Cool Conditions, Hot Track
Free Practice for Formula 3 at Silverstone began under crisp, clear skies—but it was the temperature that proved the first challenge. With just 18.5°C air temp and track temperatures at 27.2°C, tire warm-up on the hard compound was a key obstacle for the field. Drivers quickly found that one prep lap wasn’t enough, many opting for a second warm-up tour before pushing.
Early Benchmarks and Early Errors
After a brief yellow flag test, the first timed laps came in six minutes into the session, with Lacorte initially going fastest on a 2:15.991. His effort was soon eclipsed as the pace climbed steadily. Johnson’s 2:04.883 marked some progress, while Lacorte improved again to 1:49.859. As grip levels rose, DRS use became widespread, helping several drivers slice significant time.
Campos Charges and First Warnings
Fifteen minutes in, the lap times dropped into the 1:47s, with Wurz, Leon, Stromsted, and Ugochukwu among the first to show real pace. Wurz briefly went quickest before Wharton set a 1:46.755 on what looked like the first genuine push lap. But it was Boya and Inthraphuvasak who brought Campos to the top, locking out P1 and P2 with strong, tidy laps.
The first track limits warnings appeared soon after, particularly at Club’s Corner, where braking remains a challenge. Drivers began pushing the edge—sometimes too far.
Rising Stars and Purple Sectors
Giusti delivered a standout lap with a purple second sector, but a slide in the final corner cost him time. “He’s going through a rapid learning curve,“ noted his team boss. Giusti, new this year to F3 from FRECA, has already earned two podiums and continued to show promise.
Meanwhile, Tsolov moved to within 0.184 s of his teammate. Soon after, Giusti’s time was deleted for track limits—and Ugochukwu capitalised, going fastest on a 1:46.277. Stenshorne, another McLaren junior, slotted just 0.036s behind.
Late Push, Late Drama
With ten minutes remaining, Câmara, the current points leader, was struggling in 13th—over half a second off the pace. But with the session nearing its close, he jumped to provisional P1 with a 1:46.232, only to see it deleted for track limits.
That opened the door for Tsolov, who surged to the top with a 1:45.847—a clear benchmark in increasingly tricky conditions.
Final Flurry
In the final minutes, Stenshorne retook second, 0.304 s behind Tsolov, while Câmara managed to climb back to third—briefly. Tramnitz then set the fastest first sector and grabbed P2, only to be bumped again as Wurz improved with seconds remaining. Bilinski quietly moved into seventh to round out a solid session.
With just 28 points separating the top three in the championship, and Tsolov looking to rebound after last week’s plank penalty, the battle resumes in qualifying — where margins will be razor-thin, and track limits even more critical.