F1Weekly Podcast # 988

Play Podcast: 04-18-23f1weekly988.mp3

AS NASIR CONTINUES TO SUFFER WITH THE LACK OF FORMULA 1 THE HOST IS HAPPY TO HAVE THE INDYCAR RACE AT LONG BEACH AND LET’S NOT FORGET MARTINSVILLE! MOTORSPORTS MONDIAL IS FULLY LOADED INCUDING THREE INTERVIEWS…WE HAVE EMMA SCARBROUGH OF THE SKUSA PRO TOUR, KIKO PORTO USF PRO2000 DRIVER AND ARROW MCLAREN RACE ENGINEER CRAIG HAMPSON!

Tech Talk Tim interviews Craig Hampson race engineer at Arrow McLaren. Photo: Tim Szwarc

WE ALSO HAD FORMULA 3 TESTING AT IMOLA…

BEDRIN DOES THE DOUBLE TO TOP DAY 1 OF IMOLA IN-SEASON TESTING

Nikita Bedrin was the driver to beat on the opening day of running at the second in-season test in Imola, leaving it late on to claim the honours in both sessions.
In a morning dominated by Qualifying simulations, the Jenzer Motorsport driver set a 1:31.445 in the final hour of the morning’s running, as less than a tenth separated him from Paul Aron and Gabriele Minì.

A disrupted afternoon running saw Bedrin put a 1:30.368 on the board in between the final two stoppages. Becoming only the second driver to reach the 1:30s so far, he finished comfortably clear of Gabriel Bortoleto and Dino Beganovic.

AFTERNOON

In contrast to the earlier running, times immediately began flooding in from the get-go, but it was Franco Colapinto who took the reins early on. A 1:32.620 saw the Williams Academy junior go nearly four tenths clear of MP teammate Mari Boya, before Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Luke Browning closed the gap to 0.343s.

The Red Flag made another reappearance 45 minutes into running, as the Trident duo of Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Goethe both stopped on track. When the session resumed, Caio Collet broke into the 1:31s, before Josep María Martí put Campos Racing ahead with a 1:31.287.

Shaving another tenth off his benchmark, the Spaniard stayed out front by over six tenths as programmes switched over to race simulations. However, that didn’t stop several drivers clocking in their fastest attempts, as Minì scooted ahead by just 0.025s.

The top three could barely be split as Bortoleto took his turn in P1, with less than half a tenth separating him from Minì and Martí. Smashing through the 1:31s barrier, the Brazilian then carved a comfortable advantage, breaking over 0.45s clear of the pack.

As the final half an hour approached, two Red Flags would bring an early end to running with Leonardo Fornaroli finding the gravel on the exit of Turn 18. Shortly after the resumption, Mari Boya went off at Turn 10 with six minutes remaining to conclude the session.

In between the two pauses, there was enough time for Bedrin to secure his place at the top of the timing sheets once again. Firing in a 1:30.368, the #26 Jenzer slotted three tenths clear of Bortoleto, whilst Dino Beganovic claimed third, seven tenths adrift. Goethe and Rodin Carlin’s Oliver Gray made the most of their track time, notching 45 laps each on the board.