Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona - 30/10/12

Caterham Racing enjoyed a successful first day at the Official GP2 test in Barcelona with Alexander Rossi and Lucas Foresti behind the wheel. Cool but dry conditions around the 4,655 km Circuit de Catalunya allowed mostly long uninterrupted sessions, perfect for Foresti's maiden GP2 outing and enabling Rossi to re-familiarise himself with the car.

The morning session saw both Caterham drivers complete over 20 laps on one set of tyres, providing a valuable insight into the handling and tyre degradation of the GP2 car.

In the afternoon session both drivers made excellent progress and at the flag Rossi was P5 and Foresti P13 in the standings.

Alexander Rossi "It was great to get back in the GP2 car and work with the Caterham Racing team again. Having raced here a few weeks ago, I know my way around Barcelona. I spent the morning adjusting my driving style to suit the GP2 car, which reacts to input much differently than a World Series car. This afternoon we made big steps forward and finishing P5 in the final session leaves me feeling confident for tomorrow. The weather will most likely be different tomorrow with rain forecast, but this is a good opportunity for us to work on our wet set up."

Lucas Foresti "It was a busy day and I had so much to learn about the car, adapting to the power and tyres. The tyres are very different to World Series but I am learning! I am really enjoying working with the team and tomorrow I will try some qualifying and race simulation runs, but for today I am pleased with my progress."

Caterham Racing Team Manager Phill Spencer "Our first day of testing in Barcelona has gone pretty smoothly and it was great to see the cars back out on track. The drivers and the team have been brilliant and we are all pleased with the end result. It was just a shame that the last new tyre runs were hampered by a red flag but we are looking forward to day 2."

Caterham Racing Chief Engineer Humphrey Corbett "I am very pleased with the progress both drivers have made today and we completed our heavy test programme without incident. Our aim today was to ensure both drivers recorded as many laps as possible which we achieved. The plan tomorrow will very much depend on the weather but for now we have a good amount of data to run through this evening."