Photo: Bruce Jenkins / Toyota Racing Series
M2 Competition’s Arjun Maini will start the first race of the four-race Taupo weekend from pole position.
Maini recorded his second Toyota Racing Series pole in a close 15-minute qualifying session.
The Indian was helped out by a last-minute red flag that skewered the hopes of other challengers. As such, Maini’s superb effort with five minutes to go proved to be unassailable, leaving him more than a quarter of a second in the clear.
ETEC’s Callum Ilott, who reigned supreme in yesterday’s practice, managed his personal best qualifying result in second, while Charlie Eastwood pulled off the same milestone in third, being one of the few drivers to improve in the late stages of the session.
Eastwood will share row two with Sam MacLeod, who posted an identical time to series newcomer Sergio Sette Camara, the Brazilian taking fifth.
Artem Markelov leads Giles teammate Santino Ferrucci in sixth, while championship leader Lance Stroll will start from eighth place.
Aussie Thomas Randle and Kiwi James Munro complete the top ten.
Saturday will host two races at Taupo, with a second qualifying session and another two races coming on Sunday.
Qualifying results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
| 1 | Arjun Maini | M2 Competition | 1:23.012 | 8 | |
| 2 | Callum Ilott | ETEC Motorsport | 1:23.270 | 0.258 | 6 |
| 3 | Charlie Eastwood | M2 Competition | 1:23.310 | 0.298 | 8 |
| 4 | Sam MacLeod | Giles Motorsport | 1:23.330 | 0.318 | 6 |
| 5 | Sergio Sette Camara | Giles Motorsport | 1:23.330 | 0.318 | 5 |
| 6 | Artem Markelov | Giles Motorsport | 1:23.348 | 0.336 | 6 |
| 7 | Santino Ferrucci | Giles Motorsport | 1:23.403 | 0.381 | 6 |
| 8 | Lance Stroll | M2 Competition | 1:23.422 | 0.410 | 7 |
| 9 | Thomas Randle | ETEC Motorsport | 1:23.434 | 0.422 | 6 |
| 10 | James Munro | Giles Motorsport | 1:23.636 | 0.624 | 6 |
| 11 | Jamie Conroy | M2 Competition | 1:23.879 | 0.867 | 8 |
| 12 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 1:23.981 | 0.969 | 11 |
| 13 | Matteo Ferrer | ETEC Motorsport | 1:23.996 | 0.984 | 7 |
| 14 | Stefan Riener | Victory Motor Racing | 1:24.007 | 0.995 | 7 |
| 15 | Brandon Maisano | M2 Competition | 1:24.062 | 1.050 | 7 |
| 16 | Alfonso Celis | Giles Motorsport | 1:24.102 | 1.090 | 6 |
| 17 | Mathias Kristensen | M2 Competition | 1:24.142 | 1.130 | 8 |
| 18 | Nikita Mazepin | ETEC Motorsport | 1:24.155 | 1.143 | 8 |
| 19 | Damon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 1:24.167 | 1.155 | 6 |
| 20 | Ferdinand Habsburg | Victory Motor Racing | 1:24.173 | 1.161 | 7 |