Double Poles for Illott
In an exciting and close second qualifying, the starting grid positions for the second and third races of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship at the 5.901 kilometres long Silverstone Grand Prix circuit were determined. Callum Ilott (Prema Powerteam) came out on top in the ranking of the fastest lap times and thus will be able to start from pole position for the second race. Rookie driver Lando Norris (Carlin), Joel Eriksson (Motopark) and Maximilian GĂĽnther (Prema Powerteam) followed behind the Brit. In the ranking of the second-fastest laps, used to determine the starting grid positions for the third race, Ilott also claimed first place. Here, too, Norris, Eriksson and GĂĽnther are next up in second to fourth place.
Starting grid race two
Towards the halfway point, Lando Norris (1m50.507s) was still on top, but the 17-year-old protégé of the McLaren Formula 1 team was unable to hold on to this position till the end. With a little bit over four minutes remaining, Callum Ilott (1m50.482s) moved up into the lead and remained there until the chequered flag was out. Norris, who had posted the fastest lap time in first qualifying one day earlier, ended up second as the best-placed rookie, followed by Joel Eriksson (1m50.537s) and Maximilian Günther (1m50.562s). The times of these four fastest youngsters were less than a tenth of a second apart.
Jake Hughes (Hitech Grand Prix, 1m50.654s) and Force India junior driver Jehan Daruvala (Carlin, 1m50.655s) followed in five and sixth place while stalwart Jake Dennis (Carlin, 1m50.836) moved up into seventh place in the closing stages, ahead of Ferrari junior Guanyu Zhou (Prema Powerteam, 1m50.948s). Zhou’s team-mate Mick Schumacher (Prema Powerteam, 1m50.969s) ranked in third place around the halfway-point of the session, but then dropped back to ninth. In his second FIA Formula 3 European Championship qualifying, this was the first top ten result for the son of Formula 1 record world champion Michael Schumacher. Honda-backed Japanese Tadasuke Makino (Hitech Grand Prix, 1m51.025s) rounded out the top ten.
In the ranking of the second-fastest lap times, Callum Ilott (1m50.503s) also came out on top. The order behind the Brit was: Norris (1m50.512s), Eriksson (1m50.568s), GĂĽnther (1m50.677s), Daruvala (1m50.765s), Hughes (1m50.909s), Zhou (1m51.055s), Dennis (1m51.020s), Makino (1m51.028s) and Schumacher (1m51.095s).
Callum Ilott (Prema Powerteam): “Admittedly, I made some mistake during this qualifying, but at least I managed to bag two decent laps. I was having problems at some parts of the track where I didn’t have any issues yesterday. On the other hand, sections where I expected more problems went well. Had I made fewer mistakes, I probably would have been one tenth of a second faster. Traffic only was an issue at the start on my warm-up lap. After that, things went very well in this respect.”
Silverstone, Round 2 – Qualifying 2
1st – No. 53, Callum Ilott, GBR, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:50.503
2nd – No. 31, Lando Norris*, GBR, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:50.512
3rd – No. 1, Joel Eriksson, SWE, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:50.568
4th – No. 3, Maximilian Günther, DEU, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:50.677
5th – No. 27, Jehan Daruvala*, IND, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:50.765
6th – No. 34, Jake Hughes, GBR, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:50.909
7th – No. 8, Guan Yu Zhou, CHN, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.005
8th – No. 21, Jake Dennis, GBR, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:51.020
9th – No. 11, Tadasuke Makino, JPN, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.028
10th – No. 25, Mick Schumacher*, DEU, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.095
11th – No. 99, Nikita Mazepin, RUS, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.190
12th – No. 7, Ralf Aron, EST, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.271
13th – No. 96, Joey Mawson*, AUS, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz 1:51.304
14th – No. 62, Ferdinand Habsburg, AUT, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:51.347
15th – No. 5, Pedro Piquet, BRA, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.365
16th – No. 17, Harrison Newey, GBR, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.455
17th – No. 33, Marino Sato*, JPN, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:51.567
18th – No. 55, David Beckmann, DEU, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.586
19th – No. 47, Keyvan Andres Soori, DEU, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen 1:52.186
Silverstone, Rounds 3 – Qualifying 2
1st – No. 53, Callum Ilott, GBR, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:50.482
2nd – No. 31, Lando Norris*, GBR, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:50.507
3rd – No. 1, Joel Eriksson, SWE, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:50.537
4th – No. 3, Maximilian Günther, DEU, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:50.562
5th – No. 34, Jake Hughes, GBR, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:50.654
6th – No. 27, Jehan Daruvala*, IND, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:50.655
7th – No. 21, Jake Dennis, GBR, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:50.836
8th – No. 8, Guan Yu Zhou, CHN, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:50.948
9th – No. 25, Mick Schumacher*, DEU, Prema Powerteam, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:50.969
10th – No. 11, Tadasuke Makino, JPN, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.025
11th – No. 96, Joey Mawson*, AUS, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz 1:51.101
12th – No. 62, Ferdinand Habsburg, AUT, Carlin, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:51.101
13th – No. 7, Ralf Aron, EST, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.145
14th – No. 99, Nikita Mazepin, RUS, Hitech Grand Prix, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.183
15th – No. 5, Pedro Piquet, BRA, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.282
16th – No. 17, Harrison Newey, GBR, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.338
17th – No. 33, Marino Sato*, JPN, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen, 1:51.396
18th – No. 55, David Beckmann, DEU, Van Amersfoort Racing, Dallara F317 Mercedes-Benz, 1:51.489
19th – No. 47, Keyvan Andres Soori, DEU, Motopark, Dallara F317 Volkswagen 1:51.788
