F3: Zane Maloney on pole after confusing, drying end to session

Qualifying started with a track that was not dry yet had no spray which presented a difficult issue for the teams as there are only full wet or dry tyres available to the drivers.

Zach O’Sullivan topped the timesheet after the first push lap before Isack Hadjar put his Hitech at the front of the field ahead of O’Sullivan on the second attempt.

After the first two push laps very few managed to improve on the first set of tyres other than Caio Collet and Arthur Leclerc. Collet originally took pole before Leclerc put himself four tenths ahead.

O’Sullivan came back to split the pair and continue to impress putting the car on the front row at the time just before Leclerc pulled into the pits as the first driver of the front runners to abandon the first run.

As everyone was bailing Roman Stanek brought a lap out of nowhere to place himself P2. Bailing appeared to be the right decision especially when Collet pitted despite setting personal best sectors.

The second run started strongly for Leclerc initially extended his advantage at the top of the timesheet. The noticeable interest immediately went to Enzo Trulli who had decided to put on the dry tyre, the only one in the feed to do so.

Victor Martins came so close to toppling Leclerc finishing one thousandth behind before Leclerc’s teammate Oliver Bearman took his place in the top spot.

Stanek was the next person to take the fight in the drying conditions after going a tenth and a half quicker than the next driver.

Hadjar was on a lap that looked like it was going to take him to the top of the timesheet before Leclerc had beached his car in the gravel between the two Rivazza’s after contact with Trulli swiping across the front of him whilst on a flying lap. This then brought out the red flag with five minutes left on the clock.

Trulli abandoned the dry tyre attempt as it was simply not working and getting no heat in the tyre at all.

The last five minutes saw constant improvement from everybody as the lead was never held longer for a couple seconds which when all was said and done Zane Maloney took pole position.

There was confusion over when the session ended with Stanek and Jack Crawford behind with investigations to come over the way the session ended.

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