F3 Jerez test postponed due to COVID-enforced UK travel ban
The first FIA Formula 3 Championship pre-season test to be held at Jerez later this month has been postponed due to a COVID-19 travel ban imposed on UK travellers
The F1 feeder series had planned to host the first of its three scheduled pre-season tests at the Spanish circuit on 25-26 February.
However, organisers have been forced to abandon this after the Spanish Health Ministry elected to extend a travel ban imposed on UK travellers, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, until 2 March.
The ban means British teams Carlin and Hitech Grand Prix, both fielding three cars each this year, would be unable to contest the two day test.
FIA F3 organisers issued a brief statement on the championship's official website, stating the test will be rescheduled.
"The first 2021 FIA Formula 3 pre-season test, which was scheduled on 25-26 February at Jerez de la Frontera in Spain, will be postponed," read the statement.
"This is due to a travel ban for UK travellers which has been extended by the Spanish Health Ministry until 2 March.
"This ban makes it impossible for British teams, Carlin and Hitech Grand Prix, and for any UK based drivers to travel and participate in the two-day test. Therefore, it has been decided that the test will be rescheduled at a later date, which will be announced in due time."
F3 does still have two further pre-season tests scheduled at Spain's Barcelona circuit on 16-17 March, and another two-day outing at Austria's Red Bull Ring on 3-4 April.
At this stage the Barcelona test does fall outside of the parameters of the latest UK travel ban extension.
The season is not due to begin until the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix on 7-9 May.
Places are rapidly filling up on the 2021 grid with only nine seats yet to be claimed ahead of the 2021 campaign.
FIA F3 2021 grid so far
Prema Racing: Arthur Leclerc, Dennis Hauger, Olli Caldwell
Trident: David Schumacher,TBA,TBA
ART Grand Prix: Frederik Vesti, Aleksandr Smolyar, Juan Manuel Correa
Hitech Grand Prix: Jak Crawford, Ayumu Iwasa, Roman Stanek
HWA Racelab: Matteo Nannini, Rafael Villagomez, Oliver Rasmussen
MP Motorsport: Victor Martins, Caio Collet, TBA
Campos Racing: Amaury Cordeel, Lorenzo Colombo,TBA
Carlin Buzz Racing: Jonny Edgar, Ido Cohen,TBA
Jenzer Motorsport: Calan Williams, Pierre-Louis Chovet, TBA
Charouz Racing System: TBA,TBA,TBA
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