F3: Sette Camara leads Masters practice

Brazilian Sergio Sette Camara set the fastest time over the two free practice sessions for the Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort. The 17-year-old, who contested a half-season in Brazilian F3 last year before his first full campaign in cars this term, topped Motopark Dallara-Volkswagen teammate Markus Pommer and Carlin's George Russell.

Most of the leading times came in the first half of the opening 40-minute session, because the Kumho tires used for the Masters have a relatively short peak operating window of three or four laps, and nearly everyone elected not to use any more than one set on Friday in order to save rubber for qualifying and the two races.

Sette Camara was on top just before the first of three red flags that interrupted the opening session, and his time remained unbeaten.

"The team has been helping me a lot with my driving – we started the process from nearly zero," he said, "and of course Markus is a great reference.

"Our cars performed well on this track in FIA F3 [in which Pommer won at Zandvoort in July], and they won last year at the Masters on the Kumhos [with Max Verstappen], even if it was with the older car."

Antonio Giovinazzi anchored the timesheets in the first session after causing the first red flag when he lost downforce behind another car and understeered into the gravel trap at the penultimate corner. But the Italian was ominously comfortable in putting his Carlin machine to the top of the order in the second session, setting a series of laps that at the time were quicker than anyone else could manage.

That was before Arjun Maini had two new left-side tires fitted to his Van Amersfoort Racing machine, the Indian closing to 0.043 seconds off Giovinazzi.

Sette Camara was third in this session, just ahead of Callum Ilott. English Red Bull Junior Ilott was fourth in the first period too, only for a snapped left-rear wheelrim to pitch him heavily into the barriers at the ultra-fast Scheivlak. The Carlin F3 team is admittedly well practised in miracle repair jobs this year, but did a sterling job to get Ilott back on track just 15 minutes into the second session.

Another Motopark runner, Nabil Jeffri, was fifth in each session, while Alessio Lorandi, Sam MacLeod and Raoul Hyman finished the day in the overall top 10.

Hyman caused the only red flag of the second session when he spun at Scheivlak, bending a wishbone when he tapped the wall.

Originally on Autosport.com