Zane Maloney, a driver for Rodin Motorsport, achieved the quickest time during the three-day FIA Formula 2 pre-season test in Bahrain. The test took place from Sunday, February 11 to Tuesday, February 13, allowing all Formula 2 participants to experience the new generation of cars for the second time. While the new car is largely similar to its predecessor in terms of chassis, engine, and gearbox, it features an updated aero package with modifications to the floor, nose, front and rear wing. Unfortunately, the first day of testing was heavily affected by heavy rain in the Bahrain desert, resulting in limited running for the drivers. Despite the challenging conditions, times were still recorded, with Dennis Hauger of MP Motorsport posting the fastest lap time (1:53.175s) after completing 17 laps of the Sakhir International Circuit. Zane Maloney secured the second fastest time (1:53.351s) after 15 laps, while Victor Martins, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, completed the top three with a time of 1:53.367s after just 13 laps for ART Grand Prix. One of the highly anticipated rookies, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who is also a Mercedes Junior Driver, completed the most laps on Sunday (24) in his PREMA machine and achieved the fourth fastest time (1:53.511s). Antonelli expressed his satisfaction with the productive day of testing despite the rainy conditions.
“It’s a great feeling to see yourself at the top, there’s no better sensation than that,” said Hauger at the conclusion of the initial day’s session.
“I’m still eager to begin tomorrow properly and then complete some dry runs. There’s going to be a lot of things to test because now we only have two days and we haven’t had the chance to drive on a dry track yet, so there’s plenty to figure out.”
Day 2
After the first day of running was cancelled due to rain, the remaining two days became crucial as teams and drivers hurried to gather valuable data in dry conditions.
The morning session revolved around completing as many laps as possible, with the exception of three out of the 22 competitors failing to log at least 20 laps. Hitech’s Amaury Cordeel recorded the most laps with 37.
Kush Maini from Invicta Racing emerged as the fastest in Monday morning’s session, setting a time of 1:44.219s.
In the afternoon, lap times significantly improved, and in the final hour, Maloney posted a lap time of 1:41.501s. This time not only ended up being the fastest of the day after completing 31 laps, but also the fastest of the entire three-day test.
“I think that’s a positive sign,” the second-year F2 driver commented at the end of Day Two. “Last year, I was consistently six-tenths off throughout the three days of testing, so I can only interpret this as a positive sign. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow and then, of course, with the quick turnaround for round one.
“This morning, our focus was mainly on race simulations, and in the afternoon, we focused on performance runs – similar to everyone else on the grid. It’s great to finally have a dry session after yesterday’s wet conditions. It feels good to have our first day in the car completed properly, and we had a strong start.”
Following Maloney in second place at the end of Monday’s running was recently announced Aston Martin Development Driver Jak Crawford in his DAMS car, setting a lap time of 1:41.626s during his 29-lap stint.
Third place went to Enzo Fittipaldi from Van Amersfoort Racing, who completed 33 laps and recorded a fastest time of 1:41.735s.
Day 3
In the last morning of the test, race simulations took center stage, with Joshua Duerksen of PHM AIX Racing completing a lengthy 51 laps to record the highest mileage of all participants.
Only one driver failed to reach the minimum of 20 laps, while 17 drivers surpassed the 30-lap mark. Among them, Isack Hadjar of Campos Racing emerged as the fastest, setting a laptime of 1:45.331s after completing 39 laps.
Josep María Martí, Hadjar’s teammate at Campos, followed closely behind with the second fastest time of the morning, clocking in at 1:45.547s after completing 41 laps. Maini completed the top three in this session, achieving a laptime of 1:46.310s during his 48 laps around the circuit.
As the afternoon arrived, the pace intensified, with Maloney once again showcasing his speed.
The Barbadian Driver, who is a member of Suaber’s Academy, finished the final day on top with a time of 1:42.468s.
Crawford secured the second position once again, recording a time of 1:42.661s, while Ritomo Miyata, Maloney’s teammate at Rodin and the reigning Super Formula Champion, completed the top three with a laptime of 1:42.684s.
Following the pre-season test, the F2 field will now have time to reflect before returning to Bahrain for Round 1, scheduled from February 29 to March 02.
According to the Source motorsportweek.com