Van Amersfoort Racing finished first on their Formula 3 testing debut as 2021 vice-champion Jack Doohan took them to the top of timesheets in Valencia with a lap of 1:22.402, beating ART Grand Prix duo Victor Martins and Grégoire Saucy.

Brought in to help the Dutch team get up to speed in F3, Doohan showed his qualities to finish fastest in both sessions, beating Martins in both the morning and the afternoon.

MORNING

Action on Day 1 began in wet conditions with the field forced to head out on wet tyres, but the downpour was only brief, and the skies swiftly switched to blue, as rookie Franco Colapinto set the early pace with MP Motorsport, lapping at 1:35.044, ahead of teammate Caio Collet.

Rookie duo Zane Maloney and Grégoire Saucy switched P1 between them before Jonny Edgar took the time below 1m 31s for the lead at the halfway point, followed by Johnathan Hoggard and Roman Stanek.

A switch to slicks with an hour to go produced some more representative laptimes, with rookies Josep Maria Marti, Nazim Azman and David Vidales all enjoying stints in first, the time creeping below 1m 26s.

Caio Collet broke the 1m 24s barrier with 15 minutes on the clock, before Doohan put Van Amersfoort Racing in first place, leading ART Grand Prix’s Martins with a tour of 1:23.349.

Kaylen Frederick climbed to third with Hitech Grand Prix at the chequered flag, just under two tenths off the pace. He finished ahead of Trident’s Stanek and PREMA Racing’s Jak Crawford in an experienced top five. Oliver Rasmussen, Arthur Leclerc and Collet continued the trend in sixth, seventh and eighth.

With 47 laps, Colapinto completed the most running and also finished as the highest placed rookie, sitting ninth ahead of Maloney.

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

 Formula Regional European champion Saucy finished as the highest placed rookie in P3
Formula Regional European champion Saucy finished as the highest placed rookie, in P3

AFTERNOON

Action resumed in much warmer conditions in the afternoon as MP Motorsport once again set the pace in Valencia, with Collet leading Colapinto thanks to a laptime of 1:23.125.

Kaylen Frederick briefly replaced Colapinto in P2 before Collet’s 2021 MP teammate Martins dove into first, becoming the first driver to break the 1m 23s barrier.

With less than an hour to go, Doohan broke into the top two but remained a hundredth off Martin’s best time. The 2021 vice-champion was able to better the Alpine junior’s time in the final stages of the session, leapfrogging him with a tour of 1:22.402.

Saucy and Maloney led the rookies in the afternoon stint, climbing up to third and fourth in the final minutes, ahead of Roman Stanek, the duo just 0.282s and 0.306s off Doohan’s quickest time.

Lorenzo Colombo put himself and Charouz in sixth, followed by Leclerc and Crawford. Rasmussen finished ninth, while also punching in the most laps of the afternoon stint, completing 60 tours. Despite spending large parts of the session in second, Colapinto had been knocked down to 10th by the chequered flag.

Day 2 of post-season testing will begin at 9am on Tuesday.

2021 FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP – VALENCIA POST-SEASON TESTS, DAY 1, MORNING SESSION

DRIVERTEAMLAPTIMELAPS
1Jack DoohanVan Amersfoort Racing01:23.34929
2Victor MartinsART Grand Prix01:23.54138
3Kaylen FrederickHitech Grand Prix01:23.54630
4Roman StanekTrident01:23.58031
5Jak CrawfordPREMA Racing01:23.66838
6Oliver RasmussenCharouz Racing System01:23.74719
7Arthur LeclercPREMA Racing01:23.76538
8Caio ColletMP Motorsport01:23.83842
9Franco ColapintoMP Motorsport01:23.84747
10Zane MaloneyTrident01:23.86333
11Grégoire SaucyART Grand Prix01:23.88338
12Filip UgranJenzer Motorsport01:23.88631
13Lorenzo ColomboCharouz Racing System01:23.96121
14Jonny EdgarTrident01:23.96430
15David VidalesCampos Racing01:24.08832
16Juan Manuel CorreaART Grand Prix01:24.12437
17Oliver BearmanPREMA Racing01:24.20537
18Josep Maria MartiCampos Racing01:24.46144
19Rafael VillagomezVan Amersfoort Racing01:24.48132
20Johnathan HoggardHitech Grand Prix01:24.48337
21Tijmen van der HelmMP Motorsport01:24.50439
22Roberto FariaJenzer Motorsport01:24.60642
23Brad BenavidesCarlin Buzz Racing01:24.87634
24Ido CohenCarlin Buzz Racing01:24.89242
25Zak O'SullivanCarlin Buzz Racing01:24.99834
26Hunter YeanyCampos Racing01:25.09140
27Reece UshijimaVan Amersfoort Racing01:25.11428
28László TóthCharouz Racing System01:25.80520
29Nazim AzmanJenzer Motorsport01:26.07742

2021 FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP – VALENCIA POST-SEASON TESTS, DAY 1, AFTERNOON SESSION

DRIVERTEAMLAPTIMELAPS
1Jack DoohanVan Amersfoort Racing01:22.40244
2Victor MartinsART Grand Prix01:22.53353
3Grégoire SaucyART Grand Prix01:22.68456
4Zane MaloneyTrident01:22.70842
5Roman StanekTrident01:22.73947
6Lorenzo ColomboCharouz Racing System01:22.84651
7Arthur LeclercPREMA Racing01:22.89351
8Jak CrawfordPREMA Racing01:22.96749
9Oliver RasmussenCharouz Racing System01:23.07160
10Franco ColapintoMP Motorsport01:23.07241
11Kaylen FrederickHitech Grand Prix01:23.08126
12Caio ColletMP Motorsport01:23.12548
13Oliver BearmanPREMA Racing01:23.19948
14Jonny EdgarTrident01:23.22829
15Isack HadjarHitech Grand Prix01:23.29633
16Johnathan HoggardHitech Grand Prix01:23.34835
17Filip UgranJenzer Motorsport01:23.37152
18Roberto FariaJenzer Motorsport01:23.39550
19Juan Manuel CorreaART Grand Prix01:23.44954
20David VidalesCampos Racing01:23.48543
21Tijmen van der HelmMP Motorsport01:23.54043
22Zak O'SullivanCarlin Buzz Racing01:23.56632
23Josep Maria MartiCampos Racing01:23.65240
24Nazim AzmanJenzer Motorsport01:23.72049
25Reece UshijimaVan Amersfoort Racing01:23.78643
26Rafael VillagomezVan Amersfoort Racing01:23.95145
27Hunter YeanyCampos Racing01:24.02542
28Ido CohenCarlin Buzz Racing01:24.09344
29Brad BenavidesCarlin Buzz Racing01:24.67845
30László TóthCharouz Racing System01:25.00952