Bearman leads Vesti in rain-disrupted F2 qualifying at Spa

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Ollie Bearman led Frederik Vesti to secure a Prema one-two in rain-disrupted Formula 2 qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps.

Drivers headed out on soft compound slick tyres tyres as a dry line had appeared on the track after FIA Formula 3 qualifying.

However, the track surface was still slippery and red flags were waved less than three minutes into the session as PHM Racing by Charouz’s debuting Josh Mason lost control of his car at the exit of turn nine and got stuck into the gravel trap.

When the session was restarted, everyone left the pitlane immediately in an attempt to get a laptime in before it started to rain again.

Championship leader Vesti was first to complete the lap, and his team-mate Bearman went four tenths of a second faster than him as he crossed the line. After that, heavy rain started to fall again in sector two and three of the circuit and no one was able to improve.

ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins, who had gone fastest in sector two, was third fastest with a laptime seventh tenths of a second slower than Bearman. Rodin Carlin’s Zane Maloney and ART GP’s Theo Pourchaire completed the top five.

MP Motorsport’s Dennis Hauger will provisionally start sixth in Sunday’s feature race, followed by Campos Racing’s Ralph Boschung, Carlin’s Enzo Fittipaldi, Van Amersfoort Racing’s Richard Verschoor and MP’s Jehan Daruvala, who will have reversed-grid pole for Saturday’s sprint race.

Campos’s Kush Maini, who was the only driver to fit grooved tyres from the beginning, was unable to set a laptime within 107% of Bearman’s pole time. However, he is expected to be allowed to race based on practice times.

Both VAR’s Juan Manuel Correa nor Virtuosi Racing’s Amaury Cordeel ended the session without having set a valid laptime. Cordeel completed one timed lap, but it was deleted as he exceeded track limits.

Qualifying results