Max Verstappen took pole position for the first FIA European Formula 3 race of the weekend at Hockenheim today.
The Dutch racer set a best tour of 1:32.002s; ending the session just 0.018s up on Mücke’s Lucas Auer.
It was Verstappen’s 7th pole of the season, crucially giving the van Amersfoort racer a two-place head start over Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam Carlin), with whom he is battling for 2nd in the championship.
Of the pole position effort, Verstappen was naturally pleased: “Qualifying went well. It was pretty close between the three of us in front, but my lap time wasn’t so bad and, of course, I am delighted with my pole position.”
The future Toro Rosso star added: “The track is very demanding for the tyres, so you don’t have many laps to set a fast time. For me, it worked out quite well today.”
Blomqvist did run the front row pair close. After heading the times come the halfway mark, his best of 1:32.070s was ultimately just shy of was necessary to depose the Verstappen / Auer duo. It is an all-Jagonya Ayam Carlin second row, with Antonio Giovinazzi set to line-up alongside Blomqvist.
Jordan King (Carlin) slotted into 5th spot, with newly crowned champion Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam) taking 6th. Meanwhile Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport, 7th) and Sean Gelael (Jagonya Ayam Carlin) grabbing 8th – his first top ten qualifying result of the season.
Felix Serralles (Team West-Tec) and Gustavo Menezes (van Amersfoort) round out the top ten.
There was some frantic action in the Carlin awning prior to the session, as engineers fought against time to change Jake Dennis’ engine. As a result, the Briton will drop ten places for each of this weekend’s races.
Meanwhile, Lucas Auer headed both of this morning’s practice sessions ahead of Felix Rosenqvist and Esteban Ocon respectively. Jules Szymkowiak showed some pace in the opening session when he set the 4th quickest time; however as the circuit rubbered in, the Dutch driver could not quite repeat the feat.
2014 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 11, Grid Race 1) Pos Driver Team/Engine Time/Gap 1. Max Verstappen van Amersfoort-VW 1:32.002 2. Lucas Auer Mucke-Merc +0.018 3. Tom Blomqvist Jagonya Ayam Carlin-VW +0.074 4. Antonio Giovinazzi Jagonya Ayam Carlin-VW +0.339 5. Jordan King Carlin-VW +0.377 6. Esteban Ocon Prema Powerteam-Merc +0.412 7. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke-Merc +0.483 8. Sean Gelael Jagonya Ayam Carlin-VW +0.533 9. Felix Serralles Team West-Tec-Merc +0.674 10. Gustavo Menezes van Amersfoort-VW +0.758 11. Ed Jones Carlin-VW +0.808 12. Roy Nissany Mucke-Merc +0.813 13. Antonio Fuoco Powerteam-Merc +0.844 14. Tatiana Calderon Zeller/Mucke-Merc +1.029 15. Nick Cassidy T-Sport-NBE +1.042 16. Jules Szymkowiak van Amersfoort-VW +1.150 17. Dennis van de Laar Powerteam-Merc +1.209 18. Jake Dennis Carlin-VW +1.272 19. Santino Ferrucci Fortec-Merc +1.434 20. Stefano Coletti EuroInternational-Merc +1.514 21. Michele Beretta EuroInternational-Merc +1.734 22. Alexander Toril T-Sport-NBE +1.821 23. Spike Goddard T-Sport-NBE +1.895 24. Sandro Zeller Zeller –Merc +2.049 25. Andy Chang Team West-Tec-Merc +2.239
2014 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 11, Free Practice 1) Pos Driver Team/Engine Time/Gap 1. Lucas Auer Mucke-Merc 1:33.206 2. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke-Merc +0.488 3. Esteban Ocon Prema Powerteam-Merc +0.765 4. Jules Szymkowiak van Amersfoort-VW +0.858 5. Max Verstappen van Amersfoort-VW +0.874 6. Felix Serralles Team West-Tec-Merc +0.902 7. Sean Gelael Jagonya Ayam Carlin-VW +0.979 8. Antonio Giovinazzi Jagonya Ayam Carlin-VW +1.003 9. Jordan King Carlin-VW +1.038 10. Gustavo Menezes van Amersfoort-VW +1.101 11. Roy Nissany Mucke-Merc +1.172 12. Antonio Fuoco Prema Powerteam-Merc +1.231 13. Tom Blomqvist Jagonya Ayam Carlin-VW +1.282 14. Stefano Coletti EuroInternational-Merc +1.363 15. Ed Jones Carlin-VW +1.534 16. Jake Dennis Carlin-VW +1.555 17. Nick Cassidy T-Sport-NBE +1.601 18. Santino Ferrucci Fortec-Merc +1.664 19. Tatiana Calderon Zeller/Mucke-Merc +1.764 20. Spike Goddard T-Sport-NBE +2.055 21. Michele Beretta EuroInternational-Merc +2.311 22. Andy Chang Team West-Tec-Merc +2.403 23. Alexander Toril T-Sport-NBE +2.669 24. Sandro Zeller Zeller –Merc +3.240 25. Dennis van de Laar Prema Powerteam-Merc +6.272 2014 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 11, Free Practice 2) Pos Driver Team/Engine Time/Gap 1. Lucas Auer Mucke-Merc 1:32.861 2. Esteban Ocon Prema Powerteam-Merc +0.177 3. Max Verstappen van Amersfoort-VW +0.271 4. Tom Blomqvist Jagonya Ayam Carlin-VW +0.297 5. Antonio Fuoco Powerteam-Merc +0.385 6. Felix Serralles Team West-Tec-Merc +0.535 7. Jordan King Carlin-VW +0.580 8. Nick Cassidy T-Sport-NBE +0.645 9. Gustavo Menezes van Amersfoort-VW +0.723 10. Dennis van de Laar Powerteam-Merc +0.725 11. Sean Gelael Jagonya Ayam Carlin-VW +0.932 12. Tatiana Calderon Zeller/Mucke-Merc +0.998 13. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke-Merc +1.006 14. Jules Szymkowiak van Amersfoort-VW +1.065 15. Antonio Giovinazzi Jagonya Ayam Carlin-VW +1.136 16. Roy Nissany Mucke-Merc +1.191 17. Santino Ferrucci Fortec-Merc +1.332 18. Jake Dennis Carlin-VW +1.455 19. Ed Jones Carlin-VW +1.566 20. Spike Goddard T-Sport-NBE +1.583 21. Sandro Zeller Zeller –Merc +1.792 22. Andy Chang Team West-Tec-Merc +1.881 23. Stefano Coletti EuroInternational-Merc +1.962 24. Alexander Toril T-Sport-NBE +2.017 25. Michele Beretta EuroInternational-Merc +3.284
