Sebastián Montoya managed to take the pole position on the Hitech Saturday sprint race ahead of Trent Oliveri Goethe and Collet, after the Colombian finished 12th in Sunday’s qualifying session following Friday.
Argentine Franco Colapinto fought for the overall pole position until he finally placed seventh on Sunday. This will start him on Friday.
Trident rookie Gabriel Bortoletus, who won the feature race in Bahrain, set a 1m33.025s in the final stop, in which several drivers suffered accidents in the dying minutes of the session.
Sebastian Montoya, Hitech Pulse-Octo
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Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Sebastian Montoya, Hitech Pulse-Octo
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Photo by: Mark Sutton
Bortoletus soon took the lead with a 1m34.064s and, despite being slowed by Franco Colapinto, reclaimed top position by almost 0.2s before the end of the session.
Second-year ART driver Gregoire Saucy will start second in Sunday’s feature race, his best qualifying of the series, ahead of Bahrain’s pole-sitter Gabriele Mini (Hitech).
The session went through periods of red flags, the first starting a little later, with an accident with Pepe Martí, when he was trying to make his first fast lap. The Campos Racing driver caused the first break in the pack in Turns 9 and 10, dragging himself through the gravel and crashing into the barriers.
After a six-minute break, the action resumed despite gray clouds closing in on Albert Park.
Franco Colapinto, MP Motorsport
Photo by: Formula Motorsport Ltd
Bortoleto quickly took the lead ahead of Luca Browning (Hitech) and Saucy (ART).
Van Amersfoort Racing rookie Tommy Smith came close to repeating the March crash in his hometown but kept his foot on the ground, while Nikita Bedrin also had a problem at Turn 12 with Jenzer’s car.
As the traffic built up, Caio Collet (VAR) moved up five positions, from 13th to 8th, before Franco Colapinto topped the time sheet for MP Motorsport with a 1m33.588 ahead of Zak O’Sullivan (Prema) and Bortoletto, separating the first nine. secondly a.
Back on track with a fresh set of tires, Bahraini polesitter Mini was briefly fifth before being held off by Prema driver Paul Aron and Saucy.
The red flags flew again moments after Kaylen Frederick suffered a heavy hit coming from the last corner, his ART-run parked on the front straight.
With four minutes remaining, the participants entered the final attempt at a fast lap, in which there was much fighting for position on the circuit roads.
Mini moved to the top of the timesheets before being dethroned by Saucy and Bortolet, eventually retaking the top position.
The Alpine Academy junior Mini stopped on track after crashing in Turn 1, before Bedrin’s another crash on the exit of the final stretch ended the chances of the other drivers taking pole position.
Three-wheeled driver Leonardo Fornaroli will start fourth with Prema O’Sullivan and Aron fifth and sixth.
Colapinto will start seventh with Dino Beganovic third ahead of Browning, eighth and ninth.
F3 Australia – Qualifying event
