PREMA Racing’s Jehan Daruvala topped the first FIA Formula 2 testing session of the new season, with a time that was half a second clear from the second fastest runner of the day, Calan Williams.
Daruvala’s team-mate and last year’s FIA Formula 3 champion, Dennis Hauger set the third fastest time of the day after twenty-five laps around the Bahrain International Circuit. Kiwi Liam Lawson set the fourth fastest time of the day with his new team Carlin and after setting the fastest time of the morning session.
Logan Sargeant set the fifth fastest time following his graduation from F3 last year with Felipe Drugovich just behind him in sixth place ahead of his first season with Dutch racing outfit MP Motorsport.
Rounding out the top ten was Marcus Armstrong in seventh, Enzo Fittipaldi in eighth, Jüri Vips in ninth and Roy Nissany in tenth. The youngest driver on the grid, Theo Pourchaire clocked the eleventh fastest time with Ralph Boschung in twelfth after thirty eight laps – the most out of the whole field.
Japanese driver Marino Sato finished thirteenth, just over two seconds off Daruvala’s quickest time with the Brit Jake Hughes in fourteenth after twenty-five laps. Fifteenth to twenty-second consisted of Ayumu Iwasa, Olli Caldwell, Frederik Vesti, Jack Doohan, Clement Novalak, Richard Verschoor, Amaury Cordeel and Cem Bolukbasi, respectively.
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | TEAM | TIME | GAP | LAPS |
| 1 | 2 | Jehan Daruvala | IND | PREMA Racing | 1:42.074 | 48 | |
| 2 | 21 | Calan Williams | AUS | Trident | 1:42.590 | +0.516 | 35 |
| 3 | 1 | Dennis Hauger | NOR | PREMA Racing | 1:42.602 | +0.528 | 46 |
| 4 | 5 | Liam Lawson | NZL | Carlin | 1:43.478 | +1.404 | 53 |
| 5 | 6 | Logan Sargeant | USA | Carlin | 1:43.483 | +1.409 | 53 |
| 6 | 11 | Felipe Drugovich | BRA | MP Motorsport | 1:43.590 | +1.516 | 56 |
| 7 | 7 | Marcus Armstrong | NZL | Hitech Grand Prix | 1:43.877 | +1.803 | 49 |
| 8 | 22 | Enzo Fittipaldi | BRA | Charouz Racing System | 1:43.946 | +1.872 | 42 |
| 9 | 8 | Jüri Vips | EST | Hitech Grand Prix | 1:43.946 | +1.872 | 20 |
| 10 | 16 | Roy Nissany | ISR | DAMS | 1:44.003 | +1.929 | 52 |
| 11 | 10 | Théo Pourchaire | FRA | ART Grand Prix | 1:44.132 | +2.058 | 48 |
| 12 | 15 | Ralph Boschung | CHE | Campos Racing | 1:44.156 | +2.082 | 58 |
| 13 | 4 | Marino Sato | JPN | Virtuosi Racing | 1:44.212 | +2.138 | 50 |
| 14 | 24 | Jake Hughes | GBR | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:44.271 | +2.197 | 44 |
| 15 | 17 | Ayumu Iwasa | JPN | DAMS | 1:44.289 | +2.215 | 53 |
| 16 | 14 | Olli Caldwell | GBR | Campos Racing | 1:44.443 | +2.369 | 50 |
| 17 | 9 | Frederik Vesti | DNK | ART Grand Prix | 1:44.457 | +2.383 | 55 |
| 18 | 3 | Jack Doohan | AUS | Virtuosi Racing | 1:44.498 | +2.424 | 49 |
| 19 | 12 | Clément Novalak | FRA | MP Motorsport | 1:44.539 | +2.465 | 52 |
| 20 | 20 | Richard Verschoor | NLD | Trident | 1:44.778 | +2.704 | 37 |
| 21 | 25 | Amaury Cordeel | BEL | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:45.644 | +3.570 | 33 |
| 22 | 23 | Cem Bölükbasi | TUR | Charouz Racing System | 1:47.425 | +5.351 | 36 |
Testing continues tomorrow and until Friday in Bahrain for the F2 season which kicks off at the same Bahrain International Circuit in less than three weeks’ time.
