Parallel to the Formula 3 tests in Bahrain, the pre-season tests of Formula 2 started. On Tuesday, the participants in the youth championship worked two sessions of two and a half hours each at the Sakhir circuit.
In the morning, Jehan Daruvala became the first driver to take to the track behind the wheel of Formula 2 in 2023, but Ralph Boschung set the first lap time of 1:45.652 seconds. Initially the riders did not attack much and only after an hour had passed since the start of the tests did the pace gradually pick up. Daruvala set a time of 1:45.574 seconds before red flags appeared on the track due to a stop by Zane Maloney.
Testing soon resumed and in the final half hour Theo Purscher set a morning session with a best time of 1:45.226 seconds, which no one could beat. The maximum number of laps driven by Oliver Berman is 37.
In the afternoon session it didn’t take long for the first fastest time, Richard Fershhor set a time of 1:46.083 seconds in the first five minutes after the break. As the sun went down and the temperature dropped, the speeds increased.
An hour before the end of testing, work on the track was interrupted by red flags. This time the reason was a stop at the Frederic Vesti circuit. After the session resumed, the riders exchanged fast laps and the best was again the ART Grand Prix representative Theo Purscher – 1:42.165 seconds. Jack Doohan completed the most laps with 39.
The Formula 2 tests will continue on Wednesday.
Results of the morning session
| Pilot | Team | Time | Circles |
| 1. T. Purscher | ART Grand Prize | 1:45,226 | 19 |
| 2. D. Daruvala | MP Motorsport | 1:45,574 | 23 |
| 3. R. Boschung | Racing campos | 1:45,652 | 27 |
| 4. E. Fittipaldi | Rodin Caroline | 1:45,816 | 20 |
| 5. A. Leclerc | CHECKERS | 1:45,902 | 19 |
| 6. D. Hauger | MP Motorsport | 1:45,908 | 20 |
| 7.Z Maloney | Rodin Caroline | 1:45,908 | 18 |
| 8. A. Iwasa | CHECKERS | 1:45,981 | 17 |
| 9. V. Marten | ART Grand Prize | 1:46.089 | 20 |
| 10.K Maini | Racing campos | 1:46.131 | 20 |
| 11. R. Fershor | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:46.217 | 14 |
| 12. H Correa | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:46,266 | 20 |
| 13. K. Novalak | Trident | 1:46,388 | eleven |
| 14. R. Nissani | Charouz’s PHM Racing | 1:46,441 | 17 |
| 15. O. Berman | PREMA racing | 1:46,785 | 37 |
| 16. R. Stanek | Trident | 1:46,987 | 13 |
| 17. B. Benavidez | Charouz’s PHM Racing | 1:47.085 | 21 |
| 18.A.Hajar | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 1:47.191 | 21 |
| 19.D Crawford | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 1:48,839 | 9 |
| 20.F Vesti | PREMA racing | 2:06.514 | 25 |
| 21.D Duane | Virtuoso racing | 2:19,430 | 20 |
| 22. A Kordil | Virtuoso racing | 2:22,448 | 12 |
Day session results
| Pilot | Team | Time | Circles |
| 1. T. Purscher | ART Grand Prize | 1:42.165 | 35 |
| 2. R. Fershor | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:42,293 | 29 |
| 3. A. Leclerc | CHECKERS | 1:42,293 | 33 |
| 4. R. Boschung | Racing campos | 1:42,569 | 28 |
| 5. A. Iwasa | CHECKERS | 1:42,669 | 25 |
| 6. E. Fittipaldi | Rodin Caroline | 1:42,739 | 27 |
| 7.D Duane | Virtuoso racing | 1:42,753 | 39 |
| 8. D. Daruvala | MP Motorsport | 1:42,766 | 25 |
| 9. D. Hauger | MP Motorsport | 1:42,782 | 25 |
| 10. A.Hajar | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 1:42,987 | 21 |
| 11.K Maini | Racing campos | 1:43.046 | 32 |
| 12. K. Novalak | Trident | 1:43.071 | 29 |
| 13.D Crawford | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 1:43.105 | 31 |
| 14. O. Berman | PREMA racing | 1:43.232 | 27 |
| 15. J. Correa | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:43,372 | 28 |
| 16.Z Maloney | Rodin Caroline | 1:43,402 | 27 |
| 17. R. Stanek | Trident | 1:43,490 | 32 |
| 18. A Kordil | Virtuoso racing | 1:44.165 | 28 |
| 19. V. Marten | ART Grand Prize | 1:44.328 | 27 |
| 20. R. Nissani | Charouz’s PHM Racing | 1:44,888 | 25 |
| 21.F Vesti | PREMA racing | 1:45.251 | 25 |
| 22. B. Benavidez | Charouz’s PHM Racing | 1:45,769 | 31 |
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
