With just weeks remaining until the start of the 2010 Cooper Tires British F3 Series at Oulton Park over Easter weekend (3/5 April), Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne set the pace in an official pre-season test as local star Oli Webb posted the fifth fastest time of the day.

The pre-season test is an early indication of potential race winners at the season opener, and Vergne – who will drive for Carlin Motorsport – issued a declaration of intent by setting a time quicker than former F3 driver Max Chilton’s 2009 pole position lap time.

Colombian Carlos Huertas led the morning session in his Double R Dallara, but Vergne went quicker during the afternoon to set the overall fastest time of the day. Huertas ended the day second on the timesheets ahead of Adriano Buzaid.

Vergne and Buzaid's team-mate James Calado was the quickest British driver in fourth place, ahead of local talent Oli Webb from Knutsford, who will make his British F3 debut at his home circuit next month.

Double R duo Felipe Nasr and Daisuke Nakajima set the sixth and seventh quickest times respectively, whilst Hywel Lloyd rounded out the top eight in his family-run CF Racing Dallara.

In the National Class competition, another local rising star - Southport's James Cole - had a solid day, finishing second behind T-Sport team-mate Manesheh Idafar.

Oulton Park will debut the new three race format for British F3 when it arrives at the Cheshire circuit in April for a joint headline meeting with the Avon Tyres British GT Championship.