Pepe Marti happy with first day of F2 testing in Abu Dhabi

Pepe Marti made his F2 debut this Wednesday as part of the Abu Dhabi test after the last event of the year in the silver category of the ladder to F1. The 18-year-old driver from Barcelona will make his debut in a pre-F1 race in 2024 in his first year as a driver for the Red Bull team’s young talent academy, and will return to F2 with the structure he has cultivated so far. In recent years, another Red Bull F2 driver, Izak Hajar, has also joined the Campos Racing team.

So far, the Catalan has had his first experience with an F2 car and has seized the opportunity to familiarize himself with his new car, finishing the first day of testing with a best time of 14th, half a second behind the top 10, but there is still room for improvement. Ta.

“First day in F2. A very positive first day in the car with a lot of productive testing and progress! I’m looking forward to day two tomorrow!” said Pepe Marti. He was eager to continue acclimatizing to F2, which is his eyes. It was held this Thursday.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli started in the lead.Bortleto, 12th place

Arguably the name that attracted the most attention on the first day of F2 testing in Abu Dhabi was the Italian. andrea kimi antonelli. Born in Bologna, near Maranello, the Mercedes Academy colors (he signed at just 12 years old) made his debut in the Silver class with an impressive second place on the timetable. prema team. The case, which has been compared to that of Verstappen, the crown jewel of the future of Italian motorsport, was only 0.165 seconds behind his Prema teammate Oliver Bearman, who set the fastest time.

After becoming FRECA champion this year, 17-year-old Andrea Kimi has climbed the natural ladder to F1, entering F2 directly in 2023 without testing in F3 first.

Following the two Prema drivers, Martins was third with 0″302, Verschoor was fourth with 0″333, Corder was fifth with 0″552, Hauger was sixth with 0″598 and Paul Aaron. There were also debut players like . He finished seventh with a score of 0″709. Campos and Marti’s teammate at the Red Bull Academy, Hajar, who will be racing in his second year in F2 in 2024, was ninth with a score of 0″784.

Enzo Fittipaldi was 10th on 0.799, with other F2 rookie Goethe and FIA F3 champion Bortleo in 11th and 12th, and Correa was just behind Pepe Marti in 13th.