Rossi leads GP2 test for Caterham

The American hit the front with a 1m40.604s in the final 30 minutes of the day.

That was just enough to withstand a late flyer from Hilmer Motorsport's morning pacesetter Daniel Abt, who fell just 0.012 seconds shy of deposing Rossi.

2012 GP3 champion Mitch Evans also got within one tenth of Rossi, but had to settle for third overall.

Conor Daly, who suffered a heavy roll one week ago in Abu Dhabi, edged Jolyon Palmer in the fight for fourth.

Johnny Cecotto meanwhile beat Raffaele Marciello and Vittorio Ghirelli - champions in the 2013 European Formula 3 and Auto GP series respectively - to sixth.

Ghirelli was the only driver change compared to the Abu Dhabi test, replacing Axcil Jefferies at Trident - which is yet to confirm its second driver for the 2014 campaign.

Arthur Pic and Facu Regalia had occupied second and third in the morning, behind Abt, but slipped down the order as times improved over the afternoon.

Pic wound up 17th in the second session, four spots behind Regalia.