Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography
Carlin’s Lando Norris was the quickest overall driver in a close MSA Formula qualifying at Knockhill, while rival Dan Ticktum of Fortec bagged pole for race three on second-best times.
Title contenders Norris, Ticktum and championship leader Ricky Collard were the top drivers throughout the session, with the fight for pole limited to the trio.
Ticktum led with ten minutes to go when Ollie Pidgley went off in the gravel and brought out the red flag. As the session then got going again, the red flag returned almost instantly as Tarun Reddy also found the gravel.
In the final stint, Ticktum and Norris traded blows before the latter finally edged ahead.
Collard had to do with third, while his teammates Enaam Ahmed and Sandy Mitchell were fifth and sixth behind Colton Herta, who was a first-time winner at Snetterton.
James Pull, who switched from JTR to Fortec, took seventh, ahead of Sennan Fielding and Pull’s former teammate Daniel Baybutt, the latter duo setting identical times. Carlin’s Petru Florescu rounded out the top ten.
Ticktum and Norris will switch places on the first row for race three, with Collard, Herta and Ahmed staying put in the top five.
Fielding, Mitchell, Baybutt, Pull and Josh Smith complete the first five rows.
Qualifying results
| Fastest times ? race one | Second fastest times ? race three | ||||||
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Pos. | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | Lando Norris | Carlin | 49.626 | 1 | Dan Ticktum | Fortec | 49.740 |
| 2 | Dan Ticktum | Fortec | 49.704 | 2 | Lando Norris | Carlin | 49.752 |
| 3 | Ricky Collard | Arden | 49.871 | 3 | Ricky Collard | Arden | 49.895 |
| 4 | Colton Herta | Carlin | 49.966 | 4 | Colton Herta | Carlin | 49.969 |
| 5 | Enaam Ahmed | Arden | 50.006 | 5 | Enaam Ahmed | Arden | 50.033 |
| 6 | Sandy Mitchell | Arden | 50.020 | 6 | Sennan Fielding | JHR Developments | 50.138 |
| 7 | James Pull | Fortec | 50.077 | 7 | Sandy Mitchell | Arden | 50.180 |
| 8 | Sennan Fielding | JHR Developments | 50.134 | 8 | Dan Baybutt | JTR | 50.214 |
| 9 | Dan Baybutt | JTR | 50.134 | 9 | James Pull | Fortec | 50.224 |
| 10 | Petru Florescu | Carlin | 50.405 | 10 | Josh Smith | Fortec | 50.453 |
| 11 | Josh Smith | Fortec | 50.439 | 11 | Matheus Leist | Double R | 50.547 |
| 12 | Matheus Leist | Double R | 50.473 | 12 | Petru Florescu | Carlin | 50.612 |
| 13 | Tarun Reddy | Double R | 50.476 | 13 | Tarun Reddy | Double R | 50.665 |
| 14 | Louise Richardson | Richardson Racing | 50.643 | 14 | Louise Richardson | Richardson Racing | 50.716 |
| 15 | Rafa Martins | SWB Motorsport | 50.775 | 15 | Rafa Martins | SWB Motorsport | 50.800 |
| 16 | Jessica Hawkins | Falcon Motorsport | 50.921 | 16 | Jessica Hawkins | Falcon Motorsport | 50.933 |
| 17 | Jack Butel | JHR Developments | 51.145 | 17 | Jack Butel | JHR Developments | 51.202 |
| 18 | Ollie Pidgley | Richardson Racing | 51.200 | 18 | Ollie Pidgley | Richardson Racing | 51.260 |