Jenzer’s Bedrin pips Prema’s Aron in F3’s first Imola test session

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Jenzer Motorsport’s Nikita Bedrin started Formula 3’s in-season test at Imola with the fastest laptime by 0.024 seconds in the Tuesday morning session.

The field headed out early on in mild condition, but nobody actually recorded a laptime until 41 minutes into the three-hour session when Van Amersfoort Racing’s Tommy Smith set a 1m47.667s.

He improved to 1m33.664s over the next 10 minutes, before finally being joined by another car on track. PHM Racing by Charouz’s Piotr Wisnicki lapped in the 1m37s, then approaching the end of the first hour MP Motorsport sent its cars on track.

Mari Boya went second fastest, 0.4 seconds off Smith’s pace, then Jonny Edgar set a 1m33.270s to move to the top. Rodin Carlin and Jenzer also joined the action as the second hour begun, with the latter’s Taylor Barnard slotting into second place on the timesheet as he and Edgar brought the pace down into the 1m31s.

Hitech GP was the next team to head out, and Gabriele Mini set a 1m31.738s to go fastest. It was only after 80 minutes had passed that more than half of the 29-car field, with Carlin’s Hunter Yeany absent, went on proper runs and immediately track limits was an issue for many.

Mini improved to 1m31.517s to still lead the way at the session’s halfway mark, then not long after red flags were out as Edgar – in third place behind Trident’s Oliver Goethe – had crashed at turn three.

Track action was stopped for 13 minutes, and when it resumed Bedrin got within a tenth of Mini’s benchmark while Campos Racing’s Christian Mansell jumped up to third place.

There was then another stoppage as Mansell’s team-mate Hugh Barter stopped at turn one with a technical problem, and when the next restart occurred there was still 57 minutes left on the clock.

Bedrin utilised the remaining track time best, heading out as soon as possible and not taking long to get up to speed. He set a 1m31.455s, putting him 0.072s ahead of Mini.

Most drivers were in the pits going into the final half-hour of the session, but with 15 minutes to go Prema’s Paul Aron went on track and he went just 0.024s slower than Bedrin. Trident’s Leonardo Fornaroli also improved to go fourth fastest, 0.160s off the pace, before a late red flag period.

Morning session results