Maximilian Günther ended FIA Formula 2 pre-season testing in the best possible manner by leading the way on the third day at the Bahrain International Circuit for BWT Arden.
The multiple FIA European Formula 3 Championship race winner set a best lap of 1:42.756s during the morning session, which was more than four-tenths of a second better than anyone else could manage throughout the day around the desert track.
Louis Delétraz continued his own impressive pre-season testing programme with the new-to-Formula 2 Charouz Racing System outfit, with the Swiss racer ending the day with the second fastest time, just ahead of ART Grand Prix duo George Russell and Jack Aitken.
Sergio Sette Câmara was fifth fastest for Carlin ahead of Russian Time’s Tadasuke Makino, while day two pacesetter Arjun Maini was seventh for Trident, almost half a second down on Günther’s best time.
Luca Ghiotto put his Campos Vexatec Racing machine into eighth ahead of DAMS’ Alexander Albon, while Nirei Fukuzumi was the only driver to improve their time in the afternoon, his best moving him up into the top ten.
Fukuzumi’s time was the best of the afternoon session, with Günther again showing promise in second, while Antonio Fuoco of Charouz Racing System was third, although the majority of the drivers focused on long runs.
There were three red flags during the day, the first being caused when Aitken stopped at turn eight during the morning session, while both Artem Markelov and Ralph Boschung both stopped on track during the afternoon.
The next time the Formula 2 Dallara’s will be in action will be for their first round of the year, which will also be in Bahrain in two weekends time. In between then, DAMS, MP Motorsport and Campos Vexatech Racing will be looking to confirm their driver line-ups, with only Nicholas Latifi, Boschung and Ghiotto currently announced.
Bahrain International Circuit Test Day 3 Result
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