Maloney ends Day 2 of post-season testing quickest of all for Rodin Carlin

Zane Maloney put Rodin Carlin on top in the morning session, using the soft compound tyres to set the fastest time of the test so far. The Bajan driver recorded a 1:35.783 to end the first part of Wednesday’s running as the driver to beat.

In the afternoon, F3 reigning Champion Gabriel Bortoleto put Invicta Virtuosi Racing on top, setting a 1:36.381 to end up as the fastest driver going into the final day of pre-season testing at Yas Marina Circuit.

MORNING

In contrast to Day 1’s stop-start opening, on track running was smooth and Zane Maloney went immediately into the 1:36s to take the top spot early on. The Rodin Carlin driver’s time was beaten by newcomer Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who lowered the time to beat to a 1:36.607 on the medium tyres.

Dennis Hauger had been second, but the MP Motorsport driver moved to the top of the times with just under half an hour on the clock and soft tyres on his car.

The Norwegian then improved into the 1:35s, becoming the first to do so during the test, with a 1:35.954. Teammate Franco Colapinto followed suit and went second fastest, 0.159s down on Hauger to make it an MP 1-2 in the opening hour.

Josep María Martí managed to split the MPs, going P2 for Campos Racing just 0.030s down on the top time before Maloney returned to P1 with a 1:35.783.

Victor Martins was next to post an improvement and move himself up the order, going second and just over a tenth away from the Rodin Carlin driver’s effort at the halfway stage.

Long runs became the focus for the remainder of the morning session, with Martins ending up as the busiest driver for the AM session of Day 2. The Frenchman ended up reaching 59 laps by the chequered flag.

AFTERNOON

Maloney was back at the front to kick off the afternoon with a 1:39.653, leading the way in the opening 45 minutes of running.

That was until the MP pair popped up into first and second places respectively, with Hauger setting a 1:38.280 to lead Colapinto by 0.278.

The first Red Flag of the day came shortly afterwards as PHM Racing’s Joshua Duerksen came to a halt on track at Turn 2.

Running got back underway with just over two hours remaining of the afternoon session. Kush Maini was the first to join the MP Motorsport drivers in the 1:38s, with the Indian driver putting in a 1:38.425 for Invicta Virtuosi Racing to go P2.

Enzo Fittipaldi closed the gap to Hauger further still, going within 0.117s of the top time in the Van Amersfoort Racing #22.

A second Red Flag of the day was out with just under an hour and a half left of Day 2. This time it was Zak O’Sullivan who stopped out on track in his ART at Turn 7.

Back to green flag conditions, Maini went one better than his previous effort to go fastest of all inside the final hour. He set a 1:37.983 to become the first driver underneath the 38s in the afternoon session.

Oliver Bearman then went fastest overall with a 1:37.437 to put half a second between himself and Maini in P2, before Bortoleto went one better, setting a 1:37.206.

He, along with the two PREMAs of Bearman and Antonelli exchanged the lead multiple times in the final half hour of running, but it was the McLaren junior driver that set a 1:36.381 to end the session as the quickest.

Amaury Cordeel was the driver with the most laps completed, ending the afternoon with 74 laps to his name.

2023 FIA FORMULA 2 CHAMPIONSHIP - YAS MARINA POST-SEASON TEST, DAY 1, MORNING SESSION

2023 FIA FORMULA 2 CHAMPIONSHIP - YAS MARINA POST-SEASON TEST, DAY 1, AFTERNOON SESSION