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Oscar Piastri will start a Feature Race from pole position for the fifth time in a row as the Aussie is joined on the front row of Sunday’s grid by F2 rookie and compatriot Jack Doohan with Guanyu Zhou starting from third.
The Prema driver’s incredible five poles in a row has only been bettered once in the modern F2 era with Charles Leclerc achieving six consecutive first-place starts during his championship-winning season in 2017.
Piastri’s four bonus points has also eliminated Zhou from the F2 title race and only the Aussie’s Prema teammate Robert Shwartzman is the only mathematical challenger left for the title with 61 points left to play for.
As It Happened
Roy Nissany was the first driver out of onto the track as he was promptly joined by the rest of the field.
Jack Doohan and Robert Shwartzman set the session’s early pace before Piastri set a 1:36.044 and went a tenth quicker than his Pream teammate.
Theo Pourchaire then went on to set a 1:35.964 which put the Frenchman at the top of the timing sheets, however, Doohan, Marino Sato and Jehan Daruvala all claimed pole momentarily before Shwartzman’s 1:35.763 saw him move up to first.
Ralph Boschung went quickest with 18 minutes to go but champion elect Piastri posted a 1:35.379 to put him clear at the top by three tenths.
Moments later, cars started returning to the pits to put on fresh rubber ahead of their second qualifying runs as Piastri, Boschung, Shwartzman, Daruvala and Doohan provisionally occupied the first five grid slots ahead of Sunday’s Feature Race.
Guilherme Samaia, Boschung and Richard Verschoor were the first to return to the track as the driver re-emerged onto the Yas Marina Circuit for their second runs with 11 minutes of the session remaining.
Boschung was able to improve on his previous best lap time but was unable to lift himself onto pole position. Meanwhile, Shwartzman claimed second away from the Swiss driver as he went just under six-hundredths slower than Piastri’s fastest time.
With two minutes to go, Zhou went top with a 1:35.348 before Doohan stole provisional pole from the UNI-Virtuosi driver.
Piastri then reclaimed pole position with a 1:35.077 as he took his fifth consecutive pole position and the bonus four points. On his second Formula 2 weekend, Doohan finished qualifying in an impressive second with Zhou in third.
Quote from the pole-sitter
In the post-qualifying press conference, speaking to Prost International, Oscar Piastri unveiled the secret to an impressive pole record.
“I can confirm there is, so I just wanted to make sure I rounded out the year before I put my theory to the test. Every night since Silverstone, and it was mainly because I was eating at my own house, I’ve had sorbet for desert before each qualifying session.
“That’s the secret. I’m claiming it here and now. But in all seriousness, there’s been no secret. I’ve felt comfortable in the car and I think we’ve done a lot of work at the beginning of the year to make the car a lot better in qualifying because last year that’s where Prema lacked a little bit.
“It’s been really good to work with the team and develop the car and for me to understand what the car needs so it’s down to that and I’ll claim my lucky ice cream as a bonus!”
What’s Next?
Formula 2 are return to the track on Saturday for the weekend’s first sprint race. Jehan Daruvala will start on reverse grid pole position and start on the front row alongside his Carlin teammate Dan Ticktum.
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