Future F1 stars set to hit Bahrain International Circuit track
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Formula 1’s future stars are set to hit the track today at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir for the first of three full days of pre-season testing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship and the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
Twenty-two drivers in F2 and another 30 in F3 will be getting into the cockpits of their respective challengers, as they step up their preparations for the start of their 2023 seasons, which takes place in the Kingdom from 3 to 5 March in support of the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2023.
The tests will be held along BIC’s 5.412-kilometre Grand Prix circuit. On each of the three days, F2 and F3 will be alternating track time.
F3 will be the first to go testing in the morning from 9am to 11.30am, and then again in the afternoon from 2.30pm to 5pm.
F2’s schedule on track will be from 11.45am to 2.15pm and then again from 5.15pm to 7.45pm on all the days.
This week’s action is crucial for the F2 and F3 teams and ace pilots, as it will be the only ontrack running they have ahead of their upcoming campaigns.
In F2, the field blends nine first-year newcomers alongside 14 established names, with 10 new F3 graduates eager to make a good impression from the start.
The roster for testing includes Dennis Hauger and Jehan Daruvala for MP Motorsport, Zane Maloney and Enzo Fittipaldi for Carlin, Theo Pourchaire and Victor Martins for ART Grand Prix, Frederik Vesti and Oliver Bearman for PREMA Racing, Jak Crawford and Isack Hadjar for Hitech Pulse-Eight, Ayumu Iwasa and Arthur Leclerc for DAMS, Jack Doohan and Amaury Cordeel for Virtuosi Racing, Roy Nissany and Brad Benavides for PHM Racing by Charouz, Roman Stanek and Clement Novalak for Trident, Richard Verschoor and Juan Manuel Correa for Van Amersfoort Racing, and Kush Maini and Ralph Boschung for Campos Racing.
Meanwhile, in F3, there are plenty of rookies joining the championship as well as some familiar faces returning for 2023.
Twenty-nine drivers have been confirmed of the 30 that are set to compete across the 2023 campaign, including 17 rookies who will be going up against 12 returning names as things stand.
For testing, all 30 cars will hit the track this week. They include Paul Aron, Dino Beganovic and Zak O’Sullivan for PREMA Racing; Leonardo Fornaroli, Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Goethe for Trident; Kaylen Frederick, Gregoire Saucy and Nikola Tsolov for ART Grand Prix; Franco Colapinto, Mari Boya and Jonny Edgar for MP Motorsport; Sebastian Montoya, Gabriele Mini and Luke Browning for Hitech Pulse-Eight; Caio Collet, Rafael Villagomez and Tommy Smith for Van Amersfoort Racing; Oliver Gray, Hunter Yeany and Ido Cohen for Rodin Carlin; Josep Maria Marti, Christian Mansell and Hugh Barter for Campos Racing; Nikita Bedrin, Taylor Barnard and Alejandro Garcia for Jenzer Motorsport; and Sophira Florsch, Roberto Faria and Piotr Wisnicki for PHM Racing by Charouz.
From those testing, only Browning has not yet confirmed his participation for the season.
The 2023 F2 season is set to feature 14 rounds, flagging off in Bahrain and concluding in November in Abu Dhabi, while the 2023 F3 championship consists of 10 rounds, beginning at BIC and ending in September in Monza.
At the Bahrain Grand Prix, F2 and F3 are to be joined on the support programme by the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East.
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