Free Practice for the FIA Formula 3 Championship at Spa‑Francorchamps was significantly delayed. Dense morning fog left the entire field remaining parked in the pit lane. All drivers, still strapped in, waited patiently as race control monitored visibility. The session was then postponed until 14:00 track time.
Session Begins: Initial Benchmark Laps
Once finally allowed out, the drivers had 30 minutes of running time to get up to speed before this evening’s Qualifying. Rafael Câmara impressed early, going purple in the middle sector, momentarily fastest — until his lap was deleted for exceeding track limits.
At the 7‑minute mark, Brad Benavides topped the timing sheets for AIX Racing with a 2:06.631. Not long after, the Campos pair, Mari Boya and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, surged ahead to P1 and P2.
Second Push Wave Shakes Up the Order
By 14 minutes in, second push laps were underway. PREMA’s Ugo Ugochukwu logged the fastest first and third sectors, temporarily P2. But his position dropped as Stenshorne and Del Pino improved to P2 and P3, respectively.
Boya responded and solidified his pace, posting a 2:06.028, placing him 0.121 seconds clear of Stenshorne with ten minutes remaining.
Late Session Drama and Pit-Lane Strategies
With just over 10 minutes left, all three TRIDENT drivers hit the track. Noah Strømsted launched another flyer while Van Amersfoort Racing drivers and Tramnitz remained in the pits.
At six minutes to go, Câmara finally set a lap, climbing into P19, while teammates Wurz and Strømsted filled slots 20 and 21.
Final Five Minutes: Margin Tightens at the Top
With four minutes remaining, Boya’s earlier lap was deleted, narrowing his lead to just 0.038s over Stenshorne, who attempted another lap but could not improve. As the session reached its final minute, personal best sectors emerged: Câmara climbed to P15, and Nikola Tsolov moved up to P8.
With that, the session closed—a delayed start but full of competitive edge. Boya ended practice fastest, but Stenshorne, Del Pino, and Ugochukwu all showed strong pace. The fog clearance allowed that surge of action, and as Qualifying looms, at 19:15 track time, the teams will be analysing every lap.