Last year’s Formula Renault UK champion Alex Lynn emphatically made Thursday his own during the final day of British F3 testing at Silverstone.
The 18-year-old was fastest in all three sessions, as the Fortec quartet closed up on Carlin’s fast five.
Many of the quickest runs came toward the end of the morning run, with the top six all setting their best in that session.
With a lap at 1:53.300, Lynn proved too quick for the close pack, making him the first non-Carlin driver to top a pre-season test this year. Having already raced with Fortec for two years in Formula Renault UK, Lynn was excited to be heading into another season with the squad.
“I’m really looking forward to my third year with Fortec and I think with the introduction of a new car we have a quite level playing field.
”I’m happy with how testing has gone so far, we’re continuing to improve and P1 in all three sessions today is really encouraging for myself and the team and I just can’t wait to go racing now.”
And it was close. The young Briton pipped Red Bull junior driver Carlos Sainz Jr to the top, by one-and-a-half tenths, as several set-up options did not pay well for the Spaniard.
Hannes van Asseldonk assumed 3rd in the next Fortec, narrowly edging ahead of Harry Tincknell (Carlin, 4th) and Jack Harvey (Carlin, 5th) by less than a tenth.
Carlin’s final two runners, Jazeman Jaafar and Pietro Fantin, ended the day 6th and 7th respectively. Both drivers were the first to fall into the ‘1:54” category, leaving them well shy of the main group.
Fortec pairing Felix Serralles and Pipo Derani were next up in 8th and 9th, while T-Sport’s Nick McBride rounded out the top ten.
Slowest of the International Class was British Formula 3 returnee, Fahmi Ilyas, who assumed 11th with a best of 1:55.073 in the morning.
There was an increased entry for the Rookie Class test, with four drivers showing up, including CF Racing teamboss Hywel Lloyd.
As he is still on the lookout for a driver to use his car for the coming season, Lloyd completed the session himself, as he continues to give his F308 chassis a shakedown. Lloyd’s best lap (1:55.811) left him well clear of T-Sport duo Spike Goddard and Dan Cammish*.
Duvashen Padayachee brought up the rear in his Mugen-Honda powered Double R F309 Dallara.
* {note 1}
Cammish managed only 50 laps throughout the day, after the ex-Formula Renault UK racer grew tired near the end of each session.
With a further test coming at Oulton Park next week, the 22-year-old faces a race against time to be fully fit for the season – that is, of course, should he sign on the dotted line.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time 1. Alex Lynn Fortec-Mercedes 1m53.530s 2. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin-Volkswagen 1m53.683s 3. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec-Mercedes 1m53.799s 4. Harry Tincknell Carlin-Volkswagen 1m53.822s 5. Jack Harvey Carlin-Volkswagen 1m53.850s 6. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin-Volkswagen 1m54.247s 7. Pietro Fantin Carlin-Volkswagen 1m54.399s 8. Felix Serralles Fortec-Mercedes 1m54.670s 9. Pipo Derani Fortec-Mercedes 1m54.826s 10. Nick McBride T-Sport-Nissan 1m55.063s 11. Fahmi Ilyas Double R-Mercedes 1m55.073s 12. Hwyel Lloyd CF-Mugen Honda 1m55.811s 13. Spike Goddard T-Sport-Mugen Honda 1m56.281s 14. Dan Cammish T-Sport-Mugen Honda 1m56.372s 15. Duvashen Padayachee Double R-Mugen Honda 1m56.489s Italics= National Class
