Home News Sainz bags fourth pole in close qualifying at Spa

Sainz bags fourth pole in close qualifying at Spa

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
Photo: Antonin Grenier / DPPI / Renault Sport Media

Photo: Antonin Grenier / DPPI / Renault Sport Media

DAMS driver Carlos Sainz secured his fourth pole position of the Formula Renault 3.5 season in Saturday qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps.

The Spaniard came out on top in a closely fought session, in which pole position was decided in a last-minute flurry of flying laps.

Sainz and teammate Norman Nato led the session coming into the halfway point, when the field came into the pits for their fresh sets of tyres.

Pierre Gasly was among the first drivers to emerge back on track and immediately went quickest by a large margin.

The fresher tyres had a huge impact on the order as everyone began to significantly improve their lap times. Pietro Fantin was quickest a minute after Gasly, only to be immediately pipped by Sergey Sirotkin.

Series returnee Richie Stanaway was then briefly 0n top, before Gasly got back into first.

Finally, with a minute and a half to go, it was Sainz who wrestled the lead back and, despite many of his rivals getting another two laps to respond, the Spaniard managed to remain out front.

Fellow Red Bull junior Gasly will join Sainz on the front row, while Sirotkin will start in third place.

Stanaway will line up in fourth on his return to the Formula Renault 3.5 category, with Roberto Merhi and Fantin occupying row three.

Matias Laine took seventh ahead of Zoel Amberg, Marlon Stockinger and Oliver Rowland, with tenth place less than half a second down on the pole lap.

Session results
Pos. Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Carlos Sainz DAMS 1:58.681 11
2 Pierre Gasly Arden Motorsport 1:58.802 0.121 11
3 Sergey Sirotkin Fortec Motorsports 1:58.818 0.137 11
4 Richie Stanaway Lotus 1:58.855 0.174 10
5 Roberto Merhi Zeta Corse 1:58.928 0.247 10
6 Pietro Fantin International Draco Racing 1:58.993 0.312 10
7 Matias Laine Strakka Racing 1:58.994 0.313 10
8 Zoel Amberg AVF 1:59.015 0.334 11
9 Marlon Stockinger Lotus 1:59.150 0.469 11
10 Oliver Rowland Fortec Motorsports 1:59.151 0.470 12
11 Luca Ghiotto International Draco Racing 1:59.206 0.525 11
12 Norman Nato DAMS 1:59.221 0.540 12
13 Marco Sorensen Tech 1 Racing 1:59.229 0.548 11
14 Jazeman Jaafar ISR 1:59.260 0.579 10
15 Will Stevens Strakka Racing 1:59.388 0.707 11
16 William Buller Arden Motorsport 1:59.477 0.796 12
17 Meindert van Buuren Pons Racing 1:59.610 0.929 11
18 Beitske Visser AVF 1:59.692 1.011 11
19 Oscar Tunjo Pons Racing 1:59.965 1.284 10
20 Roman Mavlanov Zeta Corse 2:01.118 2.437 10