Tuukka Taponen took a stunning Formula 3 pole position at the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, pushing Freddie Slater from the top position in the final minutes.
Taponen led the field around the track first, setting a slow lap time as the grid prepared to put in a faster push lap.
Theophile Nael set the fastest of the initial competitive times, with a time of 1:33.533s. Taponen slotted in behind him, with Jin Nakamura in third.
After the first run, the grid came into the pits to change their tyres ahead of a second run. With 18 minutes in the session, the field filtered out again, desperate to climb up through the order.
Freddie Slater was one of the first drivers to head out on his second run. Slater made a mistake in his first try, running wide in Turn 4. The Audi junior needed to put in a banker lap.
He was on a flying lap with a purple first sector and personal best in sector two. He was slightly off his personal best in the final sector, but the lap came together to shoot him to the top of the timings, with a time of 1:33.451.
Ugo Ugocukwu was further back, also on a flying lap, but as he crossed the line he went 11th faster, the championship leader significantly behind his rival who sat on provisional pole.
Enzo Deligny ran wide at Turn 7, going through the grass and hitting the boards at the side of the track. He damaged his front wing in the process.
Nicola Lacorte was having a strong performance in the first half of the session, taking second with just over six minutes left.
Final runs
Down into Turn 12, Slater led the pack with the track clear ahead of him. With just four minutes left, the TRIDENT driver would be first to put in his final chance at pole position.
Behind him, Brando Badoer locked up into the first corner, managing to hold on and hit the apex but no doubt damaging his lap time.
Pedro Clerot put in a stunning first sector faster than anyone in the field at that stage. However, by the second sector, it seemed many of the front runners were failing to improve. Slater failed to improve, as did Nael, Lacorte and Badoer.
Mattia Colnaghi did improve, shooting to second in the order just 0.024 seconds behind Slater. Ugochukwu was on his final lap, desperate to improve from 11th. He crossed the line in sixth.
In the final minutes, Taponen moved up into the top spot in the order. The MP driver failed to manage any fastest sectors but strung together a strong lap which put him in pole position for the Feature Race on Sunday.
Kanato Le qualified 12th, which would put him on reverse pole position for the Sprint Race. Maciej Gladysz will start on the front row with him on Saturday.
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