FIA Formula 3 hits the track for in-season testing in Jerez, live timing 04.04.2022: FIA Formula 3 Championship test Jerez de la Frontera, Spain April 5-6th, 2022 Livetiming HERE The FIA Formula 3 Championship returns to action in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, this week following a dramatic opening round of the season at the Bahr

FIA Formula 3 Championship test
Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
April 5-6th, 2022

Livetiming HERE

The FIA Formula 3 Championship returns to action in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, this week following a dramatic opening round of the season at the Bahrain International Circuit last month.



Starting on Tuesday, the two days of testing will give the teams and drivers a chance to hone their learnings from the first two races of the season before heading to Barcelona in ten days, where they’ll get another two days of track time under their belts.




WHAT TO EXPECT



Running 5 – 6 April, the official two-day test offers a total of 12 hours of track time, with each day split into a morning and afternoon session. On both days morning running will start at 09:00 and end at noon. On Day One of testing, the afternoon session will start at 14:00 and finish at 17:00, while on Day Two, it will begin and 13:00 and end at 16:00 (GMT +2)


Teams will be testing on Pirelli’s white-walled hard compound tyres, the same allocation that will be used during the upcoming Barcelona test as well as Round 3 in Barcelona. Each car will be allocated eight sets of tyres for the duration of the test.






THE STORY SO FAR


• The 2022 FIA Formula 3 Championship got off to a flying start last month in Sakhir, Bahrain, and while it was two second-year drivers, Victor Martins and Arthur Leclerc, who finished the weekend atop the Drivers’ Championship, there were several rookies also eager to make an early statement.



• It was a strong opening session of the campaign for reigning Team Champions Trident, as Roman Staněk ended Free Practice at the top of the timesheets. The Czech driver finished ahead of PREMA Racing’s Leclerc, who was just a tenth off the pace, and ART Grand Prix rookie Grégoire Saucy who clocked in a time good enough for third.


• Qualifying saw Formula 3 newcomers Van Amersfoort Racing and rookie driver Franco Colapinto get their campaigns off to a great start with the Argentine driver launching himself to pole position on his and his team’s competitive debuts. Staněk finished second ahead of MP Motorsport’s Kush Maini in third, though the latter would later receive a penalty for failing to stop at the weighbridge and ultimately start both races from the pitlane.



• Saturday saw Hitech Grand Prix’s Isack Hadjar take his maiden victory in the Sprint Race after PREMA’s Oliver Bearman was handed a post-race penalty for track limit violations. The Brit, who had led for the majority of the race, found himself second after the penalty was applied ahead of MP Motorsport’s Alexander Smolyar.


• It was ART Grand Prix’s Martins who claimed glory in the opening Feature Race of the season, prevailing over Leclerc who drove his PREMA from 13th on the grid to second at the chequered flag. The pair of returning drivers were joined on the podium by Martin’s ART teammate Saucy, who claimed his maiden podium in the third tier.




THE CHALLENGERS



• Victor Martins, the highest returning driver from the 2021 campaign, leads the Drivers’ Championship with 25 points. Trailing by just one point is Arthur Leclerc, who sits second with 24 points. Oliver Bearman is third with 17 points, ahead of Grégoire Saucy with 15 points in fourth. Juan Manuel Correa rounds out the top five with 14 points.


• In the Teams’ Championship, it’s ART Grand Prix who lead the Standings with 54 points, ahead of PREMA Racing who sit second with 47 points. Hitech Grand Prix are in third with 14 points. MP Motorsport and Van Amersfoort Racing sit in fourth and fifth respectively, with 12 points each.



• Red Bull junior Jonny Edgar will not continue his Formula 3 season due to health reasons. The 18-year-old will be replaced at Trident by Oliver Rasmussen, who makes his debut with the Italian team this week in Jerez, ahead of further testing in Barcelona and Round 2 in Imola.


• Italian driver Federico Malvestiti returns to test with Jenzer Motorsport at the Circuito de Jerez, having previously completed a season with Swiss outfit in 2020.




WHERE TO FOLLOW



Follow testing on the official FIA Formula 3 Championship website via live timing here.

- Alexa Quintin, photo Formula Motorsport Ltd