Formula 2 News: Câmara ends Day 2 of pre-season testing fastest

Rafael Câmara set the fastest time of the pre-season Formula 2 test in Barcelona so far, recording a 1:23.630 in the morning session for Invicta Racing. The Brazilian was just 0.018s faster than Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak and ART Grand Prix, with Alexander Dunne in third for Rodin Motorsport.

In the afternoon, it was Invicta teammate Joshua Duerksen that set the pace, topping the second session with a 1:25.363 in a sweep for the British team on Day 2.

MORNING

Running got underway but was just as quickly halted after an innocuous spin for Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak on his outlap. His ART Grand Prix car was quickly recovered and the session resumed. Dino Beganovic was the early leader on a 1:25.877 but as the track improved, so too did the times. Laurens van Hoepen briefly put TRIDENT on top before MP Motorsport’s Gabriele Minì set a 1:25.346 to take over P1, with teammate Oliver Goethe slotting in just 0.015s behind in P2.

Fitted with Soft Pirelli tyres, van Hoepen then recorded a 1:24.210 before the second Red Flag of the day arrived, courtesy of a John Bennett spin.

The session was resumed but another stoppage followed shortly after, this time for Minì, who had stopped on circuit at Turn 12. With his car recovered, running got back underway and Câmara set the quickest time of the test so far, a 1:23.630 putting him P1 for Invicta.

Softtiree runs continued until the next Red Flag coming just inside the final hour, with Noel León stuck in the gravel at Turn 9. The morning segment resumed once more, with the top five covered by just 0.067s as the checkered flag waved to bring the first bit of running on Day 2 to a close.

Inthraphuvasak followed Camara in P2, ahead of Bennett, Martinius Stenshorne, Nico Varrone, Oliver Goethe, Kush Maini, Colton Herta, van Hoepen and Beganovic in the top 10.

AFTERNOON

Long runs were the focus for much of the afternoon as drivers and teams took the opportunity to move from performance runs to race stints. Stenshorne was the first representative lap of the second session, logging a 1:31.084 before Câmara restored Invicta to the top of the Standings with a 1:29.544.

Teammate Duerksen then went quicker still, going onto a 1:27.463 where he remained quickest by two seconds for the majority of the afternoon. There was a brief Red Flag when Colton Herta went off the road at Turn 4, but the session resumed shortly afterwards heading into the final hour of the day.

Duerksen then returned to the circuit on Soft Pirelli tiress and lowered his best time to a 1:25.363. Teammate Câmara followed shortly afterwards to make it an Invicta 1-2 heading into the final 20 minutes of the afternoon.

There was one final Red Flag after a spin into the gravel for Boya at Turn 4, but once the session got back to green, there were few substantial changes in the running order, with Invicta sweeping the day.

Morning Times

Car 15 – All lap times deleted, car found underweight

Afternoon Times