The FIA Formula 3 is finally back in action, with fifteen new drivers and a team joining the 2022 season as the rookies just got their first taste of the car in the pre-season test in Bahrain this morning.
With only one spot left in the grid, 29 established drivers were ready to kick off the pre-season test weekend before the championship started on the 18th of March.
The opening session saw Arthur Leclerc setting the fastest time of 1:48.005 with his PREMA Racing before Trident’s rookie Zane Maloney changed the barrier into 1:47.614 in the afternoon session of the day.
Morning Session
PREMA Racing’s Arthur Leclerc tops the weekend’s opening session ahead of the series’ newest additions, Zane Maloney and Reece Ushijima.
The Monegasque driver took the chance to beat the American-born driver in the remaining 30 minutes of the session, snatching the lead with thirtieth of a second quicker than Ushijima.
The Hitech duo, Isack Hadjar and Kaylen Frederick, closed the session in fourth and fifth, respectively, making it a solid morning for the team in the top 5.
MP Motorsport’s Alexander Smolyar finished in sixth ahead of Jenzer Motorsport’s William Alatalo and the second Van Amersfoort Racing’s driver Franco Colapinto in seventh.
Oliver Bearman completed the morning session in ninth for PREMA Racing, with Trident’s Roman Stanek completing the top 10.
Afternoon Session
Zane Maloney keeps his place inside the top 3 on the first day of testing, improving his time record as he turned it into a more competitive barrier by a second faster than Arthur Leclerc.
Jenzer Motorsport’s William Alatalo followed shortly in second fastest ahead of the Red Bull Junior Jak Crawford in third for PREMA Racing and Trident’s test driver Roman Stanek in fourth.
The new team, Van Amersfoort Racing, did another stellar job with Franco Colapinto in fifth and last season’s highest-placed rookie Victor Martins in sixth.
Both PREMA Racing drivers, Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc, closed the day for the team in seventh and eighth fastest.
ART’s Gregoire Saucy ended in ninth fastest, with Charouz Racing System’s Francesco Pizzi rounding out the top 10.
The second morning session of the pre-season testing in Bahrain will start at 9 AM local time tomorrow.
Morning session results:
| 1 | Arthur Leclerc | PREMA Racing |
| 2 | Zane Maloney | Trident |
| 3 | Reece Ushijima | Van Amersfoort Racing |
| 4 | Isack Hadjar | Hitech Grand Prix |
| 5 | Kaylen Frederick | Hitech Grand Prix |
| 6 | Alexander Smolyar | MP Motorsport |
| 7 | William Alatalo | Jenzer Motorsport |
| 8 | Franco Colapinto | Van Amersfoort Racing |
| 9 | Oliver Bearman | PREMA Racing |
| 10 | Roman Stanek | Trident |
| 11 | Jonny Edgar | Trident |
| 12 | Victor Martins | ART Grand Prix |
| 13 | Kush Maini | MP Motorsport |
| 14 | Patrik Pasma | Jenzer Motorsport |
| 15 | Francesco Pizzi | Charouz Racing System |
| 16 | Ido Cohen | Jenzer Motorsport |
| 17 | Gregoire Saucy | ART Grand Prix |
| 18 | Hunter Yeany | Campos Racing |
| 19 | Zak O’Sullivan | Carlin |
| 20 | Caio Collet | MP Motorsport |
| 21 | Enzo Trulli | Carlin |
| 22 | Jak Crawford | PREMA Racing |
| 23 | Ayrton Simmons | Charouz Racing System |
| 24 | Rafael Villagomez | Van Amersfoort Racing |
| 25 | Brad Benavides | Carlin |
| 26 | Josep Maria Marti | Campos Racing |
| 27 | David Vidales | Campos Racing |
| 28 | Nazim Azman | Hitech Grand Prix |
| 29 | Laszlo Toth | Charouz Racing System |
Afternoon session results:
| 1 | Zane Maloney | Trident |
| 2 | William Alatalo | Jenzer Motorsport |
| 3 | Jak Crawford | PREMA Racing |
| 4 | Roman Stanek | Trident |
| 5 | Franco Colapinto | Van Amersfoort Racing |
| 6 | Victor Martins | ART Grand Prix |
| 7 | Oliver Bearman | PREMA Racing |
| 8 | Arthur Leclerc | PREMA Racing |
| 9 | Gregoire Saucy | ART Grand Prix |
| 10 | Francesco Pizzi | Charouz Racing System |
| 11 | Jonny Edgar | Trident |
| 12 | Isack Hadjar | Hitech Grand Prix |
| 13 | Josep Maria Marti | Campos Racing |
| 14 | Patrik Pasma | Jenzer Motorsport |
| 15 | Alexander Smolyar | MP Motorsport |
| 16 | Zak O’Sullivian | Carlin |
| 17 | Ayrton Simmons | Charouz Racing System |
| 18 | Caio Collet | MP Motorsport |
| 19 | Kush Maini | MP Motorsport |
| 20 | Reece Ushijima | Van Amersfoort Racing |
| 21 | Laszlo Toth | Charouz Racing System |
| 22 | Kaylen Frederick | Hitech Grand Prix |
| 23 | Brad Benavides | Carlin |
| 24 | David Vidales | Campos Racing |
| 25 | Hunter Yeany | Campos Racing |
| 26 | Rafael Villagomez | Van Amersfoort Racing |
| 27 | Nazim Azman | Hitech Grand Prix |
| 28 | Ido Cohen | Jenzer Motorsport |
