Frederick fastest for ART GP on first afternoon of FIA F3 test

Photo: Formula Motorsport Limited

ART Grand Prix’s Kaylen Frederick was the fastest driver in the afternoon session of the first day of post-season FIA Formula 3 testing at Jerez.

Most drivers completed more laps in the three-hour afternoon session than they did in the morning one, although the pace was slower at the top of the timesheet.

Van Amersfoort Racing’s Noel Leon set the pace at first, with drivers heading on track far sooner than they did when the green light at the end of the pitlane first went on in the morning.

Leon was on top for some time, but was eventually shuffled down to fourth by Oliver Goethe, who got into the 1m31s with just his third flying lap, and his Trident team-mates Gabriel Bortoleto and Leonardo Fornaroli.

There was then a red flag stoppage caused by VAR’s Roberto Faria, and Goethe stayed on top for the next hour before action was interrupted again when Charouz Racing System’s Emmo Fittipaldi hit trouble and caused a second red flag period.

Campos Racing’s Pepe Marti and Francesco Pizzi had climbed to third and fourth by that point, and the session entered its second half when green flags were waved once more.

Christian Mansell and team-mate Pizzi rose to second and third after the restart, and Goethe was then usurped when Prema’s Zak O’Sullivan set a 1m31.669s with just over an hour-and-a-quarter of the day to go.

His time in first place was prolonged by another red flag stoppage, this time caused by Carlin’s Hunter Yeany, but O’Sullivan did improve when he returned to track as he set a 1m31.509s.

Dino Beganovic made it a Prema one-two, then moved ahead of his team-mate in the final hour by posting a 1m31.358s lap. Paul Aron went third fastest to create a Prema 1-2-3, but soon ART GP’s drivers were on fast-paced runs.

Frederick initially slotted into third, then Gregoire Saucy went second and VAR’s Rafael Villagomez jumped into third place before Frederick’s fastest lap came in with 15 minutes remaining. Nobody had the chance to beat it in the final minutes as Charouz’s Alessandro Famularo caused another stoppage that ended just before the chequered flag was waved.

MP Motorsport’s Jonny Edgar did the most mileage, setting 51 laps in the afternoon.

Afternoon session results