Double Silverstone winner Freddie Slater was the driver to beat ahead of his GB3 return at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend, as pre-event testing got underway at the legendary Belgian venue.
Having topped the first session with a 2m14.414s during the Tatuus MSV GB3-025's first run at the circuit, the British driver improved his time by almost four tenths in the second session, despite a bit of drizzle lingering in the air, posting a 2m14.030s to head the charts. Slater's lap is half a second quicker than the official GB3 qualifying lap record at Spa, and 2.146s under the race lap record.
Every driver that set a time in the second session made big improvements compared to session one, and it was Rodin's Gianmarco Pradel who was Slater's closest opposition in session two, lapping just over a tenth of a second further back from the Hillspeed contender.
Argenti with Prema's Reza Seewooruthun was a similar distance behind in third while Hitech TGR's Deagen Faircloough ensured four different teams were represented in the top-four, and again just over a tenth of a second in arrears.
Slater's teammate Kanato Le was fifth quickest on Thursday, and exactly a tenth clear of the lead Elite Motorsport car of Will Macintyre, with Zandvoort winner Hugo Schwarze seventh for VRD Racing, and just 0.018s behind the Brit.
Argenti with Prema's Yuanpu Cui was next up in eighth, 0.043s ahead of the third Hillspeed machine of Hiyu Yamakoshi, with Rodin's Alex Ninovic completing a top-10 covered by 0.851s. Just over a second split the lead 13 runners around the longest circuit of the year.
GB3 action continues tomorrow (Friday) with three free practice sessions ahead of the two part qualifying session which starts at 17.10 local time (16.10 UK).
GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Thursday test combined result:
1. Freddie Slater, Hillspeed, 2m14.030s
2. Gianmarco Pradel, Rodin Motorsport, +0.106s
3. Reza Seewooruthun, Argenti with Prema, +0.209s
4. Deagen Fairclough, Hitech TGR, +0.315s
5. Kanato Le, Hillspeed, +0.521s
6. Will Macintyre, Elite Motorsport, +0.621s
7. Hugo Schwarze, VRD Racing, +0.639s
8. Yuanpu Cui, Argenti with Prema, +0.739s
9. Hiyu Yamakoshi, Hillspeed, +0.782s
10. Alex Ninovic, Rodin Motorsport, +0.851s
11. Nikita Johnson, Hitech TGR, +0.899s
12. Patrick Heuzenroeder, Xcel Motorsport, +0.913s
13. Dion Gowda, Xcel Motorsport, +1.007s
14. Keanu Al Azhari, Hitech TGR, +1.488s
15. Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport, +1.650s
16. Kai Daryanani, JHR Developments, +1.752s
17. Lucas Fluxa, Argenti with Prema, +1.888s
18. Jack Sherwood, Xcel Motorsport, +1.906s
19. Noah Lisle, JHR Developments, +2.181s
20. Stefan Bostandjiev, Fortec Motorsports, +2.613s
21. Divy Nandan, JHR Developments, +2.775s
22. Bianca Bustamante, Elite Motorsport, +3.295s (session one)
23. Flynn Jackes, Elite Motorsport, +5.261s (session one)