Home Featured Nobuharu Matsushita takes first pole of F2 return in Baku

Nobuharu Matsushita takes first pole of F2 return in Baku

by Bethonie Waring

Photo: Joe Portlock / FIA F2 Championship

Carlin?s Nobuharu Matsushita took his second career Formula 2 pole in Baku, and the first since his return to the championship from Super Formula.

After a delayed start and an early red flag, Matsushita knocked ART Grand Prix Nyck de Vries from the top of the times with his last lap, a whole 0.444s ahead.

Cars had only just hit the track when the already delayed session ? postponed so officials could inspect the track after a manhole cover came loose in Formula 1 free practice ? was stopped.

Sean Galael came to a halt with a mechanical problem on his Prema car, causing a red flag. He was able to get going again but did not set a lap. He’ll still start 19th though, as MP Motorsport’s Mahaveer Raghunathan will have to start from the pitlane after missing the weighbridge in free practice.

Championship leader Luca Ghiotto set the early pace, but the Virtuosi Racing driver couldn?t find as much pace as his rivals on his subsequent flying laps, and will start the feature race from third.

DAMS driver Sergio Sette Camara took fourth, ahead of MP Motorsport’s series veteran Jordan King and top rookie Mick Schumacher, driving for Prema. All three were over a second off of pole.

Sette Camara’s team-mate Nicholas Latifi, Campos Racing’s Jack Aitken, Arden International’s Anthoine Hubert, and Trident driver Ralph Boschung completed a close bottom half of the top 10.

 

Qualifying results
Pos Name Team Time
1 Nobuharu Matsushita Carlin 1m54.555s
2 Nyck de Vries ART Grand Prix +0.444s
3 Luca Ghiotto Virtuosi +0.482s
4 Sergio Sette Camara DAMS +1.122s
5 Jordan King MP Motorsport +1.149s
6 Mick Schumacher Prema +1.242s
7 Nicholas Latifi DAMS +1.280s
8 Jack Aitken Campos Racing +1.394s
9 Anthoine Hubert Arden International +1.583s
10 Ralph Boschung Trident +1.598s
11 Callum Ilott Sauber Junior Team by Charouz +1.660s
12 Louis Deletraz Carlin +1.771s
13 Guan Yu Zhou Virtuosi +1.899s
14 Giuliano Alesi Trident +2.000s
15 Nikita Mazepin ART Grand Prix +2.013s
16 Dorian Boccolacci Campos Racing +2.098s
17 Juan Manuel Correa Sauber Junior Team by Charouz +2.381s
18 Tatiana Calderon Arden International +3.609s
19 Sean Gelael Prema no time
20 Mahaveer Raghunathan MP Motorsport +6.192s