Hillspeed's Dante Vinci topped the GB3 Championship times at Spa-Francorchamps on Thursday, courtesy of a blistering lap in the first of the day's three thirty-minute sessions.
The Australian circulated the Belgian Grand Prix venue with a time of 2m11.875s, some 1.8 seconds quicker than the best GB3 pole time at the circuit last year, and over three seconds faster than the existing series lap record.
Vinci's time was just 0.020s quicker than VRD Racing's championship leader Nikita Bedrin, who also set his best lap this morning.
Rodin's Abbi Pulling set the quickest time in session three, jumping up to complete the day's top-three with a time set right at the end of the final test.
Her teammate Martin Molnar was a tenth of a second further back courtesy of his session one effort, while Hitech's Deagen Fairclough was the session two pace-setter, but improved at the end of the day to go fifth overall, and within half of a second of Vinci's outright pace.
Maxim Rehm ensured all three Rodin cars were inside the top-six, and was another to improve at the end of running, while Kyuho Lee's time for Elite Motorsport, set in session one, put him seventh overall.
His teammate Flynn Jackes was next up thanks to his final session lap, ahead of Xcel's Rowan Campbell-Pilling (session one) and Hitech's Jin Nakamura (session three), who completed the day's top-10, which was covered by 0.836s.
A total of 22 drivers participated in today's test. GB4 champion Ary Bansal occupied Lucas Fluxa's seat at Xcel and was 13th quickest overall. Spanish contender Fluxa returns to the car tomorrow.
Meanwhile VRD's Rodrigo Gonzalez was only able to set a time in the first test, with his day curtailed after a shunt exiting Les Combes late in the session. He will return to action tomorrow however.
Friday's action at Spa includes three more thirty-minute sessions, plus the two part qualifying session later in the afternoon.
GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Spa-Francorchamps Thursday combined test result:
1. Dante Vinci, Hillspeed, 2m11.875s
2. Nikita Bedrin, VRD Racing, +0.020s
3. Abbi Pulling, Rodin Motorsport, +0.322s
4. Martin Molnar, Rodin Motorsport, +0.461s
5. Deagen Fairclough, Hitech, +0.477s
6. Maxim Rehm, Rodin Motorsport, +0.603s
7. Kyuho Lee, Elite Motorsport, +0.709s
8. Flynn Jackes, Elite Motorsport, +0.807s
9. Rowan Campbell-Pilling, Xcel Motorsport, +0.826s
10. Jin Nakamura, Hitech, +0.836s
11. Yuhao Fu, Hitech, +0.957s
12. Patricio Gonzalez, VRD Racing, +1.048s
13. Ary Bansal, Xcel Motorsport, +1.071s*
14. Kirill Kutskov, Elite Motorsport, +1.115s
15. Jason Pribyl, Nitrous Competitions ADM Racing, +1.126s
16. Rodrigo Gonzalez, VRD Racing, +1.206s
17. Jack Taylor, Fortec Motorsports, +1.235s
18. Peter Bouzinelos, Hillspeed, +1.309s
19. Ricardo Baptista, Xcel Motorsport, +1.325s
20. Leon Wilson, Arden Motorsport, +1.488s
21. Aurelia Nobels, Hillspeed, +1.711s
22. Lewis Gilbert, Arden Motorsport, +1.713s
*Deputising for Lucas Fluxa on Friday only