Photo: Sam Bloxham/GP3 Media Service
Daniil Kvyat has reduced the gap to GP3 championship leader Facu Regalia to just three points after claiming pole position in Abu Dhabi.
Kvyat spent much of the session in top spot and whenever somebody was able to go quicker than him, the Russian could find extra time to take the top spot back.
He finished up 0.28 seconds faster than second-placed Nick Yelloly, who shadowed Kvyat during his quickest lap. Kevin Korjus took third with a minute left on the clock, splitting Yelloly from his Carlin team-mate Alexander Sims.
Jack Harvey was the last man to get ahead of Kvyat in the session but slipped down to fifth ahead of Carlos Sainz, who was second to Kvyat late in the session but had his best effort disallowed for breaching track limits.
Conor Daly claimed seventh ahead of Patric Niederhauser, with single-seater returnee Dean Stoneman a superb ninth.
Regalia could only manage tenth, with his advantage being more than halved by the four bonus points awarded to Kvyat for pole.
Session results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
| 1 | Daniil Kvyat | MW Arden | 1:55.473 | 12 | |
| 2 | Nick Yelloly | Carlin | 1:55.753 | +0.280 | 11 |
| 3 | Kevin Korjus | Koiranen GP | 1:55.785 | +0.312 | 13 |
| 4 | Alexander Sims | Carlin | 1:56.221 | +0.748 | 12 |
| 5 | Jack Harvey | ART Grand Prix | 1:56.265 | +0.792 | 11 |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz, Jr. | MW Arden | 1:56.392 | +0.919 | 12 |
| 7 | Conor Daly | ART Grand Prix | 1:56.442 | +0.969 | 11 |
| 8 | Patric Niederhauser | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:56.487 | +1.014 | 12 |
| 9 | Dean Stoneman | Koiranen GP | 1:56.560 | +1.087 | 12 |
| 10 | Facu Regalia | ART Grand Prix | 1:56.722 | +1.249 | 11 |
| 11 | Giovanni Venturini | Trident | 1:56.730 | +1.257 | 11 |
| 12 | Tio Ellinas | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:56.928 | +1.455 | 13 |
| 13 | Jimmy Eriksson | Status Grand Prix | 1:57.057 | +1.584 | 12 |
| 14 | Robert Visoiu | MW Arden | 1:57.095 | +1.622 | 12 |
| 15 | Dino Zamparelli | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:57.281 | +1.808 | 12 |
| 16 | Alex Fontana | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:57.420 | +1.947 | 11 |
| 17 | Emanuele Zonzini | Trident | 1:57.445 | +1.972 | 12 |
| 18 | Patrick Kujala | Koiranen GP | 1:57.667 | +2.194 | 11 |
| 19 | Luis Sa Silva | Carlin | 1:57.967 | +2.494 | 12 |
| 20 | Robert Cregan | Trident | 1:58.040 | +2.567 | 12 |
| 21 | Josh Webster | Status Grand Prix | 1:58.115 | +2.642 | 13 |
| 22 | Adderly Fong | Status Grand Prix | 1:58.328 | +2.855 | 12 |
| 23 | Samin Gomez | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:58.522 | +3.049 | 13 |
| 24 | Alice Powell | Bamboo Engineering | 1:58.553 | +3.080 | 12 |
| 25 | Ryan Cullen | Marussia Manor Racing | 1:58.804 | +3.331 | 12 |
| 26 | Carmen Jorda | Bamboo Engineering | 1:59.400 | +3.927 | 13 |