FIA Formula 3 returns to action at pre-season testing in Bahrain, livetiming 13.02.2023: FIA FORMULA 3 Championship Sakhir, Bahrain pre-season test February 14-16th, 2023 The FIA Formula 3 Championship hits the track at the Bahrain International Circuit this week, following a close-fought 2022 campaign, which saw Victor Martins cro

FIA FORMULA 3 Championship
Sakhir, Bahrain pre-season test
February 14-16th, 2023

The FIA Formula 3 Championship hits the track at the Bahrain International Circuit this week, following a close-fought 2022 campaign, which saw Victor Martins crowned 2022 FIA Formula 3 Champion, and all of the top three finishers earn promotions to the second tier.



Starting on Tuesday, the three days of testing will give the teams and drivers a chance to prepare ahead of the season opener in Sakhir, Bahrain, which will kick-start a 9-round, 18-race season that will feature Melbourne, Australia, and Monte Carlo, Monaco for the first time.





WHAT TO EXPECT



Running from 14-16 February, each day of the official pre-season test will be split into a morning and an afternoon session, with a total of 15 hours of track time available across the three days. The first session of the day will begin at 09:00 and end at 11:30, while the second session will start at 14:30 and run until 17:00 (GMT+3).




Teams will be testing on Pirelli’s hard compound tyres, the same compound that will be used during the opening round of the season at the Bahrain International Circuit, which takes place on 3-5 March. Each car will be allocated eight sets of tyres for the duration of the test.






THE CHALLENGERS



• The 2023 pre-season Formula 3 field features plenty of exciting new talent with an impressive 18 rookies joining 12 established names, who return after competing in the 2022 campaign.



• While every team on the grid has at least one rookie this season, three teams - Trident, Hitech Pulse-Eight and Jenzer Motorsport - will field all-rookie line-up for testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.



• This year’s Formula 3 cohort have an average age of just 18 years old. Campos Racing have the youngest team on the grid for the second year in a row, with the average age of the Spanish squad’s drivers sitting at just 17 and a half years old.




• The 2023 grid features two F3 race winners, Caio Collet and Franco Colapinto, and a total of four Formula 3 podium-sitters.



• An incredible 17 nationalities are represented in this year’s F3 driver roster, including four new nationalities: Swedish, Colombian, Polish and Bulgarian.



• This season also brings the arrival of a new team in Formula 3, with Germany-based outfit PHM Racing by Charouz set to contest their maiden season in the third tier this year.



• Hitech Pulse-Eight will field Luke Browning for this week’s pre-season test in Sakhir, with the Brit yet to be confirmed for the season with the Silverstone-based outfit.







WHERE TO FOLLOW



Follow pre-season testing on the official FIA Formula 3 Championship website via live timing here.








About the FIA Formula 3 Championship™
THE F3 FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP LOGO, FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP, FIA FORMULA 3, FORMULA 3, F3 AND RELATED MARKS ARE TRADEMARKS OF THE FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE L’AUTOMOBILE AND USED UNDER LICENCE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED



- Alexa Quintin, photo Formula Motorsport Limited