SEPANG: Fading grip levels after three laps saw GP2 rookie Nabil Jeffri settling for 18th out of 21 drivers in free practice at the Malaysian round of the series today.
The Arden International driver clocked a best lap of one minute and 44.232 seconds at the Sepang circuit as Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Prema Racing) topped the timesheets on 1:44.352 seconds.
Nabil admitted it wasn’t the start he was looking for, though he is confident he knows what changes are needed ahead of tomorrow's qualifying session.
"I felt like I hadn't driven here for a long time. I started to get a feel of the track again after three or four laps, but unfortunately, the tires had already gone by then," said the 22 year-old.
"I believe I know what needs to be improved to do well in qualifying tomorrow and my target is to get into the top 15.
"The car needs some adjustment to improve in the fast corners here, specifically turns five, six, seven and eight. I will try my best."
Akash Nandy (Jenzer Motorsport) fared better in GP3, where his 1:51.605 seconds saw him place 10th. Great Britain's Jack Aitken (Arden) was fastest with 1:50.883 seconds.