Qualifying Session 1
In the rain at Pau, Lance Stroll (Prema Powerteam, 1:21.832 minutes) claimed pole position for the seventh race of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship season. George Russell (HitechGP, 1:22.154 minutes) will be starting from second place on the grid for the race at the 2.76 kilometres long street circuit at the foot of the Pyrenees. Nick Cassidy (Prema Powerteam, 1:22.198 minutes) and the best-placed rookie, Ben Barnicoat (HitechGP, 1:22.311 minutes) will be lining up on the second row of the grid. Maximilian Günther (Prema Powerteam, 1:22.472 minutes), the FIA Formula 3 European Championship points’ leader, had to make do with sixth place behind the only French driver in the field, Anthoine Hubert (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:22.252 minutes).
Because of the short track, the field was split up into two groups for qualifying. Group A saw George Russell come out on top after an exciting duel with his team-mate Ben Barnicoat. Both Brits staged a battle that lasted for more than half of the 20 minutes’ session. Stalwart Russell and novice Barnicoat swapped positions in the lead several times. Eventually, Russell emerged as the fastest driver in Group A. Behind Barnicoat, Maximilian Günther followed in third place, a position he secured in the closing stages of the session. Sérgio Sette Câmara (Motopark, 1:22.597 minutes), Ryan Tveter (Carlin, 1:22.641 minutes) and Alessio Lorandi (Carlin, 1:22.676 minutes) ended up in fourth to sixth place in their group.
In Group B, heading out on track after Group A, Lance Stroll found himself in the lead at an early stage already. Later on, the Canadian first battled for the top position with Niko Kari (Motopark, 1:22.503 minutes), before Nick Cassidy moved up into second place just before the end. Anthoine Hubert and Callum Ilott (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:22.422 minutes) also moved past the Finn before the session was over, claiming third and fourth place from rookie driver Kari. Arjun Maini (ThreeBond with T-Sport, 1:22.562 minutes) was classified in sixth place.
According to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship regulations, when qualifying is held in two groups, the driver with the outright fastest lap time of both groups takes pole position. In this case, Lance Stroll was the one to do so, allowing the Canadian to start the first race of the weekend at Pau from the best starting grid position. Alongside him, the fastest driver of the other group will be lining up in second place. In the order determined by the classification of the respective groups, the other drivers will then follow behind the fastest drivers of their groups with one qualifying group filling the left-hand row and the other one filling the right-hand row of the grid.
Lance Stroll (Prema Powerteam): “Today, conditions were anything but easy. From first free practice onwards, it was very slippery here due to the rain and because the walls are always very close at a street circuit, you can’t afford making a mistake. In qualifying, I was very quick straight away and then I tried improving lap after lap. That worked out and I am really happy with my performance. After free practice, things weren’t looking too good for me, because we were having some little issues. However, my team was able to solve these in time, so that we managed to come out on top in qualifying.”
Group A
1st – No. 12, George Russell, GBR, HitechGP, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz, 1:22.154
2nd – No. 24, Ben Barnicoat*, GBR, HitechGP, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz, 1:22.311
3rd – No. 17, Maximilian Günther, GER, Prema Powerteam, Mercedes-Benz, Dallara F312, 1:22.472
4th – No. 9, Sergio Sette Camara, BRA, Motopark, Dallara F312, Volkswagen, 1:22. 597
5th – No. 3, Ryan Tveter, USA, Carlin, Dallara F312, Volkswagen, 1:22.641
6th – No. 4, Alessio Lorandi, ITA, Carlin, Dallara F312, Volkswagen, 1:22.676
7th – No. 16, Ralf Aron*, EST, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.366
8th – No. 22, Joel Eriksson*, SWE, Motopark, Dallara F312, Volkswagen, 1:23.560
9th – No. 11, Nikita Mazepin*, RUS, HitechGP, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.578
10th – No. 20, Harrison Newey*, GBR, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.825
11th – No. 18, Zhi Cong Li, CHN, Carlin, Dallara F312, Volkswagen, 1:24.633
Group B
1st – No. 1, Lance Stroll, CAN, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz, 1:21.832
2nd – No. 2, Nick Cassidy, NZL, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz, 1:22.198
3rd – No. 21, Anthoine Hubert*, FRA, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz, 1:22.397
4th – No. 6, Callum Ilott, GBR, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz, 1:22.422
5th – No. 10, Niko Kari*, FIN, Motopark, Dallara F312, Volkswagen, 1:22.503
6th – No. 14, Arjun Maini, IND, Threebond with T-Sport, Dallara F312, ThreeBond, 1:22.562
7th – No. 7, Mikkel Jensen, DEN, Kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport, Mercedes-Benz, Dallara F312, 1:22.613
8th – No. 23, Guan Yu Zhou*, CHN, Motopark, Dallara F312, Volkswagen, 1:23.010
9th – No. 5, Pedro Piquet, BRA, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz, 1:23.317
10th – No. 8, David Beckmann*, GER, Kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport, Mercedes-Benz, Dallara F312, 1:23.327
Starting Grid – Race 1
1st – No. 1, Lance Stroll, CAN, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz
2nd – No. 24, Ben Barnicoat*, GBR, HitechGP, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz
3rd – No. 2, Nick Cassidy, NZL, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz
4th – No. 17, Maximilian Günther, GER, Prema Powerteam, Mercedes-Benz, Dallara F312
5th – No. 6, Callum Ilott, GBR, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz
6th – No. 12, George Russell, GBR, HitechGP, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz^
7th – No. 14, Arjun Maini, IND, Threebond with T-Sport, Dallara F312, ThreeBond
8th – No. 9, Sergio Sette Camara, BRA, Motopark, Dallara F312, Volkswagen
9th – No. 7, Mikkel Jensen, DEN, Kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport, Mercedes-Benz, Dallara F312
10th – No. 3, Ryan Tveter, USA, Carlin, Dallara F312, Volkswagen
11th – No. 23, Guan Yu Zhou*, CHN, Motopark, Dallara F312, Volkswagen
12th – No. 4, Alessio Lorandi, ITA, Carlin, Dallara F312, Volkswagen
13th – No. 21, Anthoine Hubert*, FRA, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz^^
14th – No. 16, Ralf Aron*, EST, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz
15th – No. 5, Pedro Piquet, BRA, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz
16th – No. 22, Joel Eriksson*, SWE, Motopark, Dallara F312, Volkswagen
17th – No. 8, David Beckmann*, GER, Kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport, Mercedes-Benz, Dallara F312
18th – No. 11, Nikita Mazepin*, RUS, HitechGP, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz
19th – No. 20, Harrison Newey*, GBR, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F312, Mercedes-Benz
20th – No. 18, Zhi Cong Li, CHN, Carlin, Dallara F312, Volkswagen
Start from the Pit Lane
No. 10, Niko Kari*, FIN, Motopark, Dallara F312, Volkswagen
^ No 12, drop of 3 grid place
^^ No 21, drop of 10 grid places
- Rookie
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