Late lap puts Ugochukwu on top in second afternoon of FIA F3 testing

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Ugo Ugochukwu secured top spot on the second afternoon of FIA Formula 3 pre-season testing at Barcelona with a late lap to lead a Campos Racing 1-2-3.

Teams opted to focus on long runs at the start of the three-hour session, and Bruno del Pino (Van Amersfoort Racing) set the early pace. A 1m32.219s put him 0.039 seconds ahead of Theophille Nael (Campos).

With nearly an hour gone, Fernando Barrichello (AIX Racing) took over top spot with a 1m31.566s and morning pace-setter Freddie Slater (Trident) slotted into fourth, 0.751s behind.

There was usually only one team on track at a time thereon until the final hour. Slater beat Barrichello’s benchmark by 0.158s, then with 51 minutes to go Brad Benavides (AIX) pipped him by 0.017s. His time on top did not last long either as he was outpaced by all three Campos drivers.

The pace was lowered to the 1m30s, and Ugochukwu led the way with a 1m30.492s. Nael was 0.486s behind, and test-only stand-in Patrick Heuzenroeder was 0.716s adrift in third.

Eight drivers had gone sub-1m31s with half an hour to go, and Jin Nakamura (Hitech GP) was quickest. His 1m30.260s lap put him 0.162s ahead of Enzo Deligny (VAR), Ugochukwu was third and next up were the closely matched Rodin Motorsport trio of Brando Badoer, Pedro Clerot and Christian Ho.

Nakamura’s team-mates Tim Tramnitz and Fionn McLaughlin were 27th and 28th, and with 24 minutes remaining Tramnitz snatched first place by 0.012s and McLaughlin jumped to eighth. Badoer improved to be just 0.021s from the top in third.

McLaughlin climbed another spot eight minutes from the end, and three minutes later Clerot got within 0.154s of Tramnitz’s pace to occupy fourth. After a cooldown lap, McLaughlin attacked again and a 1m30.077s made him fastest by 0.171s. He was soon fourth though, as the top 10 embarked on their final flying laps.

Badoer rocketed ahead with a 1m29.153s, leading Ho by 0.164s and del Pino by 0.711s. A few seconds later Ugochukwu lowered the pace to 1m28.241s and Deligny improved to move into fourth. When Ugochukwu’s team-mates crossed the line, they slotted into second and third. Heuzenroeder went second quickest, 0.203s off, and Nael trailed by 0.414s.

The final order was locked in with four minutes to go, and red flags ended the session 78s early after Deligny stopped in sector two.

Afternoon session results