As the drivers rushed out on track for the penultimate qualifying session of the 2022 FIA Formula 3 season, the stakes were at an all time high due to the nature of the Zandvoort track, where starting position is so important, thanks to the lack of overtaking opportunities on track.
On his opening flying lap, championship leader Isack Hadjar, almost spun but miraculously managed to keep hold of the rear and went fastest.
However, as the whole grid started to set their first fast laps, MP Motorsport briefly held a 1-2-3, before practice time topper Victor Martins stormed into provisional pole with a 1:25.152.
After their first flying laps, most drivers headed back to the pits for a new set of tyres.
When the drivers re-appeared on track and began to set flying laps again, Caio Collet went second, just 0.020 seconds off provisional pole. Martins then briefly took top spot again, before Zane Maloney usurped the Frenchman, going top of the times.
As the grid prepared to put in their final flying laps, Zane Maloney sat first followed by Victor Martins, while Maloney’s Trident teammate Roman Stanek lay third.
Final flying laps time began to flow in, as Jak Crawford powered into third and Isack Hadjar pulled himself up from seventeenth to sixth.
However, with just one minute remaining in qualifying, the session was red flagged as William Alatolo found himself in the barriers at turn 3. Qualifying would not be resumed, which meant heartbreak for the drivers that were unable to do final flying laps before the red flag.
The red flag meant the abruptly ended qualifying session finished with Zane Maloney taking pole position, followed by Victor Martins in second and Jak Crawford in third. Roman Stanek and Franco Colapinto rounded out the top five, with championship leader Isack Hadjar in sixth. Sebastian Montoya finished an extremely impressive seventh in his F3 qualifying debut, out qualifying Red Bull junior Jonny Edgar by 0.009 seconds.
PREMA drivers Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc face tough battles in Saturday and Sunday’s races if they want to pick up significant points to keep their title hopes alive, as they start fourteenth and twentieth respectively, due to the abrupt ending to the qualifying session.
Twelfth place Juan-Manuel Correa will start Saturday’s sprint race on pole, joined by Gregoire Saucy on the front row.
