David completes final track preparations ahead of FIA F3 debut
Sri Lankan driver Yevan David has completed three focused and productive days of official pre-season testing with AIX Racing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, concluding the final collective running ahead of the opening round of the FIA Formula 3 Championship in Melbourne on March 6-8.
Across February 10–12, the AIX Racing programme centred on performance runs, long stints, setup optimisation and tyre management, giving David valuable mileage in varied conditions and allowing the team to validate key setup directions before the flyaway phase of the season.
Reacclimatising and refining
Tuesday began in wet conditions, providing early low-grip experience before the focus shifted to new-tyre qualifying simulations in the afternoon.
“We had a wet session in the morning which was good to get some experience, and in the afternoon it was good doing some new tyre runs and getting used to quali. It was four months without driving the F3 so just getting to grips again.”Yevan David
The emphasis was not headline lap times, but rhythm and detail.
“When conditions change, you strip it back to the data and focus on what you can control.”Yevan David
Simulation work and execution
Day two centred on qualifying and race simulations, with close collaboration between David and the engineering team to refine balance and operational procedures.
“We did some qualifying and race simulations and we ended the day with everything looking good for the final day. We were ironing out things with the team that we wanted to work on as Thursday was the last day before Melbourne. So it was a process of everything ticked off.”
Yevan David
The structured programme enabled AIX Racing to gather significant comparative data, forming a clear baseline ahead of the Antipodean adventure.
Final validation under pressure
Thursday concluded the test with further new-tyre performance work and extended race runs. Windy conditions added an additional challenge to consistency.
“It was pretty windy on Thursday so it was actually a bit difficult to hold the car in a straight line on the straights because it was strong winds from all directions, but we still got decent running and some good performance.”
Yevan David
With the three days complete, attention now turns to analysis and execution with time in the simulator scheduled ahead of travelling to Australia.
“Now that all three days are done we’re going to analyse everything, do the report and then get ready for Melbourne.”
Yevan David
Building toward Melbourne
Barcelona — widely regarded as a reference European circuit due to its technical layout and combination of high- and medium-speed corners — provided a comprehensive environment to stress-test the package ahead of the season opener at the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
“Barcelona is basically the definition of a European track. We’re going to be using a lot of the data to analyse what we can be prepared for the rest of the season.” Yevan David.
The 2026 FIA Formula 3 campaign begins in Melbourne before moving to Bahrain and then into the European leg later in the year — a schedule that demands adaptability from the outset.
“For the season we’ve got Melbourne coming up and then Bahrain, and then a bit of a break until the European season. We’ve got time to get used to circuits outside Europe as well and then focus on the European season. Looking forward to it and on to Melbourne next.”
Yevan David
For David, the Melbourne opener represents both a competitive milestone and a national one — becoming the first Sri Lankan driver to compete in FIA Formula 3 — but the focus remains firmly on execution.
“I’m proud of where I come from, but the focus now is delivering at the highest level.”Yevan David
With testing complete and analysis underway, the next chapter begins in Melbourne.
Yevan David’s racing is supported by Dimo Group, Maliban, Nations Trust Bank, Chingiz and the Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC).