The final official activity of the 2012
GP2 calendar will take place this year at
Jerez in Spain on Thursday and Friday, in the second and last two-day post-season test session for the teams.
It's an opportunity for the
GP2 squads to get some development work in on various set-up options, and also to continue evaluating possible driving talent as they mull over who to sign up for the 2013 campaign.
Among the drivers confirmed for this week's test are Nigel Melker, René Binder and Fabio Leimer who will all have an opportunity for track time with Racing Engineering. Dutch racer Melker will be at work with the squad on both days, while Binder will turn out on the Thursday and Leimer will take over on the Friday.
Melker has just completed his first season in
GP2 with Ocean Racing Technology, while Austrian teenager Binder competed in the last three races of the
GP2 season with Venezuela GP Lazarus. Swiss driver Leimer was Racing Engineering's lead driver in 2012 and finished the year in seventh place in the championship with six podium places over the course of the 24 race.
Meanwhile Caterham Racing will stick with just two drivers for this weeks test, with American driver Alexander Rossi joined at
Jerez by Switzerland's Simon Trummer.
"We are absolutely delighted to have Simon joining us for the
Jerez test," said Caterham's team manager Phill Spencer. "He has shown consistent pace in his first season of
GP2 [with Arden] and has steadily improved throughout the season and we look forward to working with him and helping him move towards the next step in his career.”
"I'm really happy to get this chance to test with such a professional team as Caterham Racing and after one season in
GP2 I am sure that this will help me move forwards as a driver,' said Trummer. "Working with different people in a new team will also be a new experience for me and I am really looking forward to the two day test in
Jerez and driving the Caterham Racing car!"
Johnny Cecotto Jr. will run with the Arden team on Friday, having spent the 2012 season racing for Barwa Addax.
"I was very happy to receive the call from Arden to test for them because they have a great season behind them this year and I think they are highly professional," said Ceotto. "I'm very eager to see the potential of the car and have a good day of testing together."
The newly crowned Formula 3 Euro Series champion Daniel Juncadella will be testing with Rapax. The 21-year-old said that he was hopeful that he'd be able to announce his racing plans for 2013 in the near future. At Jerez, he'll be working alongside the team's already-confirmed 2013 driver Stefano Coletti.