The 27-lap race was held on Friday morning and offered drivers, teams and race control the chance to run through procedures including Attack Mode activations, full course yellows and safety cars.
Jaguar’s Mitch Evans, who has topped both sessions to take place at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Spain so far, started at the front of the field as a safety car led the pack for two laps.
Once racing commenced, reigning champion Jake Dennis moved to the front of the field as team-mate Norman Nato followed through into second.
ERT’s Sergio Sette Camara was the first driver to suffer problems, pitting after only one lap, before being followed into the pits by Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz, although the latter was able to rejoin several tours in arrears.
A new dynamic for drivers and teams to adapt to during the race was the addition of fast-charging pitstops which are set to be introduced this season.
Given the battery fire which impacted the test earlier this week, the fast-charging was only simulated, with drivers stationary for approximately 30 seconds in the pits before being released back out onto the track.
Da Costa was one of the first to make this mandatory stop on lap 13 having moved to the head of the field over the proceeding laps, and he was followed in by Maserati MSG’s Maximilian Guenther and McLaren’s Sam Bird.
Source: Autosport