1, having driven GP3 cars previously in a one-off appearance at the Spa round of the series in 2011, while Jenzer's Robert Visoiu was sixth.
Tom Blomqvist, the 2010 British FRenault champion, finished seventh for Carlin, with Barcelona pacesetter Abt only eighth.
| Leading Times. | |||
| Pos | Driver | Team | Best Time |
| 1 | Tio Elinas (Cyp) | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:34.748 |
| 2 | David Fumanelli (Ita) | MW Arden | 1:34.798 |
| 3 | Matias Laine (Fin) | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:34.819 |
| 4 | Maxim Zimin (Rus) | MW Arden | 1:34.937 |
| 5 | Alex Fontana (Swi) | Tech 1 Racing | 1:34.988 |
| 6 | Robert Visiou (Rom) | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:35.015 |
| 7 | Tom Blomqvist (Gbr) | Carlin | 1:35.039 |
| 8 | Daniel Abt (Ger) | Lotus ART | 1:35.058 |
| 9 | Tamas Pal Kiss (Hun) | ATECH CRS GP | 1:35.059 |
| 10 | Conor Daly (Usa) | Lotus ART | 1:35.146 |
| 11 | Michael Heche (Swi) | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:35.222 |
| 12 | Nigel Melker (Ned) | Trident Racing | 1:35.267 |
Day 2
After his wobble on day 1 though, the second day saw Abt and ART reassert themselves, with the German driver going 0.055 seconds faster than the still-quick Laine in the morning session, and remaining there as times dropped off in the afternoon.
Laine was the most impressive driver of the day, though, with the Finn finishing second in the morning before topping the afternoon session by nearly four tenths of a second from his nearest rival.
Fumanelli continued his strong test with the third fastest time overall, again in the morning session, while GP3 regular Marlon Stockinger was fourth for Status GP.
Zimin was also fast again, finishing fifth, from day 1 pacesetter Ellinas and Dane Michael Christensen, who went seventh for the RSC Mucke Motorsport squad.
Another GP3 regular Nigel Melker was eighth for new GP3 outfit Trident Racing, while Ferrari Academy driver Brandon Maisano was ninth for MW Arden. Blomqvist completed the top ten having switched to the Status GP team for the day.
The only signed 2012 drivers both struggled, with Vainio only 14th for ART and Ringel down in 25th place for ATECH.
GP3 now goes on its winter holidays, though the series will be back on track in late February, with the first of three pre-season tests at the Estoril track in Portugal.
| Leading Times. | |||
| Pos | Driver | Team | Best Time |
| 1 | Daniel Abt (Ger) | Lotus ART | 1:33.885 |
| 2 | Matian Laine (Fin) | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:33.940 |
| 3 | David Fumanelli (Ita) | MW Arden | 1:34.156 |
| 4 | Marlon Stockinger (Phi) | Status Grand Prix | 1:34.280 |
| 5 | Maxim Zimin (Rus) | MW Arden | 1:34.353 |
| 6 | Tio Ellinas (Cyp) | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:34.386 |
| 7 | Michael Christensen (Den) | RSC Mucke Motorsport | 1:34.663 |
| 8 | Nigel Melker (Ned) | Trident Racing | 1:34.749 |
| 9 | Brandon Maisano (Fra) | MW Arden | 1:34.798 |
| 10 | Tom Blomqvist (Gbr) | Status Grand Prix | 1:34.801 |
| 11 | Gabby Chaves (Col) | Tech 1 Racing | 1:34.831 |
| 12 | Facu Regalia (Arg) | Status Grand Prix | 1:34.836 |
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