Freddie Slater sets Silverstone pace as TRIDENT leads Free Practice

Slater strikes early at Silverstone

Freddie Slater made an immediate statement at Silverstone, topping Free Practice for TRIDENT with a 1:46.161 that stood as the benchmark from his very first flying lap. In a session where several rivals found time later on, the Briton’s opening effort remained out of reach, giving TRIDENT a sharp start before Qualifying.

The performance carried extra weight because it was not built on a late-session track evolution run. Slater was decisive from the green light, putting together a lap that forced the field to chase for the remainder of practice. For wider context on the weekend’s competitive picture, our Formula 3 Silverstone preview highlighted how unpredictable the round could become, and Free Practice did little to soften that expectation.

Rivera and De Palo close in, but not enough

Tuukka Taponen was the first driver to establish a reference time, posting a 1:47.652 inside the opening 10 minutes before traffic increased. Jin Nakamura then moved the target forward with a 1:47.337, putting himself ahead with 30 minutes still on the clock.

Slater’s response was emphatic. His 1:46.161 placed him more than half a second clear of Campos Racing’s Ernesto Rivera, before the Mexican driver reduced the deficit to 0.266s on his next flying lap. TRIDENT teammate Matteo De Palo followed in third, a further two-tenths back with more than 20 minutes remaining.

Both Rivera and De Palo improved again with 12 minutes to go, but neither could dislodge Slater. Rivera closed to within 0.150s, while De Palo trimmed his gap to 0.212s, leaving the top three unchanged.

VSC test freezes the order

Behind them, Van Amersfoort Racing continued its recent strong form as Hiyu Yamakoshi and Enzo Deligny moved into fourth and fifth by the midway point. Campos Racing pair Théophile Nael and Ugo Ugochukwu looked ready to improve in the final five minutes, but a Virtual Safety Car test forced both drivers to abandon their laps.

The VSC remained in place until the chequered flag, locking in the top 10. Nael finished sixth, ahead of Hitech’s Fionn McLaughlin and Ugochukwu in eighth. Noah Stromsted placed ninth for TRIDENT, with PREMA Racing’s Louis Sharp completing the top 10.

Qualifying is scheduled to begin at 14:00 local time, with Slater carrying the clearest momentum into the session.

Slater strikes early at Silverstone