- Swede sets record pace at Spa
- Opening round just one week away
Linus Lundqvist delivered a confidence-boosting performance in the final pre-season test ahead of the imminent BRDC British F3 Championship campaign, comfortably leading the way at Spa-Francorchamps.
Driving for Double R Racing, Lundqvist headed the timesheets by more than six tenths as the field set camp at the famous Belgian Grand Prix track this week, dipping well below the existing British F3 lap record in the process.
Producing a 2m16.189s best around the 7.004 km lap, Lundqvist led the way by 0.610s from Fortec’s Tristan Charpentier, with 17 cars present in the Ardennes.
Lundqvist’s chart-topping time was the fastest lap ever seen in current-spec BRDC British F3 machinery around Spa, the existing qualifying lap record for reference being a 2m16.820s effort set by reigning FIA F3 European champion Lando Norris back in 2016.
“It’s been a very good test overall,” says Linus Lundqvist. “We got lots of mileage in and we played around quite a bit with different set-ups, and found a good one that seemed to suit me. I think we really did hit the sweet spot when the track was at its best and I was able to put in a good lap. It’s just testing, but it was a really good run and it’s always nice to see your name at the top of the sheet. All in all, the car felt great and we really couldn’t have hoped for more to conclude the pre-season period.”
The test was originally scheduled to run for two days between Wednesday-Thursday, but was curtailed after just one following heavy overnight snowfall.
Linus Lundqvist is joined at Double R Racing this season by fellow team-mates Krish Mahadik, India (fifth quickest in this week’s test), and Singapore’s Pavan Ravashankar (12th).
The BRDC British F3 season gets underway on Easter weekend – in just one week’s time – at Oulton Park.
RESULTS
Pre-season test – British F3
Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)
1: Linus Lundqvist, Double R, 2m16.189s
2: Tristan Charpentier, Fortec, +0.610s
3: Kush Maini, Lanan Racing, +0.637s
4: Tom Gamble, Fortec Motorsports, +1.016s
5: Krish Mahadik, Double R, +1.174s
6: Jamie Chadwick, Douglas, +1.334s
7: Manuel Maldonado, Fortec, +1.507s
8: Jusuf Owega, Hillspeed, +1.588s
9: Nicolai Kjaergaard, Carlin, +1.647s
10: Sun Yue Yang, Carlin, +1.670s
11: Billy Monger, Carlin, +2.089s
12: Pavan Ravishankar, Double R, +2.800s
13: Arvin Esmaeili, Douglas, +2.838s
14: Sasa Chaimongkol, Hillspeed, +2.920s
15: Josh Mason, Lanan Racing, +3.232s
16: Alexandra Mohnhaupt, Douglas, +4.449s
17: Ben Hurst, Hillspeed, +6.900s