Martins beats Marti to lead first day of Bahrain F2 test

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Victor Martins beat Pepe Marti to the fastest time in Bahrain on the first day of the Formula 2 in-season test.

Roman Stanek topped the morning session. The Invicta Racing driver took top spot with 25 minutes of the first 2.5-hour session remaining, going a tenth-and-a-half quicker than Marti had managed just under an hour earlier. With seven minutes to go, Stanek went 1.665 seconds faster than his previous best, setting a 1m44.789s.

While Stanek stayed 1.8s clear of Marti when the session ended, his time was still the best part of three seconds down on last year’s Sakhir pole time of Gabriel Bortoleto, such was the focus on longer race runs or other programmes during the morning session. Team-mate Leonardo Fornaroli propped up the times, some 34s off the pace despite completing 26 laps.

The Campos Racing duo of Arvid Lindblad and Marti were quick to set competitive times early in the afternoon session under floodlights, with Marti holding onto top spot until the hour mark when he was displaced by Trident’s Sami Meguetounif, who was then bettered by Fornaroli.

With under an hour remaining, the Campos duo stepped up the pace, with Lindblad lowering the benchmark by almost two seconds before Marti went a further four tenths of a second quicker.

While much of the field also lowered their times in the closing stages, it was only with eight minutes left on the clock that Marti’s time was bettered by 0.048s by Martins, who posted a 1m42.536s.

Fornaroli took third while Max Esterson went fourth fastest at the chequered flag, having earlier triggered a red flag around halfway through the session.

Seemingly running an opposite strategy to team-mate Fornaroli, Stanek ended the afternoon slowest of all, his morning time putting him 19th overall.

Combined day one results