FIA Formula 3 returns to action with post-season testing in Valencia

The FIA Formula 3 Championship hits the track for post-season testing in Valencia tomorrow following a spectacular closing round of the 2021 season at the Sochi Autodrom, which saw PREMA Racing’s Dennis Hauger crowned Champion. Meanwhile, Jack Doohan claimed the title of Vice-Champion and helped clinch the Teams’ Championship for Trident with victory in the final race of the season.

Commencing tomorrow at Ricardo Tormo Circuit, this post-season test marks the final on-track action for Formula 3 in 2021. The three-day event provides the teams and drivers with an opportunity to prepare ahead of the 2022 campaign, which will begin at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, on 18 – 20 March, alongside FIA Formula 2 and the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

What to expect

Running from Monday, 1 November, to Wednesday, 3 November, the three days at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit will be split into a morning and afternoon session with a total of 18 hours of track time available across the event.

The morning session on all three days will run from 9am until 12pm (local time). The afternoon testing window on Monday and Tuesday will open at 2pm and run until 5pm (local time) while on Wednesday the session will start at 1pm and finish at 4pm. Teams will be testing their cars on Pirelli’s hard compound, with each car assigned eight sets of tyres for the test.

Movers and shakers – Day 1

A roster of exciting new driving talent joins the Formula 3 paddock tomorrow, all eager to impress and earn themselves a race seat for 2022. The event also sees a new team join the grid, with Dutch-based team Van Amersfoort Racing making their highly anticipated on-track debut in the third tier.

Ferrari Protégée Arthur Leclerc returns to PREMA Racing on Day 1, having finished his rookie campaign with the Italian outfit 10th in the standings. The Monegasque is joined by Red Bull junior Jak Crawford, and 2021 Italian F4 Champion, Oliver Bearman.

Newly crowned Teams Champions Trident run with a brand-new line-up on Day 1, with Red Bull Junior Jonny Edgar and Czech driver Roman Stanek stepping into cars #4 and #5 respectively. Meanwhile, young Barbadian Zane Maloney gets a first taste of F3 machinery in car #6.

Juan Manuel Correa returns to ART Grand Prix for Day 1 of testing, alongside Alpine junior Victor Martins, who finished his maiden Formula 3 season with MP Motorsport as the highest placed rookie. Completing the French team’s Day 1 line-up is the 2021 Formula Regional European Champion, Grégoire Saucy.

Hitech Grand Prix are the second team to run an all-new line-up on Monday, with Kaylen Frederick and Johnathan Hoggard jumping into the Hitech after rookie campaigns with Carlin Buzz Racing and Jenzer Motorsport in 2021. The pair are joined by Isack Hadjar, who makes the step-up from the Formula Regional European Championship.

Newcomers to the Formula 3 field Van Amersfoort Racing, will see 2021 Vice-Champion Jack Doohan join their ranks for Day 1 of testing. Running alongside the four-time race winner is Rafael Villagomez, and Reece Ushijima, who makes the step-up from the GB3 Championship.

Caio Collet and Tijmen van der Helm both remain with MP Motorsport for the first day of post-season testing. Meanwhile, young Argentinian Franco Colapinto moves up from the Dutch team’s Formula Regional European Championship outfit.

Hunter Yeany makes the switch to Campos Racing for the first day of testing, after two rounds with Charouz Racing System in 2021. Joining the American for Day 1 at the Valencia-based team is a duo of Spanish drivers, David Vidales and Josep Maria Marti.

Carlin Buzz Racing’s Ido Cohen returns to the team for Day 1. Lining up next to Cohen are Zak O’Sullivan, who steps up to test in F3 after winning the GB3 Championship with Carlin, and Brad Benavides who makes a move from the British team’s Euroformula Open outfit.

Filip Ugran sticks with Jenzer Motorsport for the first day in Valencia. The Romanian driver lines up alongside young Brazilian Roberto Faria and Malaysian driver Nazim Azman, who make the step-up to F3 after competing in GB3 and Euroformula Open respectively.

F3 race winner Lorenzo Colombo runs with Charouz Racing System on Monday. The Italian driver is joined at the Czech outfit by Hungarian racer and 2021 teammate László Tóth. Charouz’s line-up is completed by Oliver Rasmussen, who raced with HWA RACELAB in the most recent campaign.

FIA Formula 3 Valencia post-season test: Day 1 drivers' entry list