The Formula 3 Championship returns to action in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, this week following a dramatic opening round of the season at the Bahrain International Circuit last month.

Starting on Tuesday, the two days of testing will give the teams and drivers a chance to hone their learnings from the first two races of the season before heading to Barcelona in ten days, where they’ll get another two days of track time under their belts.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Running 5-6 April, the official two-day test offers a total of 12 hours of track time, with each day split into a morning and afternoon session. On both days morning running will start at 9.00am and end at 12pm local time. On Day 1 of testing, the afternoon session will start at 2pm and finish at 5pm, while on Day 2, it will begin and 1pm and end at 4pm local time.

Teams will be testing on Pirelli’s white-walled hard compound tyres, the same allocation that will be used during both the Barcelona test as well as in Round 3 at the same venue. Each car will be allocated eight sets of tyres for the duration of the test.

Hadjar won the Sprint Race
Hadjar won the Sprint Race

THE STORY SO FAR

The 2022 campaign got off to a flying start last month in Sakhir, Bahrain, and while it was two second-year drivers, Victor Martins and Arthur Leclerc, who finished the weekend atop the Drivers’ Championship, there were several rookies also eager to make an early statement.

After Trident’s Roman Staněk finished fastest in Free Practice, rookie Franco Colapinto took a stunning pole position for Van Amersfoort Racing on their debut, with Staněk in second.

Hitech Grand Prix’s Isack Hadjar had shone in pre-season testing and the rookie clinched a maiden victory in the opening race of the weekend, after PREMA’s Oliver Bearman was handed a post-race penalty for track limit violations. The Briton found himself in second after the penalty was applied ahead of MP Motorsport’s Alexander Smolyar.

It was ART Grand Prix’s Martins who claimed glory in the Feature Race, prevailing over Leclerc who drove his PREMA from 13th on the grid to second at the chequered flag. The pair of returning drivers were joined on the podium by Martin’s rookie ART teammate Saucy, who claimed his maiden podium in the third tier.

Martins won the Feature Race in Round 1
Martins won the Feature Race in Round 1

THE CHALLENGERS

Victor Martins, the highest returning driver from the 2021 campaign, leads the Drivers’ Championship with 25 points. Trailing by just one point is Arthur Leclerc, who sits second with 24 points. Oliver Bearman is third with 17 points, ahead of Grégoire Saucy with 15 points in fourth. Juan Manuel Correa rounds out the top five with 14 points.

In the Teams’ Championship, it’s ART Grand Prix lead the Standings with 54 points, ahead of PREMA Racing who sit second with 47 points. Hitech Grand Prix are in third with 14 points. MP Motorsport and Van Amersfoort Racing sit in fourth and fifth respectively, with 12 points each.

Red Bull junior Jonny Edgar will not continue his Formula 3 season due to health reasons. The 18-year-old will be replaced at Trident by Oliver Rasmussen, who will debut for the Italian team this week in Jerez, ahead of further testing in Barcelona and Round 2 in Imola.

Italian driver Federico Malvestiti returns to test with Jenzer Motorsport at the Circuito de Jerez, having previously driven for the Swiss outfit in 2020.

WHERE TO FOLLOW

Follow testing on the official FIA Formula 3 Championship website via live timing.

Rasmussen will replace Edgar at Trident due to health reasons
Rasmussen will replace Edgar at Trident due to health reasons

2022 FIA Formula 3 Jerez Testing Entry List

#DRIVERTEAM
1Oliver RasmussenTrident
2Roman StanekTrident
3Zane MaloneyTrident
4Arthur LeclercPREMA Racing
5Jak CrawfordPREMA Racing
6Oliver BearmanPREMA Racing
7Victor MartinsART Grand Prix
8Grégoire SaucyART Grand Prix
9Juan Manuel CorreaART Grand Prix
10Caio ColletMP Motorsport
11Alex SmolyarMP Motorsport
12Kush MainiMP Motorsport
14László TóthCharouz Racing System
15Ayrton SimmonsCharouz Racing System
16Francesco PizziCharouz Racing System
17Kaylen FrederickHitech Grand Prix
18Isack HadjarHitech Grand Prix
19Nazim AzmanHitech Grand Prix
20David VidalesCampos Racing
21Hunter YeanyCampos Racing
22Josep María MartíCampos Racing
23Ido CohenJenzer Motorsport
24Federico MalvestitiJenzer Motorsport
25William AlataloJenzer Motorsport
26Zak O'SullivanCarlin
27Brad BenavidesCarlin
28Enzo TrulliCarlin
29Franco ColapintoVan Amersfoort Racing
30Rafael VillagomezVan Amersfoort Racing
31Reece UshijimaVan Amersfoort Racing