Minì sets fastest time of Barcelona in-season testing on the final day

Gabriele Minì capped off the first in-season test in style, posting a 1:26.319 during a Qualifying simulation in Day 2’s morning running to claim the quickest time of Formula 3’s trip to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The Italian racer narrowly edged ahead of Taylor Barnard by just 0.063s, whilst ART Grand Prix’s Grégoire Saucy continued his strong form to finish his third session inside the top three.

In a long-run focused afternoon, Gabriel Bortoleto claimed the top spot at just over the half hour mark and didn’t relinquish it, beating Barnard and his Trident teammate Oliver Goethe.

MORNING

Josep María Martí set the initial marker at 1:28.139 shortly before the first stoppage of the day. Jenzer Motorsport’s Taylor Barnard stopped at Turn 12 within the opening 15 minutes of running to bring out the Red Flag.

Once things got back underway, times continued to tumble. Collet shot up the order with a 1:26.893, but the Van Amersfoort Racing driver’s spell in front was short lived. Saucy clocked in two personal bests to improve by over two-tenths on a 1:26.522.

Heading back out, Barnard jumped to P1 in his #27 Jenzer Motorsport car, going 0.140s quicker than the Frenchman at the end of the opening hour. With the track quietening down in the second hour, Hitech Pulse-Eight's Minì took the opportunity to set a 1:26.319, jumping ahead of the Brit.

Attentions shifted to race runs for the remainder of the morning, with VAR’s Tommy Smith taking the honours of the busiest driver of the three hours, adding an impressive 50 laps to his tally.

AFTERNOON

After a short break, Barnard immediately got things back up and running with a 1:28.629. However, it wasn’t long before Day 1’s pacesetter Bortoleto returned to the top spot, posting a 1:28.471.

A further improvement would see the Brazilian extend his advantage out front to 0.352s, which would remain until the chequered flag.

Martí brought out the only Red Flag appearance at the start of the second hour, finding the gravel trap at Turn 13. It wasn’t long before the field were swiftly back out completing a series of race runs.

The top six would remain the same from before the stoppage, with Bortoleto leading Barnard, Goethe and the third Trident of Leonardo Fornaroli. Alejandro García and Franco Colapinto completed the top six, with the Argentine 1.7s off the leading time.

Improvements at the tail end of the top 10 saw Martí move back up into seventh ahead of Collet. VAR’s Tommy Smith and PHM Racing by Charouz’s Piotr Wisnicki were late entrants to take ninth and tenth-fastest times. Meanwhile, Zak O’Sullivan made the most of the three hours, notching up a substantial 73 laps in the #3 PREMA Racing car.

The field won’t have long to wait to get back behind the wheel, as the second in-season test at Imola takes place next week, running from April 18-19.

2023 FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP - BARCELONA IN-SEASON TEST, DAY 2, MORNING SESSION

2023 FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP - BARCELONA IN-SEASON TEST, DAY 2, AFTERNOON SESSION