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Formula 3 Qualifying Session: Stanek Seals First Career Pole Late On In Barcelona

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Roman Stanek grabbed pole position in the day’s final moments at Barcelona. The Trident driver had made an early error in the session but rebounded brilliantly to take pole position in the day’s final moments.

Alex Smolyar followed him while Isack Hadjar and Arthur Leclerc completed the top four on their way to fight with their championship rivals ahead. Meanwhile, Juan Manuel Correa made it inside the top 10 on his return.

Though he was fastest in Practice, Martins was in no hurry to get underway. The pack filtered through the pit lane and onto a hot baking track. Drivers were careful to bring their tires into the ideal operating window, with track temperatures around 48°C as they made their way onto the circuit.

Kaylen Frederick set the first representative time of the session, which several drivers quickly beat. Caio Collet’s 1:34.026 put him fastest of anyone following the first laps, tantalizing close to breaking into the 1:33s.\

Stanek had set the fastest first sector time on his opening attempt, but he immediately undid his hard work. On the exit of Turn 4, he ran wide, dipping his left-side tires into the grass, bringing his first push to an early end.

Franco Colapinto slotted into second, 0.015s off provisional pole. Martins’ late start didn’t prevent him from closing, and he planted his ART Grand Prix in third, with Smolyar and Isack Hadjar rounding out the top five after the initial runs.

Jak Crawford was a tenth ahead of Championship leader Leclerc, sixth and seventh, respectively, while Juan Manuel Correa, Oliver Bearman, and Kush Maini filled out the remaining top 10 spots. The track got busy again with 18 minutes remaining of Qualifying for the following laps.

Hadjar was first into the 1:33s to take the top spot, but it was only temporary as more laps filtered in. Smolyar lifted himself to the top spot, but Martins found more time. A 1:33.568 put the Frenchman ahead of everyone once more.

Title rival Leclerc moved himself up to third place with fellow Ferrari Academy driver Bearman hot on his heels, 0.016s back in fourth. Hadjar retained fifth with his effort, followed by Crawford, Collet, Zane Maloney, David Vidales, and Stanek. The Trident driver was out of sequence with the rest of the pack but shot up the order into 10th after his earlier error, with just four-tenths separating the top 10.

After everyone had peeled back in for the second and final reprieve, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya filled back up with just under six minutes left of the session. Half the field was separated by just a matter of seconds nose-to-tail as the field crawled around the final chicane leading to the final runs of the day.

Stanek set the fastest first sector time as others struggled to find improvements further back. The Czech driver followed it up with two personal bests in sectors two and three to claim provisional pole on a 1:33.516. Martins set a personal best first sector but abandoned his lap, handing the pole to the Trident driver.

The Championship leader had to settle for second ahead of Smolyar, Hadjar, and Leclerc. Bearman followed his Ferrari stablemate in sixth and narrowly beat Collet by 0.003s. Frederick was behind in eighth, Crawford ninth, and the returning Correa finishing 10th.

 

 

Written by John N

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