Gregoire Saucy was quickest around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on the first day of FIA Formula 3 Championship testing, after Prema Racing dominated the previous week’s test at Circuito Jerez.
Franco Colapinto was second-quickest for Van Amersfoort Racing, ahead of Championship leader Victor Martins.
Morning
Friday morning began in near-perfect conditions, but there was a change to the expected line-up for the test earlier in the week.
David Schumacher was drafted in for Ayrton Simmons at Charouz Racing System, the German driver only enjoying limited running on his return to FIA F3.
Trident set the pace early on, first through Zane Maloney and Roman Stanek setting the first sub-1:33s lap of the Grand Prix circuit.
Matteo Nannini was also testing for ART, filling in for the injured Juan Manuel Correa, but caused a red flag during the morning with a mechanical issue.
Saucy went quickest in the morning with a 1:32.247, while one of Colapinto’s ‘record’ 49 laps was just a tenth and a half off the Swiss driver, while Martins ensured the ARTs sandwiched the Bahrain polesitter.
Maloney slipped down the order as the morning progressed, but did hold onto fourth just under four tenths away from Saucy.
Kush Maini, William Alatalo, David Vidales, Alex Smolyar and Nannini rounded out the top ten.
Afternoon
The full complement of drivers got stuck in from the word ‘go’ in the afternoon, with Caio Collet setting the early pace with a 1:34.465.
Isack Hadjar improved to go quickest himself, before Collet, not to be denied, took the top spot back.
Collet’s MP Motorsport team-mate Smolyar set a 1:33.342 later in the day, with Roman Stanek improving to go third, ahead of Maini, who ensured all three MP cars finished in the top four, Saucy, Hadjar, Arthur Leclerc, Jak Crawford, Oliver Rasmussen and Oliver Bearman.
Prema showed slightly more representative times in the afternoon, with all three cars in the lower reaches of the top ten.
FIA Formula 3 Testing – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Day 1 AM
| Pos. | No. | Name | Nat. | Team | Time |
| 1 | 8 | Gregoire Saucy | SUI | ART Grand Prix | 1:32.247 |
| 2 | 29 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:32.402 |
| 3 | 7 | Victor Martins | FRA | ART Grand Prix | 1:32.491 |
| 4 | 3 | Zane Maloney | BAR | Trident | 1:32.643 |
| 5 | 2 | Roman Stanek | CZE | Trident | 1:32.678 |
| 6 | 12 | Kush Maini | IND | MP Motorsport | 1:32.710 |
| 7 | 25 | William Alatalo | FIN | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:32.759 |
| 8 | 20 | David Vidales | SPA | Campos Racing | 1:32.882 |
| 9 | 11 | Alexander Smolyar | FIA | MP Motorsport | 1:32.894 |
| 10 | 9 | Matteo Nannini | ARG | ART Grand Prix | 1:32.896 |
| 11 | 1 | Oliver Rasmussen | DEN | Trident | 1:33.027 |
| 12 | 17 | Kaylen Frederick | USA | Hitech Grand Prix | 1:33.062 |
| 13 | 6 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | Prema Racing | 1:33.083 |
| 14 | 4 | Arthur Leclerc | MON | Prema Racing | 1:33.090 |
| 15 | 10 | Caio Collet | BRA | MP Motorsport | 1:33.188 |
| 16 | 30 | Rafael Villagomez | MEX | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:33.226 |
| 17 | 18 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Hitech Grand Prix | 1:33.357 |
| 18 | 21 | Hunter Yeany | USA | Campos Racing | 1:33.365 |
| 19 | 24 | Federico Malvestiti | ITA | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:33.385 |
| 20 | 5 | Jak Crawford | USA | Prema Racing | 1:33.454 |
| 21 | 27 | Brad Benavides | SPA | Carlin | 1:33.642 |
| 22 | 16 | Francesco Pizzi | ITA | Charouz Racing System | 1:33.746 |
| 23 | 22 | Josep Maria Marti | SPA | Campos Racing | 1:33.758 |
| 24 | 31 | Reece Ushijima | JPN | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:33.819 |
| 25 | 26 | Zak O’Sullivan | GBR | Carlin | 1:33.823 |
| 26 | 28 | Enzo Trulli | ITA | Carlin | 1:33.871 |
| 27 | 23 | Ido Cohen | ISR | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:34.226 |
| 28 | 19 | Nazim Azman | MAL | Hitech Grand Prix | 1:34.350 |
| 29 | 14 | Laszlo Toth | HUN | Charouz Racing System | 1:34.612 |
| 30 | 15 | David Schumacher | GER | Charouz Racing System | 1:35.709 |
FIA F3 Testing – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Day 1 PM
| Pos. | No. | Name | Nat. | Team | Time |
| 1 | 11 | Alexander Smolyar | FIA | MP Motorsport | 1:33.342 |
| 2 | 10 | Caio Collet | BRA | MP Motorsport | 1:33.639 |
| 3 | 2 | Roman Stanek | CZE | Trident | 1:33.642 |
| 4 | 12 | Kush Maini | IND | MP Motorsport | 1:33.918 |
| 5 | 8 | Gregoire Saucy | SUI | ART Grand Prix | 1:33.995 |
| 6 | 18 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Hitech Grand Prix | 1:34.050 |
| 7 | 4 | Arthur Leclerc | MON | Prema Racing | 1:34.067 |
| 8 | 5 | Jak Crawford | USA | Prema Racing | 1:34.188 |
| 9 | 1 | Oliver Rasmussen | DEN | Trident | 1:34.276 |
| 10 | 6 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | Prema Racing | 1:34.314 |
| 11 | 7 | Victor Martins | FRA | ART Grand Prix | 1:34.375 |
| 12 | 26 | Zak O’Sullivan | GBR | Carlin | 1:34.389 |
| 13 | 17 | Kaylen Frederick | USA | Hitech Grand Prix | 1:34.508 |
| 14 | 22 | Josep Maria Marti | SPA | Campos Racing | 1:34.527 |
| 15 | 9 | Matteo Nannini | ARG | ART Grand Prix | 1:34.581 |
| 16 | 30 | Rafael Villagomez | MEX | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:34.581 |
| 17 | 20 | David Vidales | SPA | Campos Racing | 1:34.605 |
| 18 | 15 | David Schumacher | GER | Charouz Racing System | 1:34.649 |
| 19 | 16 | Francesco Pizzi | ITA | Charouz Racing System | 1:34.671 |
| 20 | 24 | Federico Malvestiti | ITA | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:34.761 |
| 21 | 3 | Zane Maloney | BAR | Trident | 1:34.786 |
| 22 | 25 | William Alatalo | FIN | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:34.807 |
| 23 | 27 | Brad Benavides | SPA | Carlin | 1:34.898 |
| 24 | 28 | Enzo Trulli | ITA | Carlin | 1:34.928 |
| 25 | 21 | Hunter Yeany | USA | Campos Racing | 1:35.259 |
| 26 | 23 | Ido Cohen | ISR | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:35.343 |
| 27 | 31 | Reece Ushijima | JPN | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:35.537 |
| 28 | 14 | Laszlo Toth | HUN | Charouz Racing System | 1:35.884 |
| 29 | 19 | Nazim Azman | MAL | Hitech Grand Prix | 1:35.888 |
| 30 | 29 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:36.623 |