Spa GP3 practice delayed by ECU problem, series confident of fix
GP3 Series practice on the Belgian Grand Prix weekend was delayed by an ECU problem, which the series believes it has now solved ready for qualifying
Sauber Formula 1 junior driver Tatiana Calderon managed to set a time at the start of the session but then returned to the pits as the red flag came out, and the cars sat for 20 minutes while being worked on by GP3 technical staff.
The problem did not reoccur for the rest of the session.
"We experienced an issue with the programming of the ECU," said GP3 technical boss Didier Perrin.
"Once we analysed the problem, we asked for the session to be red-flagged in order to reprogramme the ECU of all cars as quickly as possible and ensure that all drivers benefited from the same amount of track time."
Once the session was back under way, Trident Racing's David Beckmann went fastest for a second GP3 practice in a row. He had switched to the team before the last round in Hungary and also topped practice there.
Beckmann headed an all-Trident top four, with Pedro Piquet, Giuliano Alesi and Ryan Tveter completing the formation.
The ART Grand Prix drivers struggled - almost a second off the pace with championship leader Anthoine Hubert the team's highest-placed driver in fifth. ART is unlikely to be that far off during Friday evening's qualifying session.
Making his GP3 Series debut with MP Motorsport in place of Dorian Boccolacci - who has moved up to Formula 2 - Richard Verschoor managed 16th, two spots behind the best MP car of Niko Kari and one place ahead of team-mate Devlin DeFrancesco.
Practice times
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Beckmann | Trident | 2m06.111s | - | 10 |
| 2 | Pedro Piquet | Trident | 2m06.216s | 0.105s | 9 |
| 3 | Giuliano Alesi | Trident | 2m06.524s | 0.413s | 9 |
| 4 | Ryan Tveter | Trident | 2m06.680s | 0.569s | 9 |
| 5 | Anthoine Hubert | ART Grand Prix | 2m07.073s | 0.962s | 10 |
| 6 | Nikita Mazepin | ART Grand Prix | 2m07.091s | 0.980s | 10 |
| 7 | Juan Manuel Correa | Jenzer Motorsport | 2m07.169s | 1.058s | 10 |
| 8 | Jake Hughes | ART Grand Prix | 2m07.194s | 1.083s | 10 |
| 9 | Tatiana Calderon | Jenzer Motorsport | 2m07.266s | 1.155s | 12 |
| 10 | Callum Ilott | ART Grand Prix | 2m07.494s | 1.383s | 10 |
| 11 | Gabriel Aubry | Arden International | 2m07.544s | 1.433s | 10 |
| 12 | Leonardo Pulcini | Campos Racing | 2m07.606s | 1.495s | 11 |
| 13 | Simo Laaksonen | Campos Racing | 2m07.646s | 1.535s | 10 |
| 14 | Niko Kari | MP Motorsport | 2m07.684s | 1.573s | 9 |
| 15 | Joey Mawson | Arden International | 2m07.733s | 1.622s | 9 |
| 16 | Richard Verschoor | MP Motorsport | 2m08.141s | 2.030s | 11 |
| 17 | Devlin Defrancesco | MP Motorsport | 2m08.305s | 2.194s | 11 |
| 18 | Jannes Fittje | Jenzer Motorsport | 2m08.498s | 2.387s | 11 |
| 19 | Diego Menchaca | Campos Racing | 2m08.638s | 2.527s | 11 |
| 20 | Julien Falchero | Arden International | - | - | 2 |
Previous article
Silverstone European F3: Juri Vips holds off Sacha Fenestraz to win
Next article
Payment delay forces Fortec to skip Misano European F3 round
About this article
| Series | FIA F3 |
| Author | Jack Benyon |
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
The Macau GP's greatest moments
Coronavirus restrictions mean this weekend's Macau GP will have a very different feel, with the usual F3 jamboree replaced by Chinese F4. But in past years, the event has provided some seminal moments in the careers of future world champions
Rating the prospects of the 2020 F3 title contenders
With the title race finely poised ahead of the final triple-header, a category returnee who raced George Russell in his F3 days lends Autosport his thoughts on the ones to watch
Why "whirlwind" Tauranac's legacy will stand the test of time
The passing of Ralt boss Ron Tauranac last week drew tributes from around the world, not least from the bosses of three prominent teams on whom the Australian designer made a lasting impression
The young driver Red Bull couldn't ignore
Igor Fraga has a more colourful career behind him than any other driver on the FIA Formula 3 grid, and now he's beginning to become as recognised for his talents in real racing as in the virtual world
The new F3 car that has teams purring
Dallara has improved upon its old F3 car with the new 320 for this season's Euroformula Open, ensuring that single-seater competition's 'heritage’ category can race into the future
