Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Series racer Matevos Isaakyan set the pace on the first day of the Formula 3.5 V8 test at Motorland Aragon on Wednesday.
The Russian driver, running with the Pons Racing team, set the best time of the day in the afternoon session of 1m41.505s, just 0.040s faster than Strakka Racing’s Jake Hughes.
Kevin Jörg finished the day in third driving for Lotus, only 0.074s back on the time set by Isaakyan, while Red Bull Racing-backed Callum Ilott claimed the fourth fastest time on his first test in a 3.5 litre car, 0.200s slower than the pace in the second Strakka Racing machine.
Ben Barnicoat had led another Red Bull-backed driver in Dean Stoneman to a Carlin 1-2 in the morning session, with the Eurocup race winner’s time enough to see him finish fifth fastest, while Stoneman’s was good enough for ninth overall.
Yu Kanamaru set the sixth fastest time in the second Pons Racing machine, just ahead of Alfonso Celis Jr, the only driver to be confirmed to race in Formula 3.5 V8 in 2016 for AVF, with Egor Orudzhev eighth for Arden Motorsport.
Eurocup runner-up Louis Deletraz completed the top ten for Fortec Motorsports, just 0.005s behind Stoneman’s time.
Ukyo Sasahara was eleventh quickest as the sole Comtec Racing representative on Wednesday, just ahead of Eurocup champion Jack Aitken, who was running for Arden Motorsport.
A number of drivers were experiencing Formula 3.5 V8 machinery for the first time, including Anthoine Hubert for Tech 1 Racing, British racer Dan Wells for the new Spirit of Race outfit and EuroFormula Open champion Vitor Baptista for Lotus.
Motorland Aragon Day 1 Test times (Combined)
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