Leclerc and Bearman put Prema top on Day 1 of Jerez testing

Arthur Leclerc and Oliver Bearman went quickest in FIA Formula 3 Championship testing at Circuito Jerez, on the first of two days in Spain before the Championship visits Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Imola for the first time.

The Prema Racing pair set the pace across a wet morning session and drying afternoon, with Bearman ending the day quickest with a 1:33.009, six tenths clear of Josep Maria Marti and Zane Maloney.

The times were seven seconds slower in the morning, with Leclerc setting a 1:40.202 ahead of Roman Stanek and Franco Colapinto.

Morning

The track remained wet for much of the morning, with Bahrain International Circuit‘s Race 1 winner Isack Hadjar ahead of the two most recent GB3 champions Zak O’Sullivan and Kaylen Frederick in the early stages.

Hadjar held the top spot until he retired from the session as the track began to dry, with MP Motorsport‘s Caio Collet overtaking him by moving into the 1:41s, before Leclerc ultimately ended the session fastest with a 1:40.202.

Roman Stanek’s best time of a 1:40.731 led the rest of the field home from second place, ahead of Colapinto, Gregoire Saucy, Bahrain Race 2 winner Victor Martins separated from his ART Grand Prix team-mate by three thousandths of a second.

Jak Crawford, Marti and William Alatalo ended the session sixth, seventh and eighth, ahead of Hadjar and Zane Maloney.

Afternoon

After the circuit had begun to dry, it began to rain again and the times regressed to a slower pace than the morning ended.

Leclerc began the afternoon as he ended the morning, with a 1:43.790 taking him above Collet and his former MP team-mate Martins.

The 28-strong field were able to use the slick tyres for the first time in the test as the session dried, eventually taking the times down to their lowest point on Tuesday, as Oliver Bearman ended the day with a 1:33.009, six tenths clear of Marti and Maloney.

Martins and Arthur Leclerc ended the day fourth and fifth, ahead of Juan Manuel Correa, Crawford, Oliver Rasmussen, Saucy and David Vidales.

FIA Formula 3 Testing – Circuito Jerez Day 1 AM

FIA Formula 3 Testing – Circuito Jerez Day 1 PM