GP2: Red Bull's Gasly tops practice for Prema

Prema began its maiden GP2 season by topping 2016's opening practice session at Barcelona, with its Red Bull protege Pierre Gasly edging out Williams Formula 1 development driver Alex Lynn.

Last season's DAMS team-mates had an early battle for first place, with Lynn - still at the French team - fastest at first before Gasly beat him by four tenths of a second with a 1m29.519s for Prema. Lynn improved moments later, but came through 0.104s adrift. That was how they stayed, with teams quickly switching focus to longer runs on a weekend where managing tire degradation will be a major focus.

Artem Markelov began 2016 strongly by taking third for Russian Time. Final test pacesetter Racing Engineering secured fourth and sixth with Norman Nato and Jordan King. They sandwiched Renault F1 test driver Sergey Sirotkin, whose teammate at reigning champion squad ART Grand Prix, Honda protege Nobuharu Matsushita, was eighth.

European Formula 3 graduate Antonio Giovinazzi underlined Prema's form with seventh place, which made him the leading rookie. Formula Renault 3.5 champion Oliver Rowland and former GP3 title contender Marvin Kirchhofer completed the top 10.

Kirchhofer was the sole Carlin entrant listed in the run-up to the season-opener, but GP2 veteran Sergio Canamasas completed a late deal to join him and bring the field up to 22. Carlin becomes the sixth team of Canamasas's GP2 career. He was 19th fastest.

Originally on Autosport.co