Photo: Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Media Service
Tio Ellinas will start the first race of the 2013 GP3 Series season from pole position, even though it was Kevin Korjus who set the fastest time in qualifying on his and the Koiranen team’s debut.
Pre-season favourite Ellinas went quickest for the Marussia Manor squad with around six minutes remaining, displacing Estonian Korjus, who was one of four drivers carrying a grid penalty for ignoring waved yellow flags in practice.
Korjus managed to improve again as the chequered flag flew, but Ellinas held on to second place to secure what is his maiden pole position in the series.
Patric Niederhauser was another in the fight for pole throughout the session and a late improvement gave him the third fastest time, to put him on the front row for the race alongside fellow second-year driver Ellinas.
Fourth and fifth quickest were two more drivers with penalties, Alex Fontana and Carlos Sainz. Conor Daly should therefore start from third place ahead of Sainz’s Red Bull team-mate Daniil Kvyat.
Carlin’s Nick Yelloly and Koiranen’s Aaro Vainio should share row three after managing the eighth and ninth fastest times respectively, while Facu Regalia was tenth quickest ahead of ART team-mate Jack Harvey.
Qualifying results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
| 1. | Kevin Korjus* | Koiranen GP | 1:34.193 | 12 | |
| 2. | Tio Ellinas | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:34.233 | 0.040 | 11 |
| 3. | Patric Niederhauser | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:34.444 | 0.251 | 13 |
| 4. | Alex Fontana* | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:34.581 | 0.388 | 13 |
| 5. | Carlos Sainz Jr* | MW Arden | 1:34.635 | 0.442 | 13 |
| 6. | Conor Daly | ART Grand Prix | 1:34.810 | 0.617 | 9 |
| 7. | Daniil Kvyat | MW Arden | 1:34.989 | 0.796 | 13 |
| 8. | Nick Yelloly | Carlin | 1:35.111 | 0.918 | 13 |
| 9. | Aaro Vainio | Koiranen GP | 1:35.183 | 0.990 | 13 |
| 10. | Facu Regalia | ART Grand Prix | 1:35.206 | 1.013 | 9 |
| 11. | Jack Harvey | ART Grand Prix | 1:35.250 | 1.057 | 9 |
| 12. | Dino Zamparelli | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:35.334 | 1.141 | 11 |
| 13. | David Fumanelli | Trident | 1:35.376 | 1.183 | 11 |
| 14. | Robert Visoiu | MW Arden | 1:35.408 | 1.215 | 11 |
| 15. | Jimmy Eriksson | Status Grand Prix | 1:35.458 | 1.265 | 12 |
| 16. | Giovanni Venturini | Trident | 1:35.533 | 1.340 | 11 |
| 17. | Lewis Williamson | Bamboo Engineering | 1:35.725 | 1.532 | 12 |
| 18. | Eric Lichtenstein | Carlin | 1:35.884 | 1.691 | 12 |
| 19. | Patrick Kujala* | Koiranen GP | 1:36.031 | 1.838 | 12 |
| 20. | Adderly Fong | Status Grand Prix | 1:36.131 | 1.938 | 11 |
| 21. | Luis Sa Silva | Carlin | 1:36.271 | 2.078 | 13 |
| 22. | Melville McKee | Bamboo Engineering | 1:36.464 | 2.271 | 12 |
| 23. | Emanuele Zonzini | Trident | 1:36.489 | 2.296 | 12 |
| 24. | Samin Gomez | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:36.543 | 2.350 | 14 |
| 25. | Ryan Cullen | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:37.004 | 2.811 | 10 |
| 26. | Josh Webster | Status Grand Prix | 1:37.030 | 2.837 | 12 |
| 27. | Carmen Jorda | Bamboo Engineering | 1:38.574 | 4.381 | 14 |
* Ten-place grid penalties