Photo: Paul Davies Photography
Dan Baybutt upstaged the favourites to claim a last-gasp pole position for the first ever MSA Formula race at Brands Hatch.
At the very end of a damp session, JTR driver Baybutt went 0.318 seconds quicker than erstwhile leader Lando Norris, who set his best time with six minutes remaining.
World karting champion Norris will start on pole for the third race of the weekend due to having the quickest second-best time.
The JTR drivers came on strong as the session reached its climax, with James Pull having moved up into second behind Norris on his penultimate lap before Baybutt knocked him down to third. Brazilian Matheus Leist led at one stage before being shuffled down to fourth.
Pull and Leist will move forward to second and third respectively on the grid for race three, with Baybutt back in fourth.
Dan Ticktum was fifth quickest, while Louise Richardson claimed a considerably impressive sixth for her family team at the chequered flag, just a day after driving the MSA Formula car for the first time.
Another late addition to the grid Jack Barlow wound up seventh for MBM Motorsport ahead of Enaam Ahmed, with Sennan Fielding and Tarun Reddy completing the top ten.
Race three will see Ahmed up in fifth ahead of Barlow, Ticktum, Fielding, Ricky Collard and Richardson.
Qualifying results
| Fastest times ? race 1 grid | ? | Second fastest times ? race 3 grid | ||||||||
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | ? | Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
| 1 | Daniel Baybutt | JTR | 51.104 | 1 | Lando Norris | Carlin | 51.632 | |||
| 2 | Lando Norris | Carlin | 51.422 | 0.318 | 2 | James Pull | JTR | 51.664 | 0.032 | |
| 3 | James Pull | JTR | 51.608 | 0.504 | 3 | Matheus Leist | Double R Racing | 51.790 | 0.158 | |
| 4 | Matheus Leist | Double R Racing | 51.666 | 0.562 | 4 | Daniel Baybutt | JTR | 51.819 | 0.187 | |
| 5 | Dan Ticktum | Fortec Motorsports | 51.865 | 0.761 | 5 | Enaam Ahmed | Arden | 52.061 | 0.429 | |
| 6 | Louise Richardson | Richardson Racing | 51.887 | 0.783 | 6 | Jack Barlow | MBM Motorsport | 52.065 | 0.433 | |
| 7 | Jack Barlow | MBM Motorsport | 51.917 | 0.813 | 7 | Dan Ticktum | Fortec Motorsports | 52.274 | 0.642 | |
| 8 | Enaam Ahmed | Arden | 51.934 | 0.830 | 8 | Sennan Fielding | JHR Developments | 52.297 | 0.665 | |
| 9 | Sennan Fielding | JHR Developments | 52.221 | 1.117 | 9 | Ricky Collard | Arden | 52.303 | 0.671 | |
| 10 | Tarun Reddy | Double R Racing | 52.232 | 1.128 | 10 | Louise Richardson | Richardson Racing | 52.385 | 0.753 | |
| 11 | Ricky Collard | Arden | 52.254 | 1.150 | 11 | Tarun Reddy | Double R Racing | 52.440 | 0.808 | |
| 12 | Gustavo Myasava | Double R Racing | 52.276 | 1.172 | 12 | Gustavo Myasava | Double R Racing | 52.524 | 0.892 | |
| 13 | Colton Herta | Carlin | 52.486 | 1.382 | 13 | Darius Karbaley | Falcon Motorsport | 52.631 | 0.999 | |
| 14 | Rafa Martins | SWB Motorsport | 52.566 | 1.462 | 14 | Rafa Martins | SWB Motorsport | 52.664 | 1.032 | |
| 15 | Josh Smith | Fortec Motorsports | 52.578 | 1.474 | 15 | Colton Herta | Carlin | 52.690 | 1.058 | |
| 16 | Darius Karbaley | Falcon Motorsport | 52.629 | 1.525 | 16 | Josh Smith | Fortec Motorsports | 52.719 | 1.087 | |
| 17 | Jack Butel | SWB Motorsport | 52.825 | 1.721 | 17 | Jack Butel | SWB Motorsport | 52.218 | 0.586 | |
| 18 | Petru Florescu | Carlin | 53.531 | 2.427 | 18 | Petru Florescu | Carlin | 53.581 | 1.949 | |
| 19 | Sandy Mitchell | Arden | 54.712 | 3.608 | 19 | Sandy Mitchell | Arden | 55.339 | 3.707 | |