Hadjar ends testing with fastest overall lap in Barcelona

Isack Hadjar saved his best for last, setting a 1:23.139 to finish up testing as the overall fastest driver for Campos Racing. After teammate Josep María Martí finished day two on top, the Red Bull Junior Team drivers led the field when times were at their quickest in the morning segment, ending up 1-2 for the team.

In an afternoon focused on race running, Amaury Cordeel of Hitech Pulse-Eight ended with the fastest time, leading PHM AIX Racing’s Joshua Duerksen by over four-tenths.

MORNING

There was a stoppage almost right away after the Hitech Pulse-Eight car of Amaury Cordeel came to a stop on his outlap in the opening minutes.

Back to green again, Hadjar led the way early on with a 1:26.461 putting the Campos Racing driver 0.4s clear at the top of the times. Oliver Bearman then put PREMA Racing in P1 for the first time in the test, setting a 1:24.864 to go fastest.

The second Red Flag of the day came with just under 45 minutes run, Roman Stanek the next driver to stop on track for Trident.

With the session green once again, Andrea Kimi Antonelli moved himself up to P2, 0.081s down on his teammate’s earlier effort before Bearman lowered his personal best to a 1:23.894. Martí then restored Campos’ advantage at the top, going quickest of all shortly afterwards on a 1:23.867, 0.027s quicker than the Briton’s lap.

ART Grand Prix’ Victor Martins made it three drivers separated by under 0.050s, going to the top of the timing screens after setting a 1:23.853.

Hadjar smashed the best time of the week with a 1:23.139 to set a new benchmark time with an hour and a half left of the morning. Teammate Martí made it a Campos 1-2 but remained 0.4s down on the Frenchman’s effort in P2.

A third Red Flag arrived after Joshua Duerksen came to a stop in the final sector in the PHM AIX Racing #24. Running got back underway but there was a fourth Red Flag in the final half hour as Paul Aron went off the track in his Hitech Pulse-Eight to bring a pause to the morning once again.

The session resumed for the final 10 minutes though nobody could displace Hadjar from atop the times before the end. Antonelli ended the morning segment with the highest lap count, reaching 42 in total.

AFTERNOON

Stanek was the early pace setter in the afternoon segment, going to the top in the opening half hour of running on a 1:25.933.

Having run second to the Czech driver, Cordeel took over to become the first driver into the 1:24s. The Hitech driver’s 1:24.487 left him 1.4s clear of the pack.

Race simulations took up the majority of the afternoon, with pitstop practice also a heavy focus in the final segment of in-season testing.

Into the last hour of the session, Duerksen went second fastest, 0.3s down on Cordeel’s earlier time while Rodin Motorsport’s Ritomo Miyata moved himself up to third on a 1:25.808.

With in-season testing all finished, attentions now turn to Round 4 of the 2024 Formula 2 season and Imola Grand Prix. The race weekend takes place from May 17-19.

2024 FIA FORMULA 2 CHAMPIONSHIP - BARCELONA IN-SEASON TEST, DAY 3, MORNING SESSION

2024 FIA FORMULA 2 CHAMPIONSHIP - BARCELONA IN-SEASON TEST, DAY 3, AFTERNOON SESSION