Freddie Slater roared to a superb pole position during a relatively calm Formula 3 qualifying session at the Temple of Speed.
After setting the fastest time in Group B, championship leader Freddie Slater took pole. He was joined on the front row by Matteo De Palo, who secured the fastest time in Group B.
In a new twist, the 30 F3 drivers were split into two groups. While this format is normally reserved for Monaco, it was implemented in Monza this time around as well.
The two groups were divided into even-numbered cars and odd-numbered cars. The driver with the fastest lap time was to be on pole, while the fastest driver in the other group joined them on the front row. After this, the remaining grid consists of alternating positions between the two groups.
Before the grid set out for qualifying, championship contender Ugo Ugochukwu was hit with a grid penalty. The Campos driver was awarded a five-place grid drop for causing a collision with Matteo De Palo in the Practice session. Ugochukwu is set to serve the penalty in both races this weekend.
Green flags
As the track went green for qualifying, the first group of F3 drivers headed out on track for their warm-up lap. With only ten minutes to secure their spot, the need to pull out a great performance under pressure became crucial.
Brando Badoer led the pack onto the track as he headed out for the first warm-up lap. He was quickly followed by Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi, Bruno del Pino, and Hiyu Yamakoshi. But after only one lap, the first four drivers headed back to the pits.
The short qualifying session granted at most two push laps for each driver. Most drivers opted to wait until the first five minutes had trickled down before they headed out onto the track.
Tukka Taponen set the first benchmark of the day with a lap time of 1:38.458. The lap times quickly improved as Taito Kato immediately knocked him down with a 1:38.275.
The day continued to worsen for Ugochukwu as he failed to reach the top six. He missed the apex in Turn 1, then saw a poor exit and suffered a brief dip through the gravel.
The last moments of the ten minutes dedicated to Group A were a tight fight. While Noah Stromsted looked promising for a moment, the Dane failed to reach the top six. Instead, it was Kanato Le, De Palo, and Kato who fought for a front-row start.
The final moments saw Matteo de Palo storm ahead with a lap time of 1:38.143 on home soil. The Italian driver was set to start on the front row.
The fight for the front row
As Group A’s qualifying concluded, Group B were ready to take on the Temple of Speed. The second group included championship leader Freddie Slater, who started the weekend with a great opportunity as his rival had a grid drop to serve.
Gerrard Xie was first out on track, followed by the championship leader on their first lap before they headed back to the pits. As the heat of Monza hit, tyre management was vital. With the high track temperature and only one or two push laps, every moment mattered.
Group B appeared ready for only one push lap, as time continued to run out with the drivers still in the pits. With no one wanting to be the first on track, it was a waiting game before the domino effect began.
AIX pulled the trigger with only three minutes left in qualifying. Yevan David led the grid onto the track as they finally went for their sole flying lap. At Monza, the game of tow could be crucial in the fight for pole, making positioning in qualifying important.
The AIX driver set a lap time of 1:39.156, but it was not enough to beat De Palo in Group A. The pressure was on in the last minutes on track.
The deciding moment came in the form of a strong lap with a good tow. Slater roared across the line, two tenths quicker than the others in his group. His stellar lap time of 1:38.114 was enough to beat De Palo, and with that, the championship leader secured a wonderful pole.
Further back, Theophile Nael was too eager on the throttle as he went into Turn 1 and ruined his chances of a top six start. Jin Nakamura made a similar mistake with a dip in the gravel after he ran wide.
The qualifying was immensely strong for one team, with the front row set for a TRIDENT lockout. Behind the two teammates were Lacorte and Le, followed by Rivera. Meanwhile, Taponen took pole for the Sprint race with a P6 finish for the reverse-grid pole.
READ MORE: Ernesto Rivera excited about the ‘interesting’ Monza changes ahead of the F3 Italian GP
Discussion about this post