After an intense battle for pole position, Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Paul Aron delivered a stunning performance, edging out Gabriel Bortoleto and Victor Martins to secure the top spot.
The Formula 2 grid took to the Lusail International Circuit for Qualifying under significantly cooler conditions than during Free Practice. Trident’s Christian Mansell even remarked on social media, “Why have I literally just put a jacket on? I’m supposed to be in a desert,” highlighting the unexpected chill in the desert air.
This marked Formula 2’s debut at Lusail, and drivers had only one Free Practice session earlier in the day to familiarise themselves with the track. Paul Aron of Hitech Pulse-Eight had already shown his intent by topping the session, leading by over six-tenths from Gabriel Bortoleto.
As the green light signalled the start of Qualifying, drivers switched from Hard tyres used in Practice to the faster Medium compounds. The first set of timed laps saw Oliver Bearman briefly take the lead for PREMA Racing before Aron stormed to the top with a 1:37.619, sitting over four-tenths clear of Bearman.
Among the early surprises was Max Esterson, who delivered an impressive performance on his Formula 2 debut for Trident, initially clocking the fourth-fastest time. However, Gabriel Bortoleto soon went fastest with a 1:36.914, only for Aron to reclaim the lead moments later with a 1:36.614.
The cooler track temperatures allowed drivers to push for a rare third flying lap, and Bortoleto capitalised, edging ahead of Aron by a slim 0.028s. Meanwhile, Aron opted to pit, leaving others to continue pushing for improvements.
With just nine minutes remaining, drivers returned to the track on fresh Medium tyres for a final showdown. Aron once again showcased his incredible pace, setting a blistering 1:36.088. Although Bortoleto managed to improve, he remained over three-tenths behind Aron.
As the session neared its conclusion, Aron raised the bar even further with a phenomenal 1:35.427. Bortoleto, despite setting the fastest middle sector, could only close the gap to 0.023s before deciding to pit with a minute to go. Aron solidified his dominance with a final lap of 1:35.115, securing pole position in commanding fashion.
Victor Martins completed the top three, while Dino Beganovic impressed with a strong fourth-place finish. Richard Verschoor and his DAMS teammate Jak Crawford claimed fifth and sixth, respectively. Kush Maini took seventh for Invicta, followed by Goethe in eighth, Hadjar in ninth, and Bearman rounding out the top ten for PREMA Racing.
Paul Aron’s exceptional performance set the stage for an exciting Formula 2 race weekend at Lusail, where drivers will aim to capitalise on the debut circuit’s challenges and opportunities.
