Eriksson brings F3 pre-season testing to promising close

Joel Eriksson picked up where he left off in Budapest at the weekend to once again feature near the very top of the times as FIA Formula 3 European Championship pre-season testing came to a close in Austria this week.

Team Motopark racer Eriksson went sixth quickest on the opening day of running at the Red Bull Ring on Tuesday, before taking fourth on the final day of work on Wednesday.

Much like in last week’s test in Hungary, the F3 field again appeared ferociously close, with the entire 19-car grid covered by less than one second around the 4.3 km Styrian circuit. Eriksson finished the test fourth quickest on aggregate, 0.148s behind overall pace-setter Callum Ilott (GBR) and just one hundredth of a second down on second-placed 2016 championship runner-up Maximilian Günther (GER).

“It’s been another two good days of testing,” says Joel Eriksson. “Things have been going well both here and in Budapest, so I’m feeling really confident and strong going into the season. Having said that, it does seem to be very, very close, but testing is testing and you never really know until the first race. We will continue to work hard and hopefully we’ll turn up at Silverstone with that crucial edge. I’m really happy with how things have gone and I’m looking forward to the new season.”

The 2017 FIA F3 European Championship springs into life on April 14-16, and will mark Joel Eriksson’s second season of F3 racing. The Swede claimed rookie honours in the championship last year, and also won the Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort (NED).

 

Pre-Season Test Results – Day 1

1^st – No. 53, Callum Ilott, GBR, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.304

2^nd – No. 3, Maximilian Günther, DEU, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.459

3^rd – No. 31, Lando Norris, GBR, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.526

4^th – No. 8, Guan Yu Zhou, CHN, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.579

5^th – No. 27, Jehan Daruvala, IND, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.716

6^th – No. 1, Joel Eriksson, SWE, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.728

7^th – No. 62, Ferdinand Habsburg, AUT, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.763

8^th – No. 33, Marino Sato, JPN, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.767

9^th – No. 17, Harrison Newey, GBR, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.773

10^th – No. 21, Jake Dennis, GBR, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.810

11^th – No. 5, Pedro Piquet, BRA, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.828

12^th – No. 55, David Beckmann, DEU, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.924

13^th – No. 25, Mick Schumacher, DEU, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.987

14^th – No. 99, Nikita Mazepin, RUS, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:24.087

15^th – No. 96, Joey Mawson, AUS, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz 1:24.138

16^th – No. 34, Jake Hughes, GBR, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:24.235

17^th – No. 7, Ralf Aron, EST, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:24.270

18^th – No. 11, Tadasuke Makino, JPN, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:24.330

19^th – No. 47, Keyvan Andres Soori, DEU, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen 1:24.889

 

Pre-Season Test Results – Day 2

1^st – No. 53, Callum Ilott, GBR, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:22.950

2^nd – No. 3, Maximilian Günther, DEU, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.086

3^rd – No. 34, Jake Hughes, GBR, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.096

4^th – No. 1, Joel Eriksson, SWE, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.098

5^th – No. 17, Harrison Newey, GBR, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.118

6^th – No. 55, David Beckmann, DEU, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.130

7^th – No. 11, Tadasuke Makino, JPN, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.147

8^th – No. 8, Guan Yu Zhou, CHN, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.169

9^th – No. 96, Joey Mawson, AUS, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz 1:23.211

10^th – No. 5, Pedro Piquet, BRA, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.222

11^th – No. 99, Nikita Mazepin, RUS, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.235

12^th – No. 31, Lando Norris, GBR, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.286

13^th – No. 7, Ralf Aron, EST, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.292

14^th – No. 21, Jake Dennis, GBR, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.326

15^th – No. 25, Mick Schumacher, DEU, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.348

16^th – No. 27, Jehan Daruvala, IND, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.384

17^th – No. 33, Marino Sato, JPN, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.432

18^th – No. 62, Ferdinand Habsburg, AUT, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:23.542

19^th – No. 47, Keyvan Andres Soori, DEU, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen 1:23.808