Silverstone European F3 test: Charles Leclerc sets pace

The Monegasque took his Van Amersfoort Racing Dallara-Volkswagen to what is believed to be the quickest time ever recorded around the current Silverstone Grand Prix circuit by an F3 car early in the morning session.

Leclerc, who makes his F3 race debut this weekend after finishing runner-up in the Formula Renault ALPS series last season, was just under half a second clear of Carlin duo Antonio Giovinazzi and George Russell, who in turn were comfortably clear of the rest of the 36-car field.

"Today has gone really well," said Leclerc. "I'm really happy with the car but it's only testing at the moment.

"I put everything more or less together in the morning, and I was only four hundredths behind the ideal lap. I had the right tyres at the right moment."

Giovinazzi inadvertently caused the only red flag of the morning session shortly before the end, when his steering column scarily locked solid as he stormed into the Maggotts/Becketts complex. He was able to bring the car to rest in the runoff without any damage.

After the early running the day warmed up considerably, and times were considerably slower in the afternoon. Once again, Leclerc went to the top at the end of the day when most of the leading runners bolted on new tyres, this time by 0.137s from Giovinazzi.

Russell, like Leclerc making his F3 race debut this weekend, was just one hundredth adrift of Giovinazzi, just as he was in the morning.

Karting graduate Callum Ilott completed a Carlin 2-3-4 in the morning, the Red Bull junior leading Macau Grand Prix winner Felix Rosenqvist (Prema Powerteam), who was the top Mercedes-engined runner.

An impressive run by late Team West-Tec signing Raoul Hyman propelled him to sixth place.

The South African, who did his F3 deal only last week, had just two sets of slicks to use all day, while the other competitors had spare rubber left over from the Valencia test, during which the second day was wet.

Hyman was the catalyst for the only red flag of the afternoon, when his fuel pump failed out on the circuit.

Mucke Motorsport's Santino Ferrucci narrowly pipped Rosenqvist to fourth - and leading Mercedes contender - in the afternoon, with Pietro Fittipaldi only just behind in his Fortec Motorsport machine.

Germans Markus Pommer and Marvin Kirchhofer rounded out the top eight on the day, although Kirchhofer will not race his EuroInternational car this weekend because his GP3 programme takes priority, and this week's Valencia test finishes on the same day as free practice and qualifying at Silverstone.

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