It’s time to set the grid for the penultimate round of the Formula 3 season! Who will get on pole, one of the top four championship contenders Mini, Browning, Lindblad and Fornaroli, only separated by 7 points, or an outsider name like Van Hoepen last time round in Hungary?
It’s cloudy but not as rainy as in the earlier practise session , which had been ledled by Hitech’s Browning, as all the drivers get out on track at the beginning of the session. He is also the first driver to set a fast lap in 2:06.456s, in spite of missing the apex at one of the final turns.
Times begin to come in as Dunne, Montoya and Leon all cycle at the lead, but beware of track limits as the first and the latter lose their times.
Hungarian GP’s reverse pole sitter Sami Meguetounif gets provisional pole-but loses his time as well, with Van Hoepen setting the benchmark in 2:05.507s ten minutes into the session, only 0.011s ahead of Mansell in P2 and Bedrin. Leon runs wide over the kerbs.
On the following lap Leon locks up, missing out on another chance to improve his starting position from the bottom ten.
Prema’s Mini signs the fastest second sector, but is unable to move up from his P6 at the halfway point of the session. Campos’s Montoya as well suffers from severe lockup at the final chicane, with loads of smoke coming from his front right tyre.
All driver then return to the pits apart from the Hitech trio, especially Browining, who is in provisional P18. While on a very positive lap however he runs off track while struggling with his oversteering car, missing on all the advantage he had racked up in the earlier section.
All drivers returned on track with 9 minutes to go, in spite of provisional pole sitter Van Hoepen mentioning on the radio that it’s still too early in his opinion.
Leon slots in P1 signing the first lap in the 2:04s, but his lap is improved by Montoya, Fornaroli, Dunne and Voisin, who sets an impressive 2:04.321s. Mansell was on another positive lap, but suffered from oversteer.
Photo credits: Rodin Motorsport
Lindblad gets his P22 lap deleted for track limits at Turn 11, moving back to P27, while his teammates Beganovic and Mini would be on the provisional front row.
With a minute to go all drivers get stuck in traffic, with as many as four drivers wide he same spot. Many big names like Fornaroli and Mansell thus won’t be able to have a final attempt, with Browning almost running Lindblad off track.
Van Hoepen, who was improving on his final attempt, ran wide in Sector 1, nullifying his effort. Alex Dunne goes wide as well while trying to improve his 2:04.444s.
Many had improved while passing the first sector, but eventually didn’t keep it up in the rest of the lap.
It’s Callum Voisin’s first ever pole position in Formula 3, with the Rodin driver the fourth first time pole sitter in a row. He will line up on Sunday ahead of Alex Dunne and best placed championship contender Leonardo Fornaroli. Montoya and Leon complete the top 5, with Esterson, Browning, Meguetounif, Tramnitz and Ramos in the top 10.
Dino Beganovic and Gabriele Mini will be on the front row for tomorrow’s Sprint race, with Lindblad unable to improve from P27.
