Photo: Renault Sport
Formula Renault 3.5 title favorite Kevin Magnussen has once again displayed the edge over his rivals over one-lap pace as he took pole for the penultimate race of the season at Catalunya.
The qualifying produced a close fight for first over the final minutes, as the likes for Carlos Sainz, Jr., Will Buller, Nigel Melker and Will Stevens took turns topping the session.
However, it was the ever-present Dane who put in an effort that was to be unmatched by his rivals, as he took his seventh pole of the year in 14 attempts.
Caterham junior Stevens will start alongside the DAMS driver on the front row, while Buller rounds out the top three.
Magnussen’s title rival Stoffel Vandoorne will start in fourth, ahead of Lotus driver Marco Sorensen and ISR’s Sergey Sirotkin, while Tech 1’s Melker will take seventh.
Sainz wound up eighth, ahead of Norman Nato and Antonio Felix da Costa.
If Vandoorne does not outscore Magnussen by 18 points in race one, the Dane will crowned series champion.
Session results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
| 1 | Kevin Magnussen | DAMS | 1:29.618 | 15 | |
| 2 | Will Stevens | P1 by Strakka Racing | 1:29.725 | +0.107 | 13 |
| 3 | William Buller | Zeta Corse | 1:29.885 | +0.267 | 14 |
| 4 | Stoffel Vandoorne | Fortec Motorsports | 1:29.932 | +0.314 | 16 |
| 5 | Marco Sorensen | Lotus | 1:29.961 | +0.343 | 14 |
| 6 | Sergey Sirotkin | ISR | 1:29.981 | +0.363 | 13 |
| 7 | Nigel Melker | Tech 1 Racing | 1:30.020 | +0.402 | 14 |
| 8 | Carlos Sainz, Jr. | Zeta Corse | 1:30.034 | +0.416 | 12 |
| 9 | Norman Nato | DAMS | 1:30.078 | +0.460 | 15 |
| 10 | Antonio Felix da Costa | Arden Caterham | 1:30.208 | +0.590 | 15 |
| 11 | Nico Muller | International Draco Racing | 1:30.306 | +0.688 | 14 |
| 12 | Mikhail Aleshin | Tech 1 Racing | 1:30.333 | +0.715 | 13 |
| 13 | Marlon Stockinger | Lotus | 1:30.358 | +0.740 | 14 |
| 14 | Arthur Pic | AV Formula | 1:30.381 | +0.763 | 13 |
| 15 | Matias Laine | P1 by Strakka Racing | 1:30.599 | +0.981 | 13 |
| 16 | Christopher Zanella | ISR | 1:30.601 | +0.983 | 13 |
| 17 | Andre Negrao | International Draco Racing | 1:30.662 | +1.044 | 14 |
| 18 | Oliver Webb | Fortec Motorsports | 1:30.675 | +1.057 | 14 |
| 19 | Nikolay Martsenko | Pons Racing | 1:30.783 | +1.165 | 13 |
| 20 | Zoel Amberg | Pons Racing | 1:30.799 | +1.181 | 14 |
| 21 | Daniil Move | SMP Racing by Comtec | 1:30.812 | +1.194 | 12 |
| 22 | Lucas Foresti | SMP Racing by Comtec | 1:30.868 | +1.250 | 13 |
| 23 | Pietro Fantin | Arden Caterham | 1:30.907 | +1.289 | 16 |
| 24 | Yann Cunha | AV Formula | 1:31.126 | +1.508 | 14 |
| 25 | Carlos Huertas | Carlin | 1:31.185 | +1.567 | 13 |
| DNP | Jazeman Jaafar | Carlin |
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