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Ocon quickest, series leaders lock out top four in Hungaroring practice

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
Photo: Zak Mauger / GP3 Series Media Service

Photo: Zak Mauger / GP3 Series Media Service

Esteban Ocon narrowly denied points leader Luca Ghiotto in GP3’s practice session at the Hungaroring.

The Frenchman headed a session that saw the four championship frontrunners occupy the top four spots in the timesheets, separated by three tenths and a half.

Ghiotto led most of the session comfortably, but dropped down the order in the final minutes, when massive improvements occurred across the field.

Among those upping their pace was Ocon, who went almost nine tenths up on Ghiotto, stringing together three purple sectors.

The Italian himself then improved vastly in the dying seconds, but ended up 0.038s short of Ocon and then abandoned his final lap, which featured a session-best sector one.

Emil Bernstorff improved after the chequered flag to take third, with Marvin Kirchhofer propping up the top four.

Kevin Ceccon, who won last time out at Silverstone, was just 0.002s behind the German but a full two tenths up on sixth-placed Pal Varhaug.

Carlin teammates Mitch Gilbert and Antonio Fuoco were seventh and ninth, split by Adderly Fong, while their remaining squadmate Jann Mardenborough stopped on track early in the session.

Artur Janosz of Trident rounded out the top ten.

Qualifying results
Pos. Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Luca Ghiotto Trident 1:34.030 12
2 Emil Bernstorff Arden International 1:34.066 0.036 15
3 Esteban Ocon ART Grand Prix 1:34.214 0.184 12
4 Marvin Kirchhofer ART Grand Prix 1:34.231 0.201 12
5 Jimmy Eriksson Koiranen GP 1:34.359 0.329 15
6 Matt Parry Koiranen GP 1:34.522 0.492 14
7 Alex Palou Campos Racing 1:34.526 0.496 14
8 Antonio Fuoco Carlin 1:34.571 0.541 12
9 Kevin Ceccon Arden International 1:34.744 0.714 14
10 Pal Varhaug Jenzer Motorsport 1:34.745 0.715 13
11 Mitch Gilbert Carlin 1:34.751 0.721 14
12 Matheo Tuscher Jenzer Motorsport 1:34.766 0.736 13
13 Seb Morris Status Grand Prix 1:34.873 0.843 12
14 Ralph Boschung Jenzer Motorsport 1:35.001 0.971 11
15 Artur Janosz Trident 1:35.008 0.978 14
16 Alex Fontana Status Grand Prix 1:35.071 1.041 15
17 Sandy Stuvik Status Grand Prix 1:35.091 1.061 14
18 Jann Mardenborough Carlin 1:35.108 1.078 14
19 Adderly Fong Koiranen GP 1:35.255 1.225 14
20 Zaid Ashkanani Campos Racing 1:36.140 2.110 14
21 Alex Bosak Arden International 1:36.235 2.205 14
22 Samin Gomez Campos Racing 1:37.164 3.134 13
23 Alfonso Celis ART Grand Prix No Time 4