End-of-season F2 Trials: Prema drivers leading on this first day in Abu Dhabi
The end-of-season tests take place every year in Abu Dhabi, following the final round of the championship. They allow the F2 teams to test and prepare their drivers for the upcoming season. Our French drivers, Victor Martins and Isack Hadjar, are ranked third and ninth respectively.
The 2023 F2 season is over, many drivers have left their teams to join others or to leave the F1 feeder series, while new rookies will be coming into the category next year.
These tests in Abu Dhabi allow the various teams to test their new drivers in this season’s single-seaters. Next year, new F2 cars, with aerodynamics closer to F1, will be introduced.
The Prema best times, Martins third, Hadjar ninth
Oliver Bearmann and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli set the best times in these rookie tests. The British driver clocked a time of 1:36.092, while his future teammate was less than two tenths slower with a time of 1:36.257. Both drivers completed only 37 laps.
The Frenchman Victor Martins, fifth in the championship, achieved the third best time of 1:36.394 in his ART car. The Trident driver, Richard Verschoor, was very close to him with a time of 1:36.425.
The other French driver Isack Adjar, supported by Red Bull, finished in the top 9, with a time of 1:36.876. The Frenchman left Hitech team, with which he finished 14th in the championship as a rookie. He will be with Campos Racing next year.
Aron and O’Sullivan in the top 3 best rookies
If Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been the best rookie in these end-of-season tests, Paul Aron is the second-best rookie, obtaining the seventh time in 1:36.801. Théo Pourchaire’s replacement, Zak O’Sullivan, is one place behind with a lap time of 1:36.820.
A second day of testing will be held tomorrow.
The timings of the first day of F2 testing
| Drivers | Teams | Times | Gap | Lap | |
| 1 | Oliver Bearman | PREMA Racing | 1:36.092 | 80 | |
| 2 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | PREMA Racing | 1:36.257 | +0.164 | 81 |
| 3 | Victor Martins | ART Grand Prix | 1:36.394 | +0.302 | 78 |
| 4 | Richard Verschoor | Trident | 1:36.425 | +0.333 | 49 |
| 5 | Amaury Cordeel | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 1:36.644 | +0.552 | 69 |
| 6 | Dennis Hauger | MP Motorsport | 1:36.690 | +0.598 | 89 |
| 7 | Paul Aron | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 1:36.801 | +0.709 | 68 |
| 8 | Zak O’Sullivan | ART Grand Prix | 1:36.820 | +0.728 | 75 |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar | Campos Racing | 1:36.876 | +0.784 | 71 |
| 10 | Enzo Fittipaldi | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:36.891 | +0.799 | 89 |
| 11 | Oliver Goethe | Trident | 1:36.959 | +0.867 | 74 |
| 12 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Invicta Virtuosi Racing | 1:37.044 | +0.952 | 79 |
| 13 | Franco Colapinto | MP Motorsport | 1:37.105 | +1.013 | 99 |
| 14 | Zane Maloney | Rodin Carlin | 1:37.120 | +1.028 | 77 |
| 15 | Juan Manuel Correa | DAMS | 1:37.170 | +1.078 | 74 |
| 16 | Josep María Martí | Campos Racing | 1:37.463 | +1.371 | 67 |
| 17 | Rafael Villagómez | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:37.511 | +1.419 | 89 |
| 18 | Jak Crawford | DAMS | 1:37.567 | +1.475 | 73 |
| 19 | Kush Maini | Invicta Virtuosi Racing | 1:37.644 | +1.552 | 65 |
| 20 | Ritomo Miyata | Rodin Carlin | 1:37.796 | +1.704 | 76 |
| 21 | Joshua Durksen | PHM Racing | 1:38.168 | +2.076 | 86 |
| 22 | Joshua Mason | PHM Racing | 1:38.172 | +2.080 | 81 |
