GP3 Series

Maiden GP3 Pole for Ilott as Hubert Brings Out Red Flag

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Callum Ilott: 2018 GP3 Series - Red Bull Ring
Credit: Zak Mauger/GP3 Series Media Service

Coming off the back on his maiden victory in the GP3 Series last weekend at the Circuit Paul Ricard, Callum Ilott has qualified on pole position at the Red Bull Ring.

It is ART Grand Prix‘s first pole position of the season having been narrowly beaten at the previous two rounds.

Starting alongside Ilott is countryman and team-mate Jake Hughes who has had a more difficult start to the season than his team-mates.

Completing the top three is Alessio Lorandi. 

Ilott led the pace from the off and instantly returned to the top of the standings when surpassed.

The biggest talking point from the session is championship leader Anthoine Hubert starting down in nineteenth place.

Hubert had been on course to join his team-mates at the top of the grid but ran wide at the final corner, ruining his hopes of pole.

Just one lap later things got even worse for the Frenchman who ground to a halt at Turn 6 to bring at the red flag with just under two minutes on the clock. The session was not restarted.

It was the smallest of margins that separated the drivers at the shortest track on the calendar with the top fifteen drivers split just under six tenths.

Lorandi will start for third with Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya polesitter Leonardo Pulcini just behind them.

Neither of them had looked to challenge for pole, but Nikita Mazepin starting in fifth had been on top earlier in the session.

Mazepin was hurt but the session coming to a premature end but will be hoping to make ground up on Hubert in the championship.

Pedro Piquet showed great pace throughout the session and at various times held fastest sectors and appeared to only be getting quicker with each lap on the Austrian circuit.

Seventh was Paul Ricard polesitter, and race winner until he was disqualified following the race, following Dorian Boccolacci.

Practice pacesetter Ryan Tveter took eighth ahead of French duo Gabriel Aubry and Giuliano Alesi.

In eleventh starts Juan Manuel Correa with Simo Laaksonen starting alongside him.

Arden International‘s Joey Mawson who claimed his podium in the GP3 Series last time out.

David Beckmann and Diego Menchaca line up fourteenth and fifteenth with Niko Kari just behind.

Seventeenth and eighteenth sees Tatiana Calderon and Julien Falchero as Hubert starts in nineteenth after a difficult session for the ART driver.

Canadian-Italian and series newcomer this weekend Devlin DeFrancesco starts in twentieth – and last – have never driven the car prior to this weekend as he was brought in by MP Motorsport to replace Will Palmer.

The entire grid was separated by nine tenths of a second demonstrating the competitiveness of the series.

The Feature Race gets underway at 10.25 local time.

2018 GP3 Series Results: Red Bull Ring – Qualifying

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An NCTJ accredited Journalism Graduate covering DTM and the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
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