Pedro Piquet, grandson of three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet Sr., came out quickest in the Free Practice session for the first round of the 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The Brazilian was 0.009s clear of Juri Vips who was second, with Robert Shwartzman and Niko Kari a further two tenths slower. The lead at the top of timing pages changed five times throughout the forty-five minute session, as Alex Peroni, Leonardo Pulcini, Christian Lundgaard, Jehan Daruvala and Shwartzman all had spells of being quickest before Piquet toppled everyone’s times in the final few minutes.
David Beckmann could have set the fastest time half-way through, only to make contact with Fabio Scherer on his flying lap, which had forced the German to make a change of front wing. The ART Grand Prix driver would return to the track to set the ninth fastest time.
Qualifying for FIA Formula 3 begins later today at 17:50 (GMT+2).
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