F2: Daruvala fastest for PREMA on Day 1 of pre-season testing in Sakhir

PREMA were a familiar name at the top of the timesheets on Day 1 of pre-season testing at Sakhir, as Jehan Daruvala set the fastest lap time ahead of Trident’s Calan Williams and Dennis Hauger.

Daruvala featured in the top four in both sessions, but set his quickest time on a cooler track in the afternoon, finishing five tenths faster than Williams with a lap of 1:42.074.

Carlin’s Liam Lawson had gone quickest in the morning session, ahead of MP Motorsport’s Felipe Drugovich.

MORNING

Formula 2 made its long-awaited return to action at testing in Sakhir, with DAMS’ Ayumu Iwasa leading the field out of the pits for a gentle eight-minute tour of the Bahrain International Circuit.

After the sightseeing was over, the lap times began to tumble. Carlin’s Logan Sargeant emerged in first, leading Virtuosi’s Marino Sato and Hitech Grand Prix’s Marcus Armstrong.

There were three delays during the session as Hitech’s Jüri Vips twice stopped on track, while Campos Racing’s Olli Caldwell also came to a halt.

Lawson took control for Carlin around the midway point and never relinquished it, setting the quickest lap with a time of 1:44.522, ahead of Drugovich, who had returned to MP after a season with Virtuosi.

Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Carlin (5) drives on track during day one of Formula 2 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit on March 02, 2022 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images)

Sargeant was bumped down to third in the final standings, with Red Bull junior Daruvala in fourth. Virtuosi’s Jack Doohan rounded out the top five, ahead of his teammate Sato.

Armstrong, Jake Hughes, Théo Pourchaire and Ralph Boschung completed an experienced looking top 10. Meanwhile, rookie’s Iwasa and Cem Bölükbaşı posted the most laps, with 26 apiece.

AFTERNOON

Drugovich was enjoying the familiar feel of his MP machinery and returned to the front of the order at the start of the afternoon session, setting a 1:43.831 to top the table ahead of DAMS’ Roy Nissany.

Jehan Daruvala of India and Prema Racing (2) during day one of Formula 2 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit on March 02, 2022 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images)

After two red flags, one each for Vips and Bölükbaşı, Lawson returned to the top of the order. The Red Bull junior’s time of 1:43.498 was enough to surpass Drugovich, despite an improved effort from the Brazilian, who was less than a tenth off. Sargeant continued his promising early form for Carlin by going third.

he timesheet was given a shuffle in the second half of the session as PREMA went on a run of fast laps. Daruvala was the pick of the lot, lapping at 1:42.074 as he continued to look comfortable back in the Italian team’s machinery.

Williams was the only driver to separate the two PREMA’s, lapping five-tenths off Daruvala to go second, 0.012s ahead of 2021 Formula 3 champion Hauger.

Lawson had dropped to fourth at the flag, while Sargeant found the pace to jump ahead of Drugovich for fifth. Armstrong finished seventh fastest, ahead of Charouz’s Enzo Fittipaldi. Vips recovered from his earlier red flag to finish ninth, as Nissany completed the top 10. Ralph Boschung was the busiest man in the afternoon session, completing 38 laps.

The second day of pre-season testing will begin at 11.45am on Wednesday.

 MORNING SESSION

POS DRIVER TEAM TIME LAPS
1 Liam Lawson Carlin 1:44.522 22
2 Felipe Drugovich MP Motorsport 1:44.910 25
3 Logan Sargeant Carlin 1:45.010 22
4 Jehan Daruvala PREMA Racing 1:45.103 23
5 Jack Doohan Virtuosi Racing 1:45.182 21
6 Marino Sato Virtuosi Racing 1:45.204 23
7 Marcus Armstrong Hitech Grand Prix 1:45.363 12
8 Jake Hughes Van Amersfoort Racing 1:45.424 19
9 Théo Pourchaire ART Grand Prix 1:45.451 16
10 Ralph Boschung Campos Racing 1:45.522 20
11 Clément Novalak MP Motorsport 1:45.606 22
12 Enzo Fittipaldi Charouz Racing System 1:45.617 9
13 Dennis Hauger PREMA Racing 1:45.783 21
14 Frederik Vesti ART Grand Prix 1:45.824 21
15 Ayumu Iwasa DAMS 1:45.996 26
16 Olli Caldwell Campos Racing 1:46.002 16
17 Roy Nissany DAMS 1:46.037 22
18 Richard Verschoor Trident 1:46.565 14
19 Amaury Cordeel Van Amersfoort Racing 1:46.576 20
20 Cem Bölükbasi Charouz Racing System 1:47.425 26
21 Jüri Vips Hitech Grand Prix 2:02.518 5
22 Calan Williams Trident 2:05.945 4

 

 AFTERNOON SESSION

POS DRIVER TEAM TIME LAPS
1 Jehan Daruvala PREMA Racing 1:42.074 25
2 Calan Williams Trident 1:42.590 31
3 Dennis Hauger PREMA Racing 1:42.590 25
4 Liam Lawson Carlin 1:43.478 31
5 Logan Sargeant Carlin 1:43.483 31
6 Felipe Drugovich MP Motorsport 1:43.590 31
7 Marcus Armstrong Hitech Grand Prix 1:43.590 37
8 Enzo Fittipaldi Charouz Racing System 1:43.946 33
9 Jüri Vips Hitech Grand Prix 1:43.946 15
10 Roy Nissany DAMS 1:44.003 30
11 Théo Pourchaire ART Grand Prix 1:44.132 32
12 Ralph Boschung Campos Racing 1:44.156 38
13 Marino Sato Virtuosi Racing 1:44.212 27
14 Jake Hughes Van Amersfoort Racing 1:44.271 25
15 Ayumu Iwasa DAMS 1:44.289 27
16 Olli Caldwell Campos Racing 1:44.443 34
17 Frederik Vesti ART Grand Prix 1:44.457 34
18 Jack Doohan Virtuosi Racing 1:44.498 28
19 Clément Novalak MP Motorsport 1:44.539 30
20 Richard Verschoor Trident 1:44.778 23
21 Amaury Cordeel Van Amersfoort Racing 1:45.644 13
22 Cem Bölükbasi Charouz Racing System 1:48.637 10