Leonardo Lorandi takes Eurocup pole in wet-to-dry Spa qualifying

Photo: Renault Sport

Leonardo Lorandi took JD Motorsport’s first Formula Renault Eurocup pole in a year in a wet-to-dry qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps.

A heavy rain shower hit the circuit just before qualifying, and initially only R-ace GP’s Caio Collet and Oscar Piastri ventured on to track.

Lap times were initially in the 2m50s, but as the track dried the benchmark pace quickly dropped. It then became a matter of timing, as well as car control in the particularly damp patch at the end of the Kemmel Straight, in setting a lap when the track was at its driest.

MP Motorsport trio Victor Martins, Lorenzo Colombo and Amaury Cordeel slipstreamed one another to the front of the order, and it was Martins who sat in first place when the chequered flag fell. A risky overtake on team-mate Cordeel during his best lap netted him a provisional third, with the latter slotting in to fifth.

All three had finished too early though, and Renault Sport-affiliated Lorandi was one of the last cars over the line with his pole-setting lap.

Bhaitech’s Federico Malvestiti timed his run just right to qualify fourth, putting him in a good place to score points for the first time since the season opener, behind Martins and Colombo.

Showing off his low-grip skill was Arden’s Frank Bird, who was fifth, ahead of Collet, Cordeel, Piastri, Malvestiti’s team-mate Petr Ptacek and Global Racing Service’s Xavier Lloveras.

Championship debutant Franco Colapinto briefly ran in first for FA Racing by Drivex, but ended up in 11th place.

Title contender Alexander Smolyar never featured in the battle for pole, and had his best lap deleted late on. The R-ace GP driver’s one chance to make an improvement proved fruitless, leaving him 21st and last on the grid.

Qualifying results