Campos Racing driver Nikola Tsolov clinched pole position for the Formula 3 Feature Race in Monaco after setting the fastest lap time overall in the Group A qualifying session.
Roman Bilinski in his Rodin Motorsport car went fastest in the Group B session to secure a front row start.
The second group was impacted by a red flag as Mari Boya completes the top three for the Feature Race in the other Campos.
Title contender Tsolov went fastest in the Free Practice session on Thursday ahead of the MP Motorsport of Tim Tramnitz, who took victory in the Imola Sprint to boost his championship odds.
In a Drivers’ Briefing, a ballot commenced on Wednesday to decide the qualifying groups on Friday.
Drivers will be split into two qualifying groups: Group A will consist of even-numbered cars, while Group B will include the odd-numbered entries.
Group A will take to the track first, followed by Group B.
Grid positions for the Feature Race will be determined by combining the results from both qualifying sessions.
The fastest driver overall will start from pole position, with the quickest driver from the opposite group lining up alongside them on the front row.
The remaining grid slots will alternate between the two groups based on lap times, continuing this pattern until all positions are filled.
Sixth fastest in Group A and Group B will start Saturday’s Sprint Race from the front row, the latter securing reverse-grid pole.
Group A
In the first of two 16-minute sessions, Group A trickled out of the pits to set their laps in a bid for pole, championship contenders Noah Stromsted, Tuukka Taponen and Tsolov all involved.
After five minutes of warm up laps, the latter went fastest in the first two sectors and completed his lap to go fastest with a 1:26.072s.
Noel Leon was 0.261s back in second in the sole Prema Racing car in this session, Brad Benavides third for AIX Racing after his return to the series at Imola.
The Mexican driver soon leapfrogged Tsolov at the top of the timing sheets with just over five minutes left before Tsolov reclaimed provisional pole with a 1:25.647s.
Multiple drivers then improved, Taponen initially going up to third before Benavides reclaimed the provisional second row spot.
Martinius Stenshorne climbed to fifth for ART and Boya in sixth for Campos.
With just a couple of minutes left before the chequered flag, Leon momentarily claimed pole before Boya went quicker to snatch the fastest lap time.
Charlie Wurz for Trident shot up the order to third with a great lap before the final few laps.
Tsolov once again found the extra bit of lap time he needed to claim provisional pole with a lap time of 1:24.882s.
Wurz and Leon both thought they had claimed a provisional front row start before Boya improved to go within a tenth of Tsolov into second place.
The Prema ended the Group A session in third, the Austrian in fourth, Taponen claimed fifth right at the death and Stenshorne held onto sixth and a front row start for the Sprint Race.
Group B
With first group session settled, Group B began to make their way out onto the track to set their fastest laps.
Championship leader Rafael Camara took to the circuit in this group, along with Tramnitz and Imola Feature Race winner Santiago Ramos.
After getting some heat into the tyres and finding the optimal temperature range, the German title contender was the first to set a representative lap with a 1:25.868s.
However, Camara soon shot up to first in his Trident with a 1:25.635s, Callum Voisin splitting to the two drivers in his Rodin Motorsport car.
The Brazillian improved after Alessandro Giusti improved to the second row.
A number of changes to the order followed, Laurens van Hoepen initially going fastest before Voisin set a quicker lap time of 1:25.359s.
His team-mate Bilinski shot up to second before a red flag was called after Brando Badoer lost the rear of his Prema into Sainte Devote, making contact with the barriers and ending his qualifying session.
As the sole cause of the stoppage, the Italian is expected to have his fastest lap time deleted, but he was down in 12th place anyway.
With three minutes and 21 seconds left on the clock, the other 15 drivers prepared to head back out on track.
The top six stood as Voisin, Bilinski, van Hoepen, Camara, Giusti and Tramnitz – Tsolov on course for pole
Tramnitz improved to fifth before Camara gained one place and up into third.
Bilinski pipped his Rodin team-mate to first and secure a front row start, as Tramnitz went around again but go only improve to go third.
Tsolov fastest overall to clinch F3 Pole in Monaco
The Campos driver will start the Feature Race from pole position, ahead of Bilinski – the Polish driver setting the fastest lap time in the second qualifying group.
Boya secures third place with a quicker lap than Voisin, who will complete the second row in fourth.
Leon takes fifth, edging out Tramnitz, who starts sixth.
The Trident pair of Wurz and Camara follow closely in seventh and eighth, respectively.
Taponen and van Hoepen will line up ninth and tenth for ART in Sunday’s race.
MP Motorsport’s Giusti clinches reverse grid pole by posting the sixth-fastest time in Group B, with Stenshorne set to start alongside him in second place.
READ MORE – Santiago Ramos takes glory in Imola F3 Feature Race
