Sami Meguetounif ended the final day of Formula 2 pre-season testing fastest, setting a 1:24.363 in the afternoon session for Trident, while Victor Martins topped the morning running with a 1:24.673 for ART Grand Prix. Both sessions saw multiple red flags, with drivers pushing the limits as preparations for the season wrapped up in Barcelona.
#F2 #F2Testing Day 3, the final day of testing at @Circuitcat_eng . Here are the morning and afternoon results. #MsportXtra @insidef2 pic.twitter.com/hIX0pQl6LX
— #MsportXtra © (@MsportXtra) February 26, 2025
Morning Session Recap
Victor Martins topped the timesheets in Wednesday morning’s Formula 2 pre-season test at Barcelona, leading a session disrupted by multiple red flags.
A damp track greeted the drivers, but most opted for slicks from the outset. John Bennett was the early pacesetter before Max Esterson and Sami Meguetounif lowered the benchmark into the 1:36s. The session was interrupted after Kush Maini stopped at Turn 3, with Meguetounif causing another stoppage soon after.
With just seven drivers on the board after an hour, Rodin Motorsport sent their cars out, quickly getting up to speed. Christian Mansell set a 1:35.233, before Alex Dunne slashed the time to 1:28.493. The duo traded fastest laps before Meguetounif moved to the top with a 1:27.279.
As the final hour began, MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor went fastest with a 1:27.013, before Maini surged aheadwith a 1:25.593.
ART Grand Prix joined late, but Martins and Ritomo Miyata immediately went one-two, with Martins posting a 1:24.673 to lead by 0.475s.
A red flag for Mansell halted proceedings, and despite a final flurry, Martins remained fastest. Maini’s late lap was deleted, confirming the ART driver as the morning’s pace-setter.
Afternoon Session Recap
Sami Meguetounif ended Formula 2 pre-season testing on top in Wednesday afternoon’s session at Barcelona, setting a dominant lap that went unbeaten.
The session began quietly, with just six drivers heading out. Campos Racing’s Arvid Lindblad set the early benchmark at 1:25.427, leading MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor by 0.288s. His team-mate Pepe Martà slotted into third, ahead of Trident’s Max Esterson.
Rodin Motorsport joined the action later, with Alex Dunne posting a 1:25.805 to go third. However, Meguetounif hit the front with a 1:24.363 just before Esterson triggered a red flag after stopping in Sector 2.
Once running resumed, 10 drivers had set times after an hour, increasing to 18 as the session progressed. Another red flag came after John Bennett hit trouble in Sector 3.
With a one-second advantage, Meguetounif’s time looked unbeatable until Dunne closed the gap with a 1:25.048 in the final hour. Team-mate Christian Mansell also improved to fifth with a 1:25.817 before both returned to the pits.
A late flurry of improvements saw Victor Martins climb to seventh with a 1:26.355, while AIX Racing’s Joshua Duerksen and Cian Shields set 1:25.9s laps to move into the top six.
Testing ended under red flags, caused by Meguetounif himself, but his 1:24.363 remained unbeaten, securing Trident the fastest time of the final session.
Results from Day 3 of F2 testing:
?? Meguetounif 1:24.363
?? Martins 1:24.673
?? Dunne 1:25.048
?? Miyata 1:25.148
?? Lindblad 1:25.427
?? Crawford 1:25.580
?? Maini 1:25.593
?? Esterson 1:25.707
?? Verschoor 1:25.715
?? Mansell 1:25.817#F2 #F2Testing— ?????? F2.COM (@insidef2) February 26, 2025
Image: FML
