British Hitech GP team driver Luke Browning posted the fastest time during Formula 3 qualifying at Silverstone. The championship leader takes pole position for the second weekend in a row. Max Esterson will start next to him on the front row during Sunday’s race.
At the start of qualifying, clouds had gathered over the track, but it was dry. The racers immediately rushed to the track to make time for possible rain.
After two warm-up laps, the fast attempts began. Christian Mansell was the first to set the benchmark: 1:45.839 s. His result was three tenths faster than Noel Leon: 1:45.475 s. Gabriele Mini, Oliver Goethe, Dino Beganovic, Alex Dunne and Leonardo Fornaroli also drove their first fastest laps faster than Mansell. Championship leader Luke Browning only showed a twelfth fastest time.
Some drivers, including Meaney and Mansell, returned to the pits after the first flying lap, while others continued their attempt after cooling their tyres. Lawrence van Heupen improved and moved up to seventh, while Esterson set the fifth fastest time. After a mistake in the second sector, Fornaroli interrupted the lap and returned to the pits.
Thirteen minutes into the session it started to rain. Everyone stayed on slicks, but the track was wet enough for that and no one could improve.
Ten minutes before the end of the session, the drivers went out on track to check the condition of the asphalt, but after the installation lap they returned to the pits.
The rain stopped and with five minutes to go the racers returned to the track. Arvid Lindblad set the fastest time, but Callum Voisin set an even faster lap. The drivers took turns on the front line and pole eventually went to Luke Browning, who set a time of 1:44.992s.
Max Esterson posted the second fastest time and Sami Megetunif completed the top three. Nikita Bedrin qualified twenty-fourth.
The starting grid for the sprint is reversed: the drivers in the top twelve positions will start in reverse order tomorrow. Noel Leon will start from pole on Saturday. Arvid Lindblad will start the race with him from the front row.
| Pilot | Team | Time | Difference | Circles |
| 1. L. Browning | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 1’44.992 | – | eleven |
| 2. M. Esterson | Jenzer Motorsport | 1’45.037 | 0.045 | eleven |
| 3. S.Megetunif | Trident | 1’45.084 | 0.092 | eleven |
| 4. L.Fornaroli | Trident | 1’45.265 | 0.273 | 09 |
| 5. L. van Hoepen | ART Grand Prix | 1’45.286 | 0.294 | 12 |
| 6. C. Wurtz | Jenzer Motorsport | 1’45.312 | 0.320 | 12 |
| 7. K. Mansell | ART Grand Prix | 1’45.374 | 0.382 | 10 |
| 8. N. Tsolov | ART Grand Prix | 1’45.394 | 0.402 | 12 |
| 9. C. Voisin | Rodin Motorsport | 1’45.397 | 0.405 | 10 |
| 10. M. Zagazeta | Jenzer Motorsport | 1’45.405 | 0.413 | eleven |
| 11. A. Lindblad | Prema Racing | 1’45.426 | 0.434 | eleven |
| 12. N. Leon | From Amersfoort Racing | 1’45.475 | 0.483 | 08 |
| 13. A. Dunne | MP Motorsport | 1’45.545 | 0.553 | 07 |
| 14. G. Mini | Prema Racing | 1’45.562 | 0.570 | 10 |
| 15. O. Goethe | Campos Racing | 1’45.628 | 0.636 | 07 |
| 16. D.Loke | Rodin Motorsport | 1’45.779 | 0.787 | 10 |
| 17. S. Montoya | Campos Racing | 1’45.784 | 0.792 | 07 |
| 18. S. Ramos | Trident | 1’45.809 | 0.817 | eleven |
| 19. D. Beganovich | Prema Racing | 1’45.818 | 0.826 | eleven |
| 20. K.Stuka | MP Motorsport | 1’46.032 | 1,040 | 10 |
| 21. T. Tramnitz | MP Motorsport | 1’46.184 | 1,192 | 08 |
| 22. M. Boya | Campos Racing | 1’46.429 | 1,437 | 10 |
| 23. K. Shields | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 1’46.477 | 1,485 | eleven |
| 24. N. Bedrin | PHM AIX Racing | 1’46.495 | 1,503 | 09 |
| 25. S. Floersch | From Amersfoort Racing | 1’46.584 | 1,592 | 12 |
| 26. T. Smith | From Amersfoort Racing | 1’46.619 | 1,627 | eleven |
| 27. D. Wharton | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 1’46.773 | 1,781 | 12 |
| 28. T. Intrafuvasak | PHM AIX Racing | 1’46.864 | 1,872 | 10 |
| 29. D. Dufek | PHM AIX Racing | 1’46.973 | 1,981 | 09 |
| 30. P. Vishnitsky | Rodin Motorsport | 1’47.811 | 2,819 | 10 |
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
