British Formula 3 teams complete pre-Macau test at Silverstone

Carlin, Fortec Motorsport, T-Sport and Double R Racing all trialled set-ups for the high-speed Guia circuit, with some running tyres from Macau supplier Yokohama before the cars are shipped out to the Far East race, which takes place on November 15-18.

Carlin ran GP2 ace Felipe Nasr, GP3/Formula Renault 3.5 star Antonio Felix da Costa and GP3 runner-up Daniel Abt alongside regulars Jack Harvey, Carlos Sainz Jr and Will Buller in its six-car fleet of Dallara-Volkswagens.

Team boss Trevor Carlin said: "We had three of them out on Thursday and three on Friday. They all lapped within a couple of tenths of each other on the day they ran."

Meanwhile, Fortec's Dallara-Mercedes quartet comprised Alex Lynn, Felix Serralles, Pipo Derani and Harry Tincknell, the last-named returning to his 2011 team after racing in British F3 this year with Carlin.

Team manager Mick Kouros said: "They all got on really well and there was not much difference between the four drivers, although Lynn set the best time.

"We didn't run the Yokohamas because we usually find there isn't much difference from the Coopers we run in British F3."

T-Sport fielded Alexander Sims in its Dallara-Nissan, the Briton returning from sportscars to the team with which he won a reversed-grid Euro Series race at the Nurburgring in August.

Double R ran Formula Renault race winner Kevin Korjus in a Dallara-Mercedes on Thursday, with German F3 Cup champion Jimmy Eriksson out on Friday. While Korjus tested for the team in 2010, it was Swede Eriksson's first running with the squad other than a test at Anglesey.

Team boss Anthony 'Boyo' Hieatt said: "They both had a good day - it was just a case of getting used to the low downforce."

Fortec also gave a run out to Formula Renault NEC racer Dan de Zille, the son of mid-1980s British F3 regular Graham de Zille, who drove one of the team's older-spec cars. "It was his first time in an F3 car and he did really well," said Kouros.

Meanwhile, T-Sport ran its former driver James Cole in a National Class car to give him mileage as he pursues opportunities in the US.