In a thrilling but somewhat confusing F2 Qualifying session at Silverstone, Victor Martins showcased his single lap pace once again.
The Frenchman secured pole position for the second time in a week. He clocked an impressive time of 1:39.832 during F2 Qualifying at Silverstone.
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The session kicked off with the fastest in practice Ayumu Iwasa, setting an early benchmark of 1:41.100. This was closely matched by his teammate Arthur Leclerc. Their times were quickly surpassed as Martins took charge, posting a blazing lap of 1:40.576, over a tenth faster than Richard Verschoor; who by that time was in second place.
The excitement was interrupted by two red flags. The first of which occurred when Amaury Cordeel spun off into the barriers at Copse, causing a temporary halt to the session. After the recovery of Cordeel’s car, the action resumed briefly before being halted again, although no reason was given for the additional stoppage.
Eight Minutes to go
With only eight minutes left on the clock, the session resumed for a final sprint to improve lap times. Iwasa briefly reclaimed the top spot, but Oliver Bearman quickly snatched it away. he was then dethroned by Martins once more. Kush Maini of Campos Racing made a late surge to secure second place, trailing Martins by just 0.113 seconds. A result he will be grateful for after some of his performances this year.
Championship leader Frederik Vesti faced misfortune as he came to a halt in the first sector, triggering yellow flags and preventing further improvements. Meanwhile, Jack Doohan claimed fourth position, followed by Bearman in fifth. Enzo Fittipaldi and Zane Maloney showcased a strong performance for Rodin Carlin, finishing in sixth and seventh place, respectively. Theo Pourchaire, Isack Hadjar, and Frederik Vesti rounded out the top ten.
Current points leader Frederik Vesti will have a chance to make up ground in the Sprint Race, starting from the reverse grid pole position on Saturday.
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F2 Qualifying: Silverstone