The first qualification of the season in Formula 2 won Guang Yu Zhou, the driver of the Uni-Virtuosi Racing team, but it is possible that it is wondering and deprived of the poult - however, about everything in order.
Qualification took place in the midst of the day, when the asphalt temperatures were maximum, but the Sunday race will also take place in the afternoon, so the conditions will be approximately the same.
The first more or less competitive time showed Dan Tickutum, but his result was immediately blocked by Felipe Drubovich. Moreover, the Brazilian gradually increased the speed and soon drove a circle for 1 min. 43.315 seconds. About three tenths, Christian Lundgard lost him, was Jehan Darushal behind Danchanin, and Robert Schwarzman's Russian racer at this stage of qualification occupied the fourth line.
Half sessions have passed when Guang Yu Zhou came from the boxes, Parliament Drugovich and one of the contenders for the title this season. When he performed his first attempt, the track was free, because before the decisive round of struggle for Pole, everyone returned to Pete Lane for fresh rubber.
Such tactics worked, and an experienced Chinese driver Uni-Virtuosi Racing rose without problems to the first line of the protocol. However, he was ahead of a friend only 0.022 seconds.
Until the end of the session, it remained less than ten minutes when active work on the track resumed. At the same time, the Pit Lane stalled the Benta Woman, a beginner of Formula 2, creating an interference to the rest, to which the stewards immediately noticed, and after the end of the session, the reason for what happened will be investigated.
But it was not the last development incident: unfortunately, about six minutes before its ending at the beginning of the start-finish-line straight, the Schwartzman car stopped, because of which the session was interrupted by red flags. What exactly happened, it became clear not immediately. It was the impression that these are some technical problems, but then it turned out that Robert himself made a mistake, too hard slowdown and at the same time holding a right foot on the gas pedal. As a result, the system worked, in such situations a prevention engine from damage, and the machine was stalled.
Since everything happened before the entrance to Pete Lane, the marshals were able to reach the car Robert to the boxes, and representatives of the Directorate of the race were maintained to him to listen to him. By this time, Schwartzman occupied the fifth line, yielding the time of the intermediate pole about four tenths.
When the session resumed, the participants in the qualification remained time for even at least one attempt. Christian Lundgard ordered this very effectively, driving a circle for 1 min. 42.851 seconds, however, at the very last moment he was ahead of GUAN Y Zhou, improving the result of the Dane 0.003 seconds! Thus, he has a chance to start with Poul on Sunday. But this is not exactly for sure, because the race directorate had a suspicion that at the end of the session Zhou violated the rules that, of course, would be investigated.
Since Schwarzman could not go to the last attempt, he gradually descended in the protocol, whereas most rivals improved their results, and as a result, the Russian pilot PREMA was on the 12th line. Not the best start of the weekend and the season as a whole.
This year, Friday qualifications defines the order of the start of the Sunday Race of Formula 2, and in the first Saturday Sprint (and there will be two) a reversing start-up lattice is applied. Thus, David Beckman and Liam Lawson should start from the first row tomorrow.
Pilot team Time difference Circle 1. G. Yu Zhou Virtuosi 1: 42.848 - 9 2. K. Lundagard Art Grand Prix 1: 42.851 +0.003 10 3. F.Drugovich Virtuosi 1: 43.211 +0.363 9 4. D.TICTUM Carlin 1 : 43.338 +0.490 10 5. Y.VIPS HITECH GP 1: 43.441 +0.593 9 6. R. EFSHOR MP Motorsport 1: 43.443 +0.595 9 7. D.DAVALA CARLIN 1: 43.475 +0.627 9 8. O. Pyatistra Prema 1 : 43.478 +0.630 10 9. L.LUSON HITECH GP 1: 43.519 +0.671 8 10. D. Bekman Charouz Racing System 1: 43.559 +0.711 9 11. T.purscher Art Grand Prix 1: 43.585 +0.737 10 12. R. Schwarzman Prema 1: 43.694 +0.846 5 13. R.Boshung Campos 1: 43.704 +0.856 9 14. M.Armstrong Dams 1: 43.729 +0.881 9 15. R.Nissani Dams 1: 43.768 +0.920 11 16. B. Fiscal Trident 1: 43.839 +0.991 10 17. L.Terdalo MP Motorsport 1: 43.955 +1.107 9 18. Samayya Charouz Racing System 1: 44.277 +1.379 9 19. M.Sato Trident 1: 44.654 +1.806 7 20. M.Nanini Hwa Racelab 1: 44.825 +1.977 9 21. D.PETEKOFF CAMPOS 1: 45.053 +2.205 9 22. A. Adeledda Hwa Racelab 1: 46.712 +3.864 7
Source: Formula 1 on F1news.ru