Anthoine Hubert became the fourth different pole position holder in four rounds as he claimed a maiden career pole at Silverstone.
The Frenchman, who sits second in the championship, fought back from a frustrating weekend in Austria just seven days ago, where he qualified 19th, to take pole position by 0.102 seconds from team-mate Nikita Mazepin.
Anthoine Hubert (FRA, ART Grand Prix) spoilt British hopes with pole; Ilott being the top Brit in fourth.
Photo: Joe Portlock / GP3 Series Media Service.
Whilst everyone improved throughout the final runs, Hubert and ART looked in control throughout the session, always appearing near the top of the time sheets and he will be looking to close further on championship leader and third ART driver Callum Ilott, who could only qualify fourth fastest for his home event.
Splitting the ART family drivers at the front of the field was once again Trident with Giuliano Alesi. The son of former Grand Prix winner, Jean, was back to his flamboyant best at Silverstone to take third on the grid after a quiet Austrian event for the Frenchman. Alesi will be looking for a strong weekend, along with Mazepin, to launch back into the championship hunt.
Alesi’s team-mate Ryan Tveter continued his strong form with fifth. The American had a quiet start to the season but bounced back to form in Austria and will want to try and claim his first win in the series after losing that chance at the first corner of the reverse grid race last weekend in a collision with Alesi and Jenzer’s David Beckmann.
Alessio Lorandi (ITA, Trident) continues to show strong form despite injury
Photo: Joe Portlock / GP3 Series Media Service.
Tveter will share the third row with another team-mate in Alessio Lorandi. The Italian has shone this season but weirdly enough, especially since he fractured his shoulder between rounds one and two. Lorandi still races with the damage to his shoulder in Silverstone but the question is will three weekends in a row work out too much with the injury? It doesn’t seem to be slowing him for now…
Pole position holder from France, Dorian Boccolacci lines in seventh whilst the fourth ART car of Jake Hughes will line up a disappointing eighth for his home event after dominating the reverse grid race in Austria last Sunday. Hughes will be looking for a big result this weekend to be a contender come the end of the season.
It is an all Campos Racing fifth row with lead driver Leonardo Pulcini leading the way ahead of the Finn Simo Laaksonen. Pulcini currently sits third in the championship so might have been looking for more from his car in qualifying but the Italian’s race pace has been mighty during 2018 so do not rule Pulcini out of a possible podium tomorrow.
Pedro Piquet just missed out on a top ten with his Trident in 11th ahead of a best ever qualifying for Campos’ Diego Menchaca. Joey Mawson finished as the top Arden in 13th as the three Jenzer Motorsport cars will line up close behind with Juan Manuel Correa leading the way in 15th.
MP Motorsport’s Niko Kari just could not hook a lap together and he will start from the back row in 19th. The Finn, who finished on the podium at Silverstone a year ago, was out-qualified by team-mate and Devlin DeFrancesco in only the Canadian’s second weekend in the car.
In the 2012 season, Will Buller won the shorter Sprint race around Silverstone from the back of the grid so it shows that overtaking is possible around the Northamptonshire circuit and anything is possible around the home of the British Grand Prix but it will be Anthoine Hubert who will be look for a quiet race to regain ground in the points.
