Photo: ACI Sport
Ralf Aron topped both qualifying sessions at the third round of the Italian F4 season at Imola.
As a result, he will start races one and three from pole and both times he will be joined by teammate Guan Yu Zhou on the front row.
In the first session, the gap between the Prema duo was as close as it gets as the Estonian finished just a thousandth of a second ahead.
Another close fight between teammates decided fourth place on the grid with Mucke’s David Beckmann ending up in the position, followed by Robert Shwartzman with a gap of 0.002s.
Jenzer’s Marcos Siebert edged between the Prema and Mucke duo to take third.
South American duo Mauricio Baiz and Giuliano Raucci qualified sixth and seventh respectively, and the top ten was completed by Marino Sato, Lucas Mauron and Mike Ortmann.
Ferrari junior Zhou was leading the way in the final minutes of the second session, only to be dethroned by Aron.
Beckmann ended up third closely behind the leading two, while Joao Vieira, who was only 23rd in the first qualifying, rebounded in fourth.
Shwartzman took fifth, followed by Baiz, Ortmann, Sato, Siebert and Mauron.
Qualifying results
| Qualifying 1 | Qualifying 2 | ||||||
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Pos. | Driver | Team | Time |
| 1 | Ralf Aron | Prema Powerteam | 1:46.260 | 1 | Ralf Aron | Prema Powerteam | 1:45.769 |
| 2 | Guan Yu Zhou | Prema Powerteam | 1:46.261 | 2 | Guan Yu Zhou | Prema Powerteam | 1:45.855 |
| 3 | Marcos Siebert | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:46.430 | 3 | David Beckmann | Mucke Motorsport | 1:45.861 |
| 4 | David Beckmann | Mucke Motorsport | 1:46.616 | 4 | Joao Vieira | Antonelli Motorsport | 1:46.078 |
| 5 | Robert Shwartzman | Mucke Motorsport | 1:46.618 | 5 | Robert Shwartzman | Mucke Motorsport | 1:46.127 |
| 6 | Mauricio Baiz | Vincenzo Sospiri Racing | 1:46.622 | 6 | Mauricio Baiz | Vincenzo Sospiri Racing | 1:46.165 |
| 7 | Giuliano Raucci | Prema Powerteam | 1:46.729 | 7 | Mike David Ortmann | Mucke Motorsport | 1:46.219 |
| 8 | Marino Sato | Vincenzo Sospiri Racing | 1:46.836 | 8 | Marino Sato | Vincenzo Sospiri Racing | 1:46.235 |
| 9 | Lucas Mauron | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:46.987 | 9 | Marcos Siebert | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:46.270 |
| 10 | Mike David Ortmann | Mucke Motorsport | 1:47.060 | 10 | Lucas Mauron | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:46.367 |
| 11 | Alex Peroni | Torino Squadra Corse | 1:47.100 | 11 | Ye Yifei | RB Racing | 1:46.618 |
| 12 | Bar Baruch | Israel F4 | 1:47.113 | 12 | Bar Baruch | Israel F4 | 1:46.665 |
| 13 | Ye Yifei | RB Racing | 1:47.152 | 13 | Alex Peroni | Torino Squadra Corse | 1:46.687 |
| 14 | Diego Bertonelli | RB Racing | 1:47.267 | 14 | Diego Bertonelli | RB Racing | 1:46.826 |
| 15 | Raul Guzman | Malta Formula Racing | 1:47.409 | 15 | Raul Guzman | Malta Formula Racing | 1:46.888 |
| 16 | Arlind Hoti | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:47.435 | 16 | Yan Leon Shlom | Malta Formula Racing | 1:46.904 |
| 17 | Matteo Desideri | Antonelli Motorsport | 1:47.657 | 17 | Giuliano Raucci | Prema Powerteam | 1:46.933 |
| 18 | Yan Leon Shlom | Malta Formula Racing | 1:48.089 | 18 | Matteo Desideri | Antonelli Motorsport | 1:47.049 |
| 19 | Riccardo Ponzio | Teramo Racing Team | 1:48.115 | 19 | Arlind Hoti | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:47.173 |
| 20 | Fernando Madera | Team Costa Rica | 1:48.351 | 20 | Riccardo Ponzio | Teramo Racing Team | 1:47.475 |
| 21 | Moritz Muller-Crepon | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:48.397 | 21 | Fernando Madera | Team Costa Rica | 1:47.631 |
| 22 | Mattia Ferrari | Antonelli Motorsport | 1:49.233 | 22 | Moritz Muller-Crepon | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:47.974 |
| 23 | Joao Vieira | Antonelli Motorsport | 1:49.469 | 23 | Kikko Galbiati | Antonelli Motorsport | 1:48.430 |
| 24 | Kikko Galbiati | Antonelli Motorsport | 1:49.909 | 24 | Mattia Ferrari | Antonelli Motorsport | 1:48.430 |
| 25 | Wiktoria Pankiewicz | RB Racing | 1:50.332 | 25 | W.Pankiewicz | RB Racing | 1:48.685 |
| 26 | Julia Pankiewicz | RB Racing | 1:50.632 | 26 | Julia Pankiewicz | RB Racing | 1:49.768 |
| 27 | Kevin Kanayet | Malta Formula Racing | 1:55.552 | 27 | Kevin Kanayet | Malta Formula Racing | No Time |