The Formula 3 preseason came to a close in Barcelona with a busy final day of track activities, marked by qualifying simulations, long runs, and numerous red flag interruptions. In the final balance, Théophile Nael put Campos Racing at the top of the table and confirmed the team’s good form ahead of the championship opening. Brazilians Pedro Clerot and Fernando Barrichello also made their presence known with consistent mileage and competitive laps.
Formula 3 started the day focusing on fast laps using previously used Hard tires, repeating the pattern from the previous day. The first interruption came early, when James Wharton stalled in the gravel between turns 7 and 8. After the car was removed, the session resumed, and lap times began to gradually fall.
Patrick Heuzenroeder initially took the lead, but the scenario changed when new tires were installed. Noah Stromsted put TRIDENT at the front with a 1:27.620 lap, narrowly beating Ugo Ugochukwu from Campos. The American reacted and reduced the gap even further but remained in second. Next, Nael entered the direct dispute for the top positions.
With a more favorable track and less traffic, the Frenchman returned to the track for a new attempt at a fast lap and recorded a 1:27.525, sufficient to take the top spot. The difference was small, only 0.095s, but no one could surpass him after the teams shifted their focus to long stints. Thus, Nael closed the morning as the fastest, ahead of Stromsted, Ugochukwu, Freddie Slater, and Brando Badoer.
Among the Brazilians, Pedro Clerot clocked a 1:28.164 lap and finished in the intermediate group, working at a consistent pace throughout the session. Fernando Barrichello, on the other hand, recorded a 1:28.463 lap, accumulating important laps within AIX Racing’s program. For both, the day served as direct preparation for the start of the championship.
The afternoon session prioritized race simulations. Enzo Deligny appeared well at the beginning, but soon lap times began to fall with longer stints. Badoer and then Matteo De Palo took momentary leads, until DAMS Lucas Oil took control of the table in the final minutes.
Nicola Lacorte set a 1:29.676 lap and put the team at the front, followed by his teammate Gerrard Xie. De Palo, Tim Tramnitz, and Badoer completed the group of fastest drivers. The final part still had new red flags due to stopped cars on the track and in the gravel, limiting attempts at improvement.
Fernando Barrichello returned to appear with a good volume of laps and finished among the top ten in the afternoon, reinforcing his adaptation to the car. Pedro Clerot also continued to accumulate mileage, something valuable in such a balanced grid.
With this, Formula 3 concludes its winter preparation. Now, the focus shifts to the first round of the championship in Melbourne, between March 6th and 8th, when the impressions from the tests will finally be put to the test in racing conditions. The balance seen in Barcelona indicates a disputed season from the start.
