Championship leader Logan Sargeant failed to reach the front row of the grid as rain and a red flag disrupted Qualifying in Spa.
Formula 3 entered its seventh round this afternoon with Qualifying in Spa. With only three rounds remaining of the 2020 championship all drivers hoped to find themselves challenging for the front row of the grid. Jack Doohan and Dennis Hauger topped the timings in free practice on Friday morning but would face stiff competition from championship leaders Sargeant and Piastri, both hoping to snatch pole.
The early stages of Qualifying provided bizarre scenes as all thirty drivers piled out onto the circuit causing traffic ridden sectors which hampered many driver’s attempts at setting an early lap. Eventually, nine drivers were able to set competitive lap times with Zendeli and Pourchaire leading ahead of Smolyar and Verschoor.
However, any chance to beat the laptimes of the German and Frenchman were temporarily scuppered as the stewards red flagged the session. The halt to the session occurred after replacement driver Michael Belov (driving for Charouz) lost control of his car at Pouhon and colidded aggressively with the barriers. Belov walked away from the incident unharmed.
When the session was able to restart, the fight for track position began once again much to the frustration of Championship leader Sargeant. Zendeli held provisional pole at the halfway stage as drivers struggled to set competitive lap times on a crowded track. As all drivers returned to the pits to change tyres, umbrellas went up as the rain began to pour down in Spa.
Track conditions proved challenging in the final ten minutes of Qualifying as the rain continued to fall over the Belgian circuit. Only a few drivers took the decision to attempt laps in the closing minutes of Qualifying, however none were successful in improving their times.
Zendeli will therefore start tomorrow’s race on pole ahead of Pourchaire and Smolyar. Championship frontrunners Sargeant and Piastri will start the race in P4 and P8, promising an exciting fight through the grid.
Top 10
1. L. Zendeli Trident
2. T. Pourchaire ART Grand Prix
3. A. Smolyar ART Grand Prix
4. L. Sargeant PREMA
5. D. Beckmann Trident
6. R. Verschoor MP Motorsport
7. L. Lawson Hitech Grand Prix
8. O. Piastri PREMA
9. F. Vesti PREMA
10. A. Peroni Campos Racing
Featured Image Credit: fiaformula3.com
