DS Mathershaw reserve driver Thierry Xylander has topped the first day of pre-season testing at Estoril, setting a 1:15.184 on the soft tyres to go just over a tenth and a half fastest than Enrique Ruiz in the Franklin. Xylander was given the honour of being the first driver to pilot the new RJM-006 as the French outfit look to take back the title they lost to Downton last season. The British team clearly have no intentions of giving up the fight easily however, with Nathaniel Powers lapping third quickest, just over three tenths off of Xylander's time, albeit also on soft tyres.
Ruiz in second pulled together a strong lap but on the mediums meanwhile, showing Franklin are likely to retain their mantle as an ever-present threat. Another fast time on the mediums came from Ocelot's new reserve Nicolas Steffensen, with the Dane fifth quickest. The car ran in a plain white livery and completely unmarked to the point that no-one was even sure what engine was in the back. Between them was Tumo Kinnumen in the newly Koenigsegg-powered Holmqvist. The Finn - on soft tyres - was just a tenth slower than the defending champions. AMR and Felix Beyer were the only team on the super softs on day one, with the Dutchman settling into sixth quickest, just ahead of a soft-tyred Johan Halvosen on his debut for North Star. Elroy Wagner and Nikolajis Christodoulou were eighth and ninth for Lopez and Westwood - both on mediums - but the Greek reserve caused the first red flag by getting stuck in the gravel at turn one. Sebastien Vocquelin made his much anticipated debut in tenth quickest for Meteor on the soft tyres, but spent much of the day focusing on getting comfortable. Carson Davenport was eleventh for the new Phoenix outfit on mediums, albeit ahead only of two cars running on the hard tyres. Nikolai Milkovich endured a tough first day in his new role as reserve driver as the Ingram IGP Osprey kept suffering a misfire and caused the second and final red flag when it gave up altogether late on, but was still quicker than FIRST's new recruit Felix Perez, who was 2.2 seconds away from the fastest time set by Xylander. See below for full times from day one of pre-season testing:
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