 Credit: James Sutton Formula 3 saw post-season testing at Jerez completed, on Wednesday as part of the two-day test at the venue to fully complete the 2024 championship. This two-day test at Jerez is the first of two in the space of a week as Formula 3 will also have a two-day test at fellow Spanish circuit Barcelona-Catalunya between the 15th and 16th October. The first saw a lot of track action with Hitech's McLaren development driver, Martinius Stenshorne, was quickest with there being a lot of laps completed and the track being busy throughout the day. However, as for day two, the, circuit saw rain have a baring on proceedings with this leaving many drivers staying put in their garages, particularly for the most part of the afternoon running. However, the best laps in each session would be set in dry tyres and in dry conditions. Nikola Tsolov would have the top time overall, with his best lap being set in the morning session for Campos. Tsolov would put in an impressive performance after not competing on the first day. Tsolov came in to replace Jesse Carrasquedo in the number 10 Campos car, after Carrasquedo would take the place of Theophile Nael at Van Amersfoort, who impressed on his only day of the test. All best lap times for the drivers would be set in the morning session, with the overall classification ending up a Campos 1-2 as Spaniard Mari Boya would end up in second overall, for the second day in a row. Martinius Stenshorne rounded off the top three for Hitech after ending up top of day one. Prema Racing's Noel Leon completed the most laps out of the field across the day with 85 overall. The Mexican driver finished 12th overall. Morning Session - Day 2
Following on from the first day of action at Jerez, which saw the 2019-2024 Formula 3 machinery get a run out on a circuit for one of the final times. However, action at Jerez wouldn't end with the first day's afternoon session, as a whole new day awaited the teams and drivers to get the driving experience which could prepare them for next season whether they are in Formula 3 or not. Martinius Stenshorne ended day 1 fastest overall after his lap in the afternoon session saw him quickest of both the afternoon running but also the full day's lap times. Mari Boya was second while rookie John Bennett would take third. However, it was time for day 2 as the sun was shining on the Jerez circuit and the drivers would have the opportunity to get out on circuit to impress their potential future employers. Running was an hour earlier for the morning session, so the light level was low in the early stages. There would be a slight change to the 30 drivers participating from the first to the second day of testing. Theophile Nael, who impressed on the first day of testing at Van Amersfoort, would leave his seat. In his place would be Jesse Carrasquedo, who would leave Campos after day one with a finishing position of fourth overall. In Carrasquedo's place would be the returning Nikola Tsolov, which would make it a very experienced lineup at Campos heading into the second and final day, at Jerez.
In the first hour of running, it was largely experience that was showing through with the Campos duo of Tsolov and Boya that were leading the way. Tsolov would show great speed and at the end of the first hour, the Alpine Academy driver would lead th way by just 0.023 of a second. Tsolov's lap was a 1:29.858, as Campos were looking to assert authority on the morning running once again, just like they did a day previous. Following on from the first hour, there would be little to no action on circuit with most drivers spending large stints in the pit garages and there being little track action for over half of the session with the top five remaining as it was at 60 minutes. Tsolov was first from Campos teammate Boya as the two, with day one star Martinius Stenshorne in third for Hitech. Trident's Noah Stromsted was fourth with Ugo Ugochukwu sitting in fifth for Prema On day one, only 29 cars ran in the morning session, with Noel Leon not getting a lap time in for Prema throughout them three hours. However, that would not be the case for Wednesday's running and all drivers would set a lap in the morning running. As time flew on by, throughout the session, drivers would complete laps but no one would be able to challenge the top five as time whittled down into the final 10 minutes of the session. Bulgarian Nikola Tsolov would hold the fastest time ahead of his Campos teammate Mari Boya, in a 1-2 for the Spanish outfit at the Spanish circuit. Tuesday's quickest driver Martinius Stenshorne was third for Hitech while Trident's Noah Stromsted and Prema's Ugo Ugochukwu completed the top five. There would be a pause in the day's action for lunch and the drivers would return later on in the day for the afternoon session. Afternoon Session - Day 2
After an hour interval for lunch, it would be time for the second part of the second day of post-season at Jerez and there would be the threat of wet weather looming once again but it would be dry to begin with and therefore drivers did not waste much time in heading out onto the circuit. Only 28 drivers would head out onto the circuit with any sort of immediacy as they recognised if they wanted some dry running on the Jerez circuit, they would have to be quick about it. Rafael Camara and Gerrard Xie were unable to get dry laps in early on and therefore would only be able to get wet laps and would have to use the wet compound tyre. Due to the track condition, the times of drivers were not matching those ones set in the morning session. It was the Jenzer of Nicola Lacorte who went to the top of the timing sheets early on with a 1:31.584, which was over four tenths clear of Van Amersfoort's Brit, John Bennett who was second. At the halfway point, Lacorte and Bennett occupied the top two spots as the rest of the top five was made up of Jose Garfias of AIX Racing, Ivan Domingues of Van Amersfoort and Mari Boya who was once again up near the top of the times for Campos. Drivers would end up having small stints on track in the wet weather conditions although they would not improve on lap times. The wet weather would eventually see Gerrard Xie and Rafael Camara set lap times but they would be way off the lap times set by the other 28 in a far drier circuit condition. Xie in the Hitech would go 29th and Camara would go 30th. As time would eventually tick down and before long the afternoon session would be over and the early lap of 1:31.584 from Nicola Lacorte was sitting top of the times and he had topped the afternoon session. However, his lap was not an improvement on his best morning lap nor was it good enough to finish fastest overall on the second day. This would also be the case for John Bennett, who had impressed on both days but would finish the afternoon session in second. Jose Garfias would finish third for AIX. Ivan Domingues, Bennett's Van Amersfoort Racing teammate, would finish fourth with Campos driver Mari Boya completing the top five. At the end of the final day of the Jerez post-season test, Nikola Tsolov would have top honours from Mari Boya going off the morning times, as everyone's best lap time was in the morning session. Therefore, the finishing order of the 30 drivers who participated would be the classification for the day's testing. Noel Leon of Prema would be the driver with the most laps completed as the Mexican driver completed 85 in total. That is not the end of post-season testing overall for FIA Formula 3, as there is another two-day test to take place, which will be held at the Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya, which is a circuit that has been used for mid-season testing as well as on the racing calendar itself. The entry list is yet to be confirmed by action will take place on Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th of October. 2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship: Post-season testing - Jerez Day 2 classification
 Brandon Whiteside
Writer - F1 Journal
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