Felix Rosenqvist stood on the top step of the podium following the qualification race in Macau despite finishing second on the road after race winner Antonio Giovinazzi was penalised for his part in a first lap crash.
Carlin driver Giovinazzi was handed a twenty-second penalty, in lieu of a drive-through penalty, after colliding with Daniel Juncadella between the Lisboa and San Francisco corners, spinning the Spaniard around in front of the chasing pack.
Juncadella was forced to retire his Fortec Motorsports car on the spot, with Alexander Albon, Ryan Tveter and Callum Ilott also ending their race on the spot, while Mikkel Jensen, Yu Kanamaru, Yuhi Sekiguchi and Wing Chung Chang were all able to return to the race after pitting for repairs.
The first lap incident brought out the safety car, and on the restart Rosenqvist did not have an answer for Giovinazzi, who drew alongside the Swede around the outside at Lisboa. Giovinazzi pulled out a gap to Rosenqvist before the SJM Theodore Racing by Prema Powerteam driver began to fight back.
Rosenqvist attempted a late race pass for the lead but was unable to make it stick, and almost crashed out at the Melco hairpin, recovering to just hold off Van Amersfoort Racing’s Charles Leclerc for second, which became the win following Giovinazzi’s penalty.
A charging Alexander Sims completed the podium for Double R Racing having started down in thirteenth, with the British driver taking advantage of the first lap carnage to move up to sixth, and then passed both Sergio Sette Camara and Sam MacLeod to finish on the road in fourth, which became third with Giovinazzi’s penalty.
MacLeod secured fourth for Team West-Tec F3 ahead of Motopark duo Markus Pommer and Sette Camara, while Santino Ferrucci claimed seventh for Mücke Motorsport, passing the Van Amersfoort Racing entry of Alessio Lorandi with just two laps remaining.
Ferrucci had earlier demoted ThreeBond with T-Sport’s Arjun Maini for ninth, with the Indian racer inherited that position back with Giovinazzi’s penalty relegating him to tenth.
Rosenqvist’s victory will see him start the main Macau Grand Prix race on Sunday from pole position, with Leclerc joining him on the front row.
Macau Grand Prix Qualifying Race Result
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