New Japanese F3 engine runs

The new ThreeBond Formula 3 engine completed 120 miles on its shakedown run with T-Sport at Silverstone on Tuesday this week. Alexander Sims, who took F3 European Championship podium finishes with ThreeBond's old-spec Nissan-based block in 2012, gave the new Japanese powerplant its first mileage.

ThreeBond was one of the first to affirm its commitment to the FIA back in 2012 to build a unit for the new era of ground-up racing engines, which were introduced to European F3 this year. While continuing to back T-Sport, ThreeBond was never going to get its powerplant – built by longtime Nissan tuner Tomei – into competition in time for the 2014 season.

T-Sport boss Russell Eacott said: "When we ran the engine it was mostly damp and greasy conditions, but it worked OK. We had a little fuel-pressure issue but no major problems. It's mechanically fine – it just needs mapping to get it right."

Eacott said T-Sport plans to run three cars in European F3 next year, with at least two powered by the Neil Brown Engineering unit the squad used this season, and which took Nick Cassidy to third place in the Macau Grand Prix.

The team replaced the ThreeBond engine with an NBE powerplant to run 18-year-old Japanese Formula Renault graduate Ukyo Sasahara on Wednesday.

"He was really good, just brilliant," said Eacott. "Very methodical and everything you said to him he put into practice."

OTHER CHANGES TO TEST LINEUP

Apart from Sasahara, there were other changes to the driver line-up at Silverstone on Wednesday from those who ran on Tuesday.

With Charles Leclerc switching from Carlin to Fortec Motorsport, the Monegasque was replaced at Carlin by the team's regular 2014 driver Ed Jones.

At Double R Racing, Hong Kong's Matt Solomon continued his test programme by replacing Alex Bosak in the team's new-spec car.

Dutch Formula Renault 3.5 racer Beitske Visser drove a Double R Racing Dallara powered by an old-spec Mercedes after taking over from Ricky Collard.