Photo: Formula Acceleration
Reigning Eurocup Megane Trophy champion Mirko Bortolotti led the first qualifying of FA1’s inaugural season.
Bortolotti posted a 1:32.694 lap around Portimao in the middle of the 30-minute session and would be untroubled at the top for the remainder of the running.
Nigel Melker was two tenths off the leader in second, while practice pacesetter Felix Rosenqvist settled for third.
Slovakian Richard Gonda was the final driver to make it within a second of Bortolotti and rounded out the second row, ahead of Auto GP race winner Sergio Campana and German F3 Trophy champion Sebastian Balthasar.
2008 ADAC Formel Masters champion Armando Parente was seventh with long-time GP2 racer Rodolfo Gonzalez in eighth. Oliver Campos-Hull?and?Luis Michael Dorrbecker?rounded out the top ten.
Qualifying two and the opening race will take place tomorrow.
Session results
| Pos. | Driver | Time | Gap | Laps |
| 1 | Mirko Bortolotti | 1:32.694 | 5 | |
| 2 | Nigel Melker | 1:32.928 | 0.234 | 5 |
| 3 | Felix Rosenqvist | 1:33.236 | 0.542 | 4 |
| 4 | Richard Gonda | 1:33.683 | 0.989 | 7 |
| 5 | Sergio Campana | 1:34.501 | 1.807 | 5 |
| 6 | Sebastian Balthasar | 1:34.880 | 2.186 | 7 |
| 7 | Armando Parente | 1:35.156 | 2.462 | 5 |
| 8 | Rodolfo Gonzalez | 1:36.953 | 4.259 | 8 |
| 9 | Oliver Campos-Hull | 1:39.036 | 6.342 | 9 |
| 10 | Michael Dorrbecker | 1:39.278 | 6.584 | 6 |
| Victor Garcia | No Time | |||
| Picho Toledano | No Time |