Nato ends Barcelona F2 test on top
Arden driver Norman Nato was quickest on the final day of the FIA Formula 2 pre-season test in Barcelona.
Photo by: FIA Formula 2
Nato's Wednesday effort of 1m27.834s was the quickest lap of the three-day test – although it was a few tenths slower than the best lap from last year's pre-season event in Barcelona, recorded by eventual GP2 2016 champion Pierre Gasly.
Emerging as the pacesetter halfway through the morning session, Nato headed DAMS driver Oliver Rowland by 0.054s.
ART's rookie Alex Albon, who had topped the proceedings on Tuesday, wound up the only other driver besides Nato and Rowland to dip into the 1m27s margin during the test.
He made up the morning's top three, ahead of Rapax's Nyck de Vries and Russian Time duo Luca Ghiotto and Artem Markelov.
Just as on Tuesday, afternoon laptimes were again markedly slower, as Ghiotto pipped Rapax driver Johnny Cecotto to the top spot in the dying minutes with a 1m29.565s effort.
Reigning champion team Prema ended the day in ninth and 10th overall, GP3 champion Charles Leclerc ahead of fellow Ferrari junior Antonio Fuoco.
Former F1 driver Roberto Merhi was fourth quickest in the afternoon but 19th overall, right behind Monday pacesetter Nobuharu Matsushita.
Day 3 results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | AM | PM |
| 1 |  Norman Nato |
Pertamina Arden | 1:27.834 | 1:33.050 |
| 2 |  Oliver Rowland |
DAMS | 1:27.888 | 1:32.709 |
| 3 |  Alexander Albon |
ART Grand Prix | 1:27.939 | 1:33.363 |
| 4 |  Nyck de Vries |
Rapax | 1:28.103 | 1:29.991 |
| 5 |  Luca Ghiotto |
Russian Time | 1:28.177 | 1:29.565 |
| 6 |  Artem Markelov |
Russian Time | 1:28.245 | 1:33.947 |
| 7 |  Sean Gelael |
Pertamina Arden | 1:28.385 | 1:34.427 |
| 8 |  Nicholas Latifi |
DAMS | 1:28.391 | 1:34.713 |
| 9 |  Charles Leclerc |
Prema Racing | 1:28.421 | 1:33.856 |
| 10 | Antonio Fuoco |
Prema Racing | 1:28.649 | 1:32.499 |
| 11 |  Sergio Sette Camara |
MP Motorsport | 1:28.661 | 1:35.078 |
| 12 |  Ralph Boschung |
Campos Racing | 1:28.673 | 1:31.706 |
| 13 |  Johnny Cecotto Jr. |
Rapax | 1:28.692 | 1:29.827 |
| 14 | Louis Deletraz |
Racing Engineering | 1:28.881 | 1:33.123 |
| 15 | Jordan King |
MP Motorsport | 1:28.816 | 1:33.926 |
| 16 |  Gustav Malja |
Racing Engineering | 1:28.837 | 1:33.659 |
| 17 |  Sergio Canamasas |
Trident | 1:28.859 | 1:31.149 |
| 18 |  Nobuharu Matsushita |
ART Grand Prix | 1:28.901 | 1:33.595 |
| 19 | Roberto Merhi |
Campos Racing | 1:29.486 | 1:31.057 |
| 20 |  Nabil Jeffri |
Trident | 1:29.643 | 1:34.846 |
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