Taito Kato stormed to pole in the first Formula 3 qualifying session, while Tuukka Taponen sat on top of qualifying 2 at the F3 Spanish GP.
In a stunning performance where he gave it his all, Taito Kato secured the pole position in the first qualifying session. In Qualifying 2, Tuuka Taponen took a strong pole after setting the fastest time.
The F3 Spanish GP weekend featured a new format which consisted of two qualifying sessions, one Sprint Race, and two Feature Races. The first qualifying session would set the grid for the Sprint Race and the first Feature Race. Qualifying 2 would set the grid for the second Feature Race on Sunday.
Qualifying was bound to be nail-biting, as a Champion would be crowned at the end of the weekend. Ugo Ugochukwu and Freddie Slater have been going head-to-head all season long, but only one will become the Formula 3 Champion. Only 15 points separate the two rivals, and everything is at stake at the final showdown.
While the F3 grid visited the Madring before this weekend for in-season testing, they have never battled for pole on this new track.
Green lights for qualifying 1
Maciej Gladysz led the pack onto the track, getting some warm-up laps in before preparing to go all out for the flying laps.
Taito Kato set the first benchmark with a time of 1:51.127. As the rest of the drivers made their first push laps, Kato was the man to beat early on. Alex Powell slotted into second.
Trouble came for championship leader Slater when he reported issues with the TRIDENT over the radio. The Briton had remained cool until the trouble with the car hit.
Despite the issues, Slater gave it his all, as he set a first purple sector and a time of 1:51.215. However, his first attempt was not enough to take the top spot. Meanwhile, Kato improved his own time to 1:50.639 before he was knocked down by Pedro Clerot, topping the timings with a 1:50.547. Jin Nakamura slotted into third, three tenths behind Clerot with six minutes to go.
Trouble for Slater
Slater opted to head into the pits to change his tyres. He was the only driver to change, as the other drivers stuck to their hard tyres and saved the other set for the second qualifying. Even with the change, he reported his car was ‘crabbing’ and ‘broken’ when he returned to the track.
Tuukka Taponen slotted into third while championship contender Ugochukwu had snuck into fourth, 0.142 behind Kato in P1.
Brando Badoer was forced into the pits despite only having put the car in 20th place, as he touched the wall on his flying lap. The Rodin team gave everything to quickly fix the car ahead of the second qualifying. Meanwhile, Kato once again gave everything as narrow gaps separated the front of the pack.
With only one chance at a push lap, Slater went purple in the first sector before trouble found him again in the second and third sectors. It was a disaster for the championship leader, through no fault of his own, as he had to settle for P17.
The first qualifying session concluded with Kato rocketing to pole, while Clerot slotted into second and Taponen grabbed third.
Qualifying 2
After a couple of minutes to prepare for the second qualifying session, the drivers were ready to go again. The second qualifying would be crucial for the championship fight, as trouble found Slater in the first qualifying, which left him down in P17. With neither championship contender in the top three, the second qualifying would prove vital.
This time around, Kato led the pack onto the track. With 20 minutes on the clock, the drivers were prepared to go all out for the second time.
Kato set the early benchmark of 1:50.847. Slater made sure to complete a flying lap early on. Fuelled by the unfortunate first qualifying, he immediately set two purple sectors and delivered a stunning 1:49.972. The TRIDENT driver went faster than anyone else and put himself two tenths ahead of Clerot in second.
Soon after, Kato flew even quicker with a 1:49.916, but Ugochukwu snatched first place with a 1:49.901. Clerot impressed, as he went 0.071 seconds faster and slotted in ahead of Ugochukwu.
Final push moments
As the track continued to evolve and the gaps narrowed, the fight for pole was on. With six minutes left, the session stayed unpredictable as drivers pushed hard for the top spots.
Ugochukwu stormed through the second sector as he went purple and put himself back on top with a 1:49.771. Time trickled down, but the drivers continued to improve.
Drama continued as Slater went into the pits. The championship leader was hit by trouble, and although he attempted to give it his all, the TRIDENT still seemed to suffer from the issue.
Taponen and Clerot delivered immensely strong laps as they fought for the top spot. While he could have been in contention for pole, Clerot went over the limit and found the barriers in the last sector. Just meters away from the finish line, Clerot had his dreams of pole taken away.
As the session came to an end, Taponen remained on top with a strong 1:49.750. Narrowly behind him was championship contender Ugochukwu. Clerot finished third, despite his crash at the end of the session.
READ MORE: Ugo Ugochukwu heads into the F3 Spanish GP weekend with ‘nothing to lose’
Discussion about this post