Formula Renault driver Defourny gets VAR F3 chance

The 18-year-old Belgian, who lies fourth in the Eurocup points, will join Van Amersfoort Racing for the Tuesday test, alongside team regulars Harrison Newey, Joey Mawson and Pedro Piquet.

Defourny, who spent two days at Brno last week testing with VAR alongside Newey, has not yet been entered for next week’s triple-header of races at the Spa 24 Hours support round.

Motorsport.com understands that a possible race appearance depends partly on how Tuesday’s test goes, and on whether Defourny is willing to pass up the opportunity to be eligible for the 2018 F3 rookie title.

He would only be able to score rookie points next season if he does no more than the last two rounds of 2017.

Team boss Frits van Amersfoort, whose squad lost David Beckmann to Motopark last month, told Motorsport.com: “Max had two good test days at Brno, there is no doubt. He was consistent, he was fast and he had good feedback.”

The test came in a busy week for Defourny, who was runner-up to Lando Norris in last year’s Formula Renault NEC standings and tested an F3 car at Spa with Carlin last winter.

He raced at the Nurburgring Eurocup round last weekend, before arriving at Brno for the F3 test on Wednesday and Thursday, then travelled overnight to the Red Bull Ring for last weekend’s Eurocup round.

Van Amersfoort, whose team won all three Euro F3 races at Spa with Max Verstappen in 2014, added that he does not want swapping between cars to jeopardise Defourny’s Formula Renault campaign.

“We want to show that our car is quick and Max is a guy who can do that,” he said. “But he’s not bionic – even if his name is Max!”