Drugovich fastest before sandstorm cancels final F2 test

The Brazilian’s best lap - a 1m44.911s - saw him head a MP Motorsport 1-2 on the final day of running to end up nearly a full second clear of teammate Clement Novalak as the only driver to dip below the 1m45 mark.

Long runs were the focus on the final morning of the test as the teams and drivers ramped up their preparations for the opening race of the season at Sakhir later this month. 

Hitech GP’s Juri Vips outpaced fellow Red Bull Formula 1 junior Liam Lawson to take third, while Williams Academy driver Logan Sargeant rounded out the top five, some six-tenths behind his Carlin teammate. 

Sixth place went the way of Roy Nissany (DAMS), with 2021 Formula 3 champion and Red Bull junior Dennis Hauger taking seventh spot for Prema, over two seconds down on Drugovich’s benchmark. 

ART Grand Prix’s Theo Pourchaire racked up the most laps of any driver (56) on his way to eighth, ahead of Virtuosi’s Jack Doohan. Ayumu Iwasa completed the top 10 before the DAMS racer caused the only red flag of the day when he ground to a halt at Turn 8. 

Mercedes junior Frederik Vesti finished 12th as he prepares to contest his rookie F2 season with ART Grand Prix. 

The planned afternoon running was cancelled after a sandstorm hit the Bahrain International Circuit and heavily disrupted the final F3 test session. 

The 2022 F2 season gets underway in Bahrain on March 18-20.