At the slightly shorter 4.563-kilometre layout used in the morning session, Lance Stroll (Prema Powerteam, 1:38.484 minutes) set the fastest lap time, followed by Markus Pommer (Motopark, 1:38.498) and Arjun Maini (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:38.631). And at the longer 4.684-kilometre layout the tests were continued on in the afternoon, Stroll (1:43.305 minutes) once again proved to be the quickest. This time, Felix Rosenqvist (Prema Powerteam, 1:43.337 minutes) and Pommer (1:43.516) secured second and third positions on the time sheets. 

The FIA Formula 3 European Championship made its very first appearance at the circuit located between Portimão and Lagos, today. In the morning session, turn one was cornered without the chicane (version FF) – the layout that originally had been supposed to also be used on the weekend. But due to problems with respecting the track limits, it was decided to test the track version that includes the chicane (SF) in the afternoon. The version proved to be the better option and so – after consultations with the teams – the SF version will also be used for tomorrow’s tests and the race weekend. “I think, the chicane will represent an additional overtaking possibility,” says Markus Pommer.

For one man, however, it made no difference if he was driving on the layout with or without chicane. In the sunshine of the hinterlands of Portugal’s vacation area Algarve, Lance Stroll proved to be the quickest anyway. “Certainly a nice result but it doesn’t count. Now we have to keep on working consistently to possibly keep on improving up to the qualifying session on Friday,” said the 16-year old Canadian who secured his first FIA Formula 3 European Championship podium in early August at the Red Bull Ring. In the morning session, Markus Pommer was the toughest rival of the Prema driver but in the afternoon, Felix Rosenqvist finished behind Stroll and ahead of Pommer. “I think that we are on the way to getting closer and closer to the others, with the performance of our car,” the German said.

In the morning session, Alessio Lorandi (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:38.767 minutes), Callum Ilott (Carlin, 1:38.791), George Russell (Carlin, 1:38.933), Felix Rosenqvist (1:38.934), Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, 1:38.958), Mikkel Jensen (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport, 1:38.981) and Nick Cassidy (Prema Powerteam, 1:39.004) secured the positions behind the top three. The Kiwi was happy with his comeback in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship so far. “A good day,” he said. “And it also wasn’t a problem for me to accustom to the Hankook tyres as they are more consistent as the tyres I am racing on in the Japanese Formula 3 Championship.”

In the afternoon, the top 10 were completed by Jake Dennis (Prema Powerteam, 1:43.544 minutes), Antonio Giovinazzi (1:43.559), Charles Leclerc (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:43.560), George Russell (1:43.580), Raoul Hyman (Team West-Tec F3, 1:43.586), Julio Moreno (ThreeBond with T-Sport, 1:43.633) and Callum Ilott (1:43.644). Alexander Sims (HitechGP, 1:39.119 and 13th in the morning session, 1:44.013 and 17th in the afternoon) described his first official day of testing in the 2015 season as learning day: “We still are behind the other teams who all have been contesting the season from the start – while it was the first appearance for us. But I enjoyed it as I love to race in Formula 3. And we are determined to keep on making progress tomorrow.”