Silverstone GP3: Luca Ghiotto leads practice for Trident
Trident driver Luca Ghiotto topped free practice for the third round of the GP3 Series at Silverstone
The championship-leading Italian set the pace halfway through the session and continued to improve throughout, opening up a 0.764-second gap to Koiranen's Jimmy Eriksson in second.
Arden driver Emil Bernstorff, who set the pace in the opening stages, eventually replaced Eriksson in second place.
Fellow Brit Matt Parry enjoyed a consistent session to finish fourth in another Koiranen car, ahead of early pacesetter Marvin Kirchhofer and his ART Grand Prix team-mate Esteban Ocon.
Alex Palou was able to climb the order in the closing stages to finish seventh, followed by Arthur Janosz.
Koiranen;s third driver Adderley Fong took ninth ahead of Matheo Tuscher who consistently ran in the top 10.
Several drivers struggled with grip throughout the session and had some off-track excursions.
Nissan protege Jann Mardenborough beached his car in the gravel trap at Luffield in the opening stages, which briefly brought out the red flag.
The Brit got going again soon after and the session was quickly resumed.
Status Grand Prix drivers Sandy Stuvik and Alex Fontana also had eventful sessions.
Stuvik lost the back end and spun at Copse, his car then briefly catching fire, while Fontana spun on the entry to Stowe.
PRACTICE TIMES:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luca Ghiotto | Trident | 1m48.555s | - | 20 |
| 2 | Emil Bernstorff | Arden International | 1m49.255s | 0.700s | 19 |
| 3 | Jimmy Eriksson | Koiranen GP | 1m49.319s | 0.764s | 20 |
| 4 | Matt Parry | Koiranen GP | 1m49.462s | 0.907s | 17 |
| 5 | Marvin Kirchhofer | ART Grand Prix | 1m49.542s | 0.987s | 20 |
| 6 | Esteban Ocon | ART Grand Prix | 1m49.628s | 1.073s | 19 |
| 7 | Alex Palou | Campos Racing | 1m49.689s | 1.134s | 17 |
| 8 | Artur Janosz | Trident | 1m49.709s | 1.154s | 18 |
| 9 | Adderly Fong | Koiranen GP | 1m49.739s | 1.184s | 15 |
| 10 | Matheo Tuscher | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m49.826s | 1.271s | 19 |
| 11 | Pal Varhaug | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m49.835s | 1.280s | 19 |
| 12 | Alex Fontana | Status Grand Prix | 1m49.954s | 1.399s | 20 |
| 13 | Oscar Tunjo | Trident | 1m49.997s | 1.442s | 18 |
| 14 | Seb Morris | Status Grand Prix | 1m50.018s | 1.463s | 18 |
| 15 | Kevin Ceccon | Arden International | 1m50.027s | 1.472s | 18 |
| 16 | Antonio Fuoco | Carlin | 1m50.035s | 1.480s | 18 |
| 17 | Jann Mardenborough | Carlin | 1m50.130s | 1.575s | 18 |
| 18 | Ralph Boschung | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m50.203s | 1.648s | 18 |
| 19 | Zaid Ashkanani | Campos Racing | 1m50.319s | 1.764s | 18 |
| 20 | Mitch Gilbert | Carlin | 1m50.400s | 1.845s | 20 |
| 21 | Sandy Stuvik | Status Grand Prix | 1m50.456s | 1.901s | 16 |
| 22 | Alfonso Celis | ART Grand Prix | 1m50.776s | 2.221s | 19 |
| 23 | Christopher Hoher | Campos Racing | 1m51.204s | 2.649s | 21 |
| 24 | Alex Bosak | Arden International | 1m51.346s | 2.791s | 20 |
Previous article
New Russian chassis nearing F3 European Championship debut
Next article
Silverstone GP3: Marvin Kirchhofer claims pole for ART Grand Prix
How Campos Racing has bounced back from its devastating loss
After the sudden death of its founder in January, Formula 2 stalwart Campos Racing was left facing its hardest season to date. But new team boss Adrian Jr is determined to honour his father’s legacy and has returned the team to its winning ways
How F2 and F3's flawed format changes could prove shortlived
After a chaotic 2020, marred by the coronavirus pandemic, the FIA brought in radical changes to Formula 2 and 3. But less than 12 months later, there are talks of them being reversed after all did not go to plan…
How the latest 'son of' youngster found his feet in F3
After a promising start to his single-seater racing career, life in the Formula 1 feeder series gave Jack Doohan a reality check. But, following a year of learning and toiling, the driver with one of the most famous surnames on the Formula 3 grid isn’t feeling the weight of expectation pushing down too hard on him any longer
The Monaco win that started another triple crown
30 years ago, victory in the Monaco Grand Prix-supporting Formula 3 race – then a showpiece invitational event – began a young Jorg Muller’s pursuit of a unique set of street circuit wins that he’d later complete at Macau and Pau
How two F3 stars face new challenges from very different perspectives
ART Grand Prix team-mates Frederik Vesti and Juan Manuel Correa's paths to the 2021 FIA Formula 3 Championship grid couldn’t have been further apart, but both are using the same focus for different goals
Why Correa's return is the feelgood story racing needed
Juan Manuel Correa has had a long road to recovery from that horrific day at Spa in 2019. ART's decision to give him his race return in FIA Formula 3 in 2021 is a victory in itself, but his determination will surely - in time - have him fighting for bigger things
Why Piastri's F3 title was better than results suggested
F3 rookie Oscar Piastri only just snatched the 2020 title with Prema Racing, but the setbacks he overcame to do so suggest that Renault's next Australian talent is one destined for the top
The ground-effect wonder behind a generation of F1 stars
Recently named as Autosport's greatest single-seater, Ralt's RT3 launched a plethora of superstar drivers through the early 1980s, and established the constructor as the go-to place for your single-seater weapon
