The BRDC British Formula 3 Championship returns to the Silverstone GP circuit this weekend, and the drivers were out on track testing on Thursday morning.
Reece Ushijima (Hitech GP) went fastest in the first session, two tenths clear of Alex Connor, with the Arden Motorsport man a further two tenths ahead of Ushijima’s team-mate Bart Horsten.
The front two rows were made up by Hitech and Arden, with Frederick Lubin setting a 1:56.592 around the GP circuit for fourth place.
Championship leader Zak O’Sullivan was fifth for Carlin, just behind Lubin and less than half a tenth clear of Javier Sagrera (Elite Motorsport).
The other two Carlins of Bryce Aron and Christian Mansell ran line astern in seventh and eighth, while Sebastian Alvarez (Hitech) and Tom Lebbon (Elite) rounded out the top ten.
There was a four-tenth gap between Lebbon and Max Marzorati for Chris Dittmann Racing, the British driver leading Dexter Patterson (Douglas Motorsport) and Mikkel Grundtvig (Fortec Motorsport).
Reema Juffali and Brands Hatch race-winner Ayrton Simmons followed in 14th and 15th.
José Garfias stopped on track which out the red flag temporarily; the Mexican was unable to set a representative time in the opening 45 minutes of testing, but finished ahead of Fortec’s Roberto Faria who didn’t set a time.
Fortec’s third car, reserved for Ollie Bearman, will be absent from Silverstone this weekend as he looks to hold onto his Italian F4 championship lead at Vallelunga. His absence will surely mean he will slip from second place in the British F3 standings after the second meeting of the season.
2021 Silverstone GP First Test Session Results:
| Pos. | No. | Name | Nat. | Team | Time/Gap |
| 1 | 13 | Reece Ushijima | JPN | Hitech GP | 1:55.965 |
| 2 | 27 | Alex Connor | GBR | Arden Motorsport | +0.215 |
| 3 | 50 | Bart Horsten | AUS | Hitech GP | +0.420 |
| 4 | 78 | Frederick Lubin | GBR | Arden Motorsport | +0.627 |
| 5 | 51 | Zak O’Sullivan | GBR | Carlin | +0.639 |
| 6 | 3 | Javier Sagrera | ESP | Elite Motorsport | +0.676 |
| 7 | 23 | Bryce Aron | USA | Carlin | +1.144 |
| 8 | 21 | Christian Mansell | AUS | Carlin | +1.176 |
| 9 | 12 | Sebastian Alvarez | MEX | Hitech GP | +1.236 |
| 10 | 34 | Tom Lebbon | GBR | Elite Motorsport | +1.273 |
| 11 | 81 | Max Marzorati | GBR | Chris Dittmann Racing | +1.687 |
| 12 | 55 | Dexter Patterson | GBR | Douglas Motorsport | +1.781 |
| 13 | 43 | Mikkel Grundtvig | DEN | Fortec Motorsport | +1.914 |
| 14 | 10 | Reema Juffali | SAU | Douglas Motorsport | +2.147 |
| 15 | 18 | Ayrton Simmons | GBR | Chris Dittmann Racing | +2.680 |
| 16 | 99 | Jose Garfias | MEX | Elite Motorsport | +4.967 |
| 17 | 7 | Roberto Faria | BRA | Fortec Motorsport | No time set |
The second session began at 10:40am, with Ushijima again setting the early pace before Horsten usurped his team-mate by just over a tenth.
Javier Sagrera went top shortly afterwards with a 1:56.473, a tenth ahead of the Arden pairing of Connor and Lubin.
Dexter Patterson shot up to second with 13 minutes remaining, half a second behind Sagrera, before Ushijima went top for the second session in a row with a 1:55.997, marginally slower than his fastest time in Session 1.
Lebbon, Simmons and Alvarez all gained several positions with good laps in the final 12 minutes, while Aron moved up six places with a 1:56.591 to go sixth.
Lubin went top with a 1:55.903, before Bart Horsten flew to the sharp end of the times with a 1:55.752; his Hitech team-mate Ushijima held station in third as drizzle hung in the air.
Not to be denied for long, Ushijima did set the fastest time again, going nine thousands ahead of Horsten, before Frederick Lubin and Horsten traded the top spot.
The Australian set a 1:55.601 to go over a tenth clear of Lubin, while O’Sullivan and Alvarez made moves in the upper midfield.
The Arden driver went faster still with five remaining, becoming the first to drop under a 1:55.5 on Thursday morning.
Roberto Faria recovered from not setting a time in Session 1 to go four tenths behind Lubin in seventh, the highest-placed of the two Fortec cars running this weekend.
O’Sullivan ended the session fourth, ahead of an impressive Patterson and Sebastian Alvarez, putting all three Hitech cars in the top six.
Faria stayed seventh, ahead of Connor and Aron, with Javier Sagrera rounding out the top ten.
Christian Mansell was 11th after his first taste of EuroFormula Open action at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend, ahead of Simmons, Lebbon and Marzorati.
Garfias, Juffali and Mikkel Grundtvig rounded out the times for Thursday morning.
2021 Silverstone GP Second Test Session Results:
| Pos. | No. | Name | Nat. | Team | Time/Gap |
| 1 | 78 | Frederick Lubin | GBR | Arden Motorsport | 1:55.497 |
| 2 | 50 | Bart Horsten | AUS | Hitech GP | +0.081 |
| 3 | 13 | Reece Ushijima | JPN | Hitech GP | +0.244 |
| 4 | 51 | Zak O’Sullivan | GBR | Carlin | +0.353 |
| 5 | 55 | Dexter Patterson | GBR | Douglas Motorsport | +0.388 |
| 6 | 12 | Sebastian Alvarez | MEX | Hitech GP | +0.438 |
| 7 | 7 | Roberto Faria | BRA | Fortec Motorsport | +0.460 |
| 8 | 27 | Alex Connor | GBR | Arden Motorsport | +0.589 |
| 9 | 23 | Bryce Aron | USA | Carlin | +0.620 |
| 10 | 3 | Javier Sagrera | ESP | Elite Motorsport | +0.790 |
| 11 | 21 | Christian Mansell | AUS | Carlin | +0.877 |
| 12 | 18 | Ayrton Simmons | GBR | Chris Dittmann Racing | +1.081 |
| 13 | 34 | Tom Lebbon | GBR | Elite Motorsport | +1.083 |
| 14 | 81 | Max Marzorati | GBR | Chris Dittmann Racing | +1.356 |
| 15 | 99 | Jose Garfias | MEX | Elite Motorsport | +1.436 |
| 16 | 10 | Reema Juffali | SAU | Douglas Motorsport | +1.440 |
| 17 | 43 | Mikkel Grundtvig | DEN | Fortec Motorsport | +2.702 |