Home Formula 4British F4 Colton Herta converts Snetterton pace into first MSA Formula poles
British F4News

Colton Herta converts Snetterton pace into first MSA Formula poles

by Peter Allen
written by Peter Allen
Colton Herta

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

MSA Formula driver Colton Herta made good on his speed at Snetterton to score his first pole positions in the series.

After topping all three test sessions on Friday at the Norfolk circuit, American racer Herta took charge in the third quarter of the 20-minute session.

He moved half a second clear of his title-fighting Carlin team-mate Lando Norris, and then improved to a final best time of 1m50.398s on his next lap to secure a double pole.

Norris finished up 0.363 seconds behind in second place.

Dan Ticktum, who last week was excluded from all three races at Croft for his crash with Norris, set a couple of improved laps late on but the Fortec driver was still nearly seven tenths adrift of pole in third.

He will line up just behind the Carlin pair for both races one and three.

Championship leader Ricky Collard was fourth fastest but only managed one representative lap time before pitting.

He will therefore start the third race from the back of the grid, with his second-best time nearly six seconds off the pace.

Sennan Fielding and Matheus Leist, fresh from appearances in USF2000 and European F3 respectively last weekend, took fifth and sixth and both move up a place for race three.

Petru Florescu was seventh in Carlin’s third entry, followed by Enaam Ahmed, Tarun Reddy and Sandy Mitchell.

For race three, Florescu takes sixth, Mitchell and Josh Smith climb to seventh and eighth respectively and Reddy and Ahmed complete the top 10.

Jack Barlow and Toby Sowery have both returned after missing Croft, and were 13th and 16th fastest respectively.

Qualifying results
Fastest times ? race one ? Second fastest times ? race three
Pos Driver Team Time Pos Driver Team Time
1 Colton Herta Carlin 1:50.398 1 Colton Herta Carlin 1:50.585
2 Lando Norris Carlin 1:50.761 2 Lando Norris Carlin 1:50.765
3 Dan Ticktum Fortec Motorsports 1:51.086 3 Dan Ticktum Fortec Motorsports 1:51.229
4 Ricky Collard Arden 1:51.368 4 Sennan Fielding JHR Developments 1:51.578
5 Sennan Fielding JHR Developments 1:51.547 5 Matheus Leist Double R Racing 1:51.690
6 Matheus Leist Double R Racing 1:51.673 6 Petru Florescu Carlin 1:51.735
7 Petru Florescu Carlin 1:51.700 7 Sandy Mitchell Arden 1:51.909
8 Enaam Ahmed Arden 1:51.854 8 Josh Smith Fortec Motorsports 1:51.953
9 Tarun Reddy Double R Racing 1:51.877 9 Tarun Reddy Double R Racing 1:52.053
10 Sandy Mitchell Arden 1:51.900 10 Enaam Ahmed Arden 1:52.065
11 Josh Smith Fortec Motorsports 1:51.903 11 Jack Barlow MBM Motorsport 1:52.203
12 Daniel Baybutt JTR 1:52.135 12 Daniel Baybutt JTR 1:52.366
13 Jack Barlow MBM Motorsport 1:52.184 13 Ollie Pidgeley Richardson Racing 1:52.546
14 Louise Richardson Richardson Racing 1:52.312 14 Toby Sowery Fortec Motorsports 1:52.693
15 Ollie Pidgeley Richardson Racing 1:52.424 15 Jessica Hawkins Falcon Motorsport 1:52.827
16 Toby Sowery Fortec Motorsports 1:52.572 16 Louise Richardson Richardson Racing 1:52.933
17 Jessica Hawkins Falcon Motorsport 1:52.714 17 James Pull JTR 1:53.344
18 James Pull JTR 1:52.781 18 Darius Karbaley Falcon Motorsport 1:53.379
19 Darius Karbaley Falcon Motorsport 1:52.940 19 Rafa Martins SWB Motorsport 1:54.434
20 Rafa Martins SWB Motorsport 1:53.901 20 Jack Butel SWB Motorsport 1:54.551
21 Jack Butel SWB Motorsport 1:54.156 21 Ameya Vaidyanathan JTR 1:54.675
22 Ameya Vaidyanathan JTR 1:54.567 22 Ricky Collard Arden 1:56.443