Jack Doohan and Calan Williams have concluded their official FIA Formula 3 Championship pre-season testing with two impressive days in Barcelona.
The testing in Barcelona followed the first sessions earlier this month at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, with the Championship-proper getting underway in just two weeks.
Both Williams and Doohan will enter their second seasons in the Formula 1 third tier development series full of confidence after difficult initiations last year – Williams sticking with Swiss outfit Jenzer Motorsport, while Doohan opted to make
a change and joined up with Trident Motorsport from Italy.
Having already had the experience in the cars from last year, both drivers have shown glimpses of brilliance during testing.
Both Doohan and Williams had good runs throughout the four sessions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, but it was the former who was the faster of the two by the end of testing two.
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On Thursday morning’s session, Williams’ best time was almost six seconds faster before Doohan produced a lightning quick spell in the afternoon to go outright second fastest of the day – sixth tenths behind MP Motorsport’s Victor
Martins.
While Williams finished the session 13th, he was only a further five tenths slower than Doohan, highlighting the closeness of the the Championship.
Day two saw both drivers finish in the top three in various sessions, Doohan third in the morning session with the fourth fastest time of the whole Barcelona testing, while Williams, who just five tenths off in the session, topped the time sheets in the
afternoon.
In Austria, it was Williams who enjoyed the better outcome of the two - the West Australian posting almost 130 laps of the Austrian circuit and picking up the second fastest time across all four sessions – a feat he achieved in the morning session
of day two.
Doohan on the other hand enjoyed a better opening day of testing and finished above Williams in both of the day’s sessions – the second of which he posted the fastest time of his 137 laps.
Speaking after the first official test, Williams was understandably thrilled with his start to the year.
“It is a very good feeling to achieve strong results at the first official test for 2021. We have been working very hard over the off-season, and I am looking forward to competing for wins in the Championship this year,” Williams said.
"I'm really looking forward to competing another season with Jenzer, there was quite a few times where we showed the potential in 2020. We have started our 2021 preparations very strongly, so I'm looking forward to what we can achieve together."
The seven round FIA Formula 3 Championship begins next month at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain on 7-8 May.
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