Rookie Noel Leon fastest on first day of Formula 3 pre-season test

Rookie Noel León has topped the opening day of the FIA Formula 3 pre-season test in a wet and cloudy Bahrain.

One of 17 rookies on the grid for 2024, the Van Amersfoort Racing driver went fastest with a time of 1:46.657 in the afternoon session despite difficult conditions at the desert circuit.

Almost six months after the conclusion of the 2023 season at Monza, the 2024 Formula 3 field took to the track for the first of three days of testing.

Rodin Motorsport rookie Callum Voisin was the first onto the track in a quiet morning session, with no driver heading into a double-digit lap count as the session was declared wet.

Alex Dunne went fastest with a lap of 1:59.516 for MP Motorsport in a final burst of activity as the clouds parted.

Oliver Goethe was second fastest for Campos Racing, with Tim Tramnitz third quickest for MP.

With track conditions improving, the afternoon session was much livelier with most drivers breaking the 1:50s barrier.

Euroformula Open champion Noel León took the fastest lap in the final 10 minutes as drivers set to truly test their machinery to end the Sunday running.

The VAR driver led Goethe by just 0.015 seconds, with Tramnitz third again for MP Motorsport.

Morning 🔥#F3 pic.twitter.com/08WYMpauC7February 11, 2024

Australian Tommy Smith was thirteenth-fastest in the afternoon session for VAR after not setting a time in the morning running, with Christian Mansell 25th for new team ART Grand Prix before the session was red-flagged.

Two separate incidents brought an end to the day’s running, with both Sebastián Montaya and Piotr Wisnicki retiring to the side of the Sakhir circuit.

The FIA Formula 3 field returns to Bahrain for another two days of testing, with morning running from 9am to 11.30am and the afternoon session from 2.30pm to 5pm on both Monday and Tuesday.