Gabriele Mini fastest as FIA Formula 3 completes Barcelona test
Gabriele Minì was top of the class as FIA Formula 3 began its in-season testing program in Barcelona.
Gabriele Minì claimed the fastest lap in two days of FIA Formula 3 in-season testing in Barcelona. (Formula Motorsport Limited)
The Italian has so far established himself as a contender in this year’s Formula 3 championship and set the lap during a qualifying simulation on Friday morning.
Championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto dominated the opening Thursday of the first in-season test, setting the day’s best lap of 1:27.221 in the morning session.
Eleven drivers completed forty laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the busy early session, with Pepe Martí showing the pace of Spanish outfit Campos as the first driver to break the 1:27 barrier.
With over an hour remaining it was Bortoleto’s lap which would set the pace, unbeaten when the chequered flag fell.
With the scorers unbothered at the end of the first session, attention was on the Campos duo of Martí and Australian Christian Mansell, who both stopped at the exit of pit lane.
Gabriel Bortoleto was the driver to beat on Thursday during the first in-season test. (Formula Motorsport Limited)
Bortoleto was fastest ahead of Grégoire Saucy and Dino Beganovic with Aussies Hugh Barter, Christian Mansell, and Tommy Smith finishing 18th-,19th-, and 29th-fastest respectively.
It was soon clear there was no long-lasting issue for the team, with Marti, Mansell, and Barter all setting blazing laps in the early stages of the afternoon session.
Bortoleto’s Trident was once again the car to beat, and although he faced competition as times fell throughout the session, he once again set the fastest lap with a time of 1:28.000, albeit not besting his time from the previous running.
Saucy was once again second-fastest, with Colapinto third. Barter was 12th-fastest, with Mansell 16th, and Tommy Smith 23rd.
On Friday it was Martí who opened his account with a lap for Campos before times fell quickly in the qualifying simulation.
Gabriele Minì set a time of 1:26.319 to take the crown of fastest time from the two-day test, just 0.063s ahead of Taylor Barnard in qualifying trim.
With the qualifying simulations over, it was Aussie Tommy Smith who clocked up the miles in Barcelona, completing the most laps with 50 tours of the circuit.
Christian Mansell was sixth-fastest, with teammate Hugh Barter 16th and Tommy Smith 21st on the timing sheets.
Bortoleto returned to the top of the time sheets on Friday afternoon. (Formula Motorsport Limited)
Bortoleto returned to claim the afternoon session but could not best Mini’s time, fastest in the final session ahead of Barnard and Oliver Goethe.
Smith was ninth-fastest after his marathon drive in the earlier session, with Mansell 13th and Barter 23rd.
The FIA Formula 3 field returns for the second in-season test at Imola on Tuesday.
