Barcelona, Spain, 23 April 2021 – Clément Novalak finishes in top five during final F3 pre-season test
THE EVENT
FIA Formula 3 was back in action this week at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the final official pre-season test ahead of the opening round at the same Spanish circuit in just two weeks-time. Coming off the heels of a beneficial test at the Red Bull Ring over Easter weekend, an enthusiastic Clément Novalak wasted no time pursuing the optimal balance of his Trident Motorsport machine.
April showers brought wet conditions for most of the morning session, giving the perfect scenario for Clément to focus on the set-up of his car for a damp track. The rain eventually subdued, letting the pavement dry in time for the afternoon session, where Clément used the opportunity to jump towards the top of the timing sheets. After completing 60 laps on day one of testing, Clément’s lap-time of 1:32.447 was good for P4 out of all drivers.
Dry conditions carried over into the second day of testing, paving the way for Clément to get some quick qualifying simulations in. For the morning session, Clément’s rapid lap time of 1.31.876 was fast enough for P5, leaving only .240 between him and P1. In order to get the car dialed in for the upcoming season, the afternoon session was used entirely as a race simulation for Clément & Trident Motorsport.
The completion of 155 total laps around Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has given Clément plenty of knowledge to go into the season opener on the right foot in just two weeks-time. Being in the top-five for both test-days is a great accomplishment, and Clément is fully prepared to go racing during the opening round in Barcelona on 7-9 of May.
CLÉMENT NOVALAK
“These last few days have been very productive. I learned quite a bit set-up wise for colder, wet conditions, while building unity and synergy with the team leading up to a very competitive season. We showed strong pace on new tires, but more so on the longer runs managing to keep the degradation within the windows of a full race distance. All-in-all an extremely positive test, and I very much look forward to being back here in less than two weeks for the first round of the season.”
RESULTS
Day 1: Morning Session | 30th, 1:48.982, 32 Laps. Afternoon Session | 4th, 1:32.447, 28 Laps
Day 2: Morning Session | 5th, 1:31.876, 43 Laps. Afternoon Session | 18th, 1:35.636, 52 Laps
FINAL CLASSIFICATION | 5th, 1:31.876, 155 TOTAL LAPS, 722 TOTAL KM DRIVEN