Moving in the right direction: Rodin Motorsport testing round-up

2024 is set to be a year of recovery for Rodin Motorsport, at least that is the target for the outfit this time after a tough campaign last season.

With a new look and lineup in Formula 3, Rodin were quietly going about their business in Bahrain but what did the team make of their three days of pre-season testing?

Team Manager Sam Waple gave his assessment after the chequered flag fell on day three, with all their drivers making positive steps though the team knows it has room to improve ahead of round one.

“For us it was okay. We had great reliability and the engineers and drivers worked really well together, which made for a good test for us.

“We wanted to be a bit further up the times to be honest. We did test a lot of different things, trying to get a good direction, some of which we've struggled with, but we've come away quite positive that we've got a direction, and we know what to bring here for the race. So, we don't expect to be where we are currently. So, generally speaking, tough but positive.”

Piotr Wisnicki returns to FIA F3, joining Rodin alongside to British rookies who battled it out last year in GB3. Callum Voisin drove with Rodin in 2023 in that Championship, winning the title ahead of ’24 teammate Joseph Loake.

Wisnicki carries prior F3 experience with him and Voisin was present at the post-season tests last year, but all three have impressed the team so far, with Loake learning quickly according to Waple.

READ MORE: F3 Explained: What is pre-season testing and why is it so important?

“Piotr has joined the team you can tell that he really likes working with us and he was really impressive from day one. He got constantly blocked by traffic and things like that. He’s been good fun so far but because of the traffic, he didn't really show his true potential actually, but he’s been great to work with.

“We know Callum really well having him driving for two years with the team in other Championships, so he's very comfortable with us and loving F3.

“You can tell that Joseph's just a ball of energy and really fun. He's really enjoyed it. It’s a big step up and there’s loads of information to take it for him but having not done any post-season tests he hasn't struggled with the car.”

Across all three days, Rodin Motorsport accumulated plenty of mileage from which to analyse and prepare for race weekend number one. 344 laps around the Bahrain International Circuit was a solid effort and will have no doubt given the team some insights into where they need to work on.

Whether that is one lap pace or the course of a race stint, Waple says that all three drivers have shown an understanding as to where they currently stand and potentially a route forward in the coming weeks.

“It's just about understanding what he's got to do next in order to improve for the race weekend. So, each of them have made massive steps really throughout the three days, but we've just got to now put it all together when it comes time to be ready to go.”

Arguably one of Rodin’s better performances last season came in the final round where the team achieved a P11 finish after a solid showing on raw pace. If the team can use what they’ve learned in pre-season testing and carry that form into the new campaign, there could be a promising start to 2024 in store.