Circuito de Jerez - 23/11/12

Perfect weather conditions on day two of the official GP2 test in Jerez ensured the first session got underway promptly at 9am and both drivers were keen to get back behind the wheel.

As expected the field remained tight throughout the morning. Alexander Rossi found a considerable amount of time on new tyres, ending the session P10, over 7/10ths quicker than his time from day one but still with time to find. As the morning continued Trummer struggled to get the best out of his tyres and pushed a little too hard at turn eight, causing him to spin just 15 minutes before the lunch break and putting an end to his first session.

During the afternoon both drivers embarked on different test programmes with Rossi completing 45 laps over two race simulation runs while Trummer worked with his engineers on shorter stints enabling him to get to grips with the remainder of his tyre allocation.

The afternoon passed with just one red flag and while Rossi did not set a time he did focus on long runs, crucially understanding how to manage tyre degradation which provided excellent data for the team. Trummer found more time and consistency on each run, concluding day two P18 at the chequered flag.

The team have enjoyed working with both drivers this week and look forward to the preparations for next season and returning to Jerez for the first outing of 2013 on 26^th/27^th/28^th February.

Caterham Racing Team Manager Phill Spencer "One of the main aims during this test was to get as many laps under Alexander's belt as possible and we achieved this today. Although we are not at the top of the time sheets the drivers have learnt a lot and the cars have run faultlessly. Simon is still learning and has worked very hard with his engineer during the test, trying different setups and driving styles. We have enjoyed wins and podiums in 2012 and are now looking forward to the close season and starting preparations for 2013."

Caterham Racing Chief Engineer Humphrey Corbett "Jerez was the last run of 2012 and once again we completed our test programme without any mechanical issues. This morning we focussed on new tyre runs with Alexander quite successfully and he ended the session 10^th, but there is more time to be found. This afternoon Alexander completed two long runs which provided him with an idea of the car in race trim and enabled us to learn more about his technique. Simon completed shorter runs and although he still has some work to do on his driving style and braking there was a marked improvement throughout the day. Simon has been a pleasure to work with and we would love to run him again."

Alexander Rossi "This morning the temperature and conditions were ideal for quick pace and we carried over what we learnt yesterday, and as a result the car was at its best throughout the whole test. However, we are still missing some pace and we will have to work hard in the off-season to figure out exactly why that is. In the afternoon we focused on heavy fuel and race runs, gaining very valuable information. The important thing is that both days were productive as we collected data that we can carry forward and which will be crucial to our future development."

Simon Trummer "Overall I was hoping for more from my driving and to be higher up the timings but I didn't find my pace on old tyres and then struggled on new tyres. I have learnt lots over the last two days and really enjoyed working with the Caterham Racing team and my engineer James."

ENDS