With less than a month to go before the season opener in Melbourne, 30 FIA Formula 3 drivers hit the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for Day 1 of pre-season testing. It marked their first opportunity to get to grips with the new Dallara F3 2025 chassis, which replaces the Dallara F3 2019 used from 2019 to 2024. For many, it was also a crucial chance to build on-track chemistry with their new teams.
Tsolov sets first representative time of the morning session
After a series of installation laps in the opening minutes of the morning session, Campos Racing’s Nikola Tsolov set the first representative time of the new F3 era. Tsolov’s time of 1:29.592 was just over one second slower than his top time in the 2024 Barcelona F3 round which had earned him a P3 start in that weekend’s feature race.
Tsolov’s time would not stand for long, however, as Rodin Motorsport’s Roman Bilinski went top, beating Tsolov’s early benchmark by 0.015 seconds. Bilinski, one of several newcomers to the F3 season, soon dropped to second, as ART Grand Prix’s Tuukka Taponen went to the top of the timesheet with 1:28.984. He then improved to 1:28.751, keeping hold of his position at the top as teammate James Wharton slotted into second.
ART Grand Prix leads 1-2-3 after first hour
With just about an hour of running complete, Laurens van Hoepen, who will stay with the French team for his second F3 season, claimed the top time. His time of 1:28.568 saw him take P1, ahead of his teammates Tamponen and Wharton who rounded out the top three. The ART drivers, along with Rodin Motorsport’s Bilinski and Campos Racing’s Tsolov, kept their positions throughout the hour.
Van Amersfoort Racing’s Ivan Domingues, however, would disrupt the order. After a strong lap, the F3 newcomer, who most recently finished the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) 10th, climbed his way to fourth on the timesheet, displacing Bilinski and Tsolov.
Voisin tops morning session
With only 15 minutes left before the break, Bilinski reclaimed, albeit momentarily, his position at the top of the timesheet. His time of 1:28.150 beat the top time set during the 2024 Barcelona F3 round qualifying session by 0.313 seconds.
Bilinski, however, was soon booted from his place at the top of the timesheet, as teammate Callum Voisin went quickest with a time of 1:27.959. Voisin was the only driver to make it into the 1:27s, and his effort remained the best effort of the morning session.
As the checkered flag waved, Rodin Motorsport topped the timesheet with a 1-2-3 from their drivers Voisin, Bilinski and Sharp. ART Grand Prix followed with a 4-5-6 from van Hoepen, Taponen and Wharton, with Domingues trailing behind in seventh. Tsolov, who briefly led at the start, finished eighth, with Prema Racing’s Noel León ninth, and Van Amersfoort Racing’s Théophile Naël rounding out the top 10.
Campos Racing leads afternoon session
After an hour’s break, Campos Racing kicked off the afternoon session, with Tasanpol Inthraphuvasak leading teammates Mari Boya and Nicola Tsolov within the first 10 minutes. His 1:29.505 was the top representative time of the session until Rodin Motorsport restored the 1-2-3 that they had ended the morning session with. This time, however, Sharp, who had been the third fastest of the three, set the top time, lowering the benchmark to 1:27.898.
The Rodin Motorsport drivers would keep hold of their place at the top of the timesheet until the end of the first hour. After a blistering lap, Noel León, who finished the 2024 season 10th with Van Amersfoort Racing, went quickest with 1:27.711.
León’s charge to the top of the time sheet would mark the beginning of a spell of stability in the order. This, however, ended when Campos Racing’s Mari Boya surged back into the top three. His time of 1:27.966 moved him into third place, behind León and Sharp, but ahead of Sharp’s Rodin Motorsport teammates.
León fastest on opening day of pre-season testing
With just about 45 minutes left before the end of the session, however, Boya was knocked down to fourth when MP Motorsport’s Tim Tramnitz pulled himself into second. Tramnitz’s time of 1:27.862 was just 0.151 seconds shy of León’s. This, however, would be the only challenge León would face to his hold on the top spot of the timesheet, as the other drivers struggled to improve as the session came to its end.
León, whose time of 1:27.711 was 0.248 seconds faster than Voisin’s 1:27.959 that morning, ended the first day of preseason testing at the top of the afternoon session’s timesheet.
Tramnitz and Sharp rounded off the top three, with Campos Racing’s Boya and Tsolov finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Bilinski finished the session sixth, leading ART Grand Prix’s van Hoepen and Taponen who finished seventh and eighth respectively. Voisin, who topped the morning session, finished ninth, with Wharton rounding out the top 10.
