By RaceScene Publisher on Friday, 18 March 2022
Category: The Checkered Flag

Colapinto and Van Amersfoort take FIA F3 debut pole

Argentine debutant Franco Colapinto took the first pole position of the season at the Bahrain International Circuit on Friday.

Both he and Van Amersfoort Racing make their FIA Formula 3 Championship bows this weekend, and have shown their hand at the earliest possible opportunity, starting at the top of the order for Sunday’s Feature Race.

Roman Stanek topped Free Practice earlier in the day, and put his Trident just behind Colapinto, who went fastest with his first valid lap.

Kush Maini finished the session in third place, but was later ordered to start both the Sprint and Feature Race from the pits after failing to stop at the weighbridge, while Charouz Racing System‘s Ayrton Simmons picked up a three-place penalty for the Sprint Race for impeding Maini’s MP Motorsport team-mate Alexander Smolyar at the end of the Russian’s lap.

The ART Grand Prix cars impressed and locked out fourth through sixth position, with Gregoire Saucy leading Victor Martins and Juan Manuel Correa home.

Smolyar still managed to finish in eighth place, with Isack Hadjar and David Vidales (Campos Racing) rounding out the top ten.

Maini’s penalty sees his other team-mate Caio Collet start from Sprint Race pole, ahead of Carlin‘s Zak O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan’s fellow F3 debutant and fellow GB3 Championship race-winner Oliver Bearman (Prema Racing) will start third on Saturday morning.

FIA Formula 3 Qualifying Result – Bahrain International Circuit

Pos.No.NameNat.TeamTime
129Franco ColapintoARGVan Amersfoort Racing1:46.249s
22Roman StanekCZETrident+0.065s
312Kush Maini*INDMP Motorsport+0.073s (pitlane start)
48Gregoire SaucySUIART Grand Prix+0.161s
57Victor MartinsFRAART Grand Prix+0.163s
69Juan Manuel CorreaUSAART Grand Prix+0.351s
73Zane MaloneyBARTrident+0.373s
811Alexander SmolyarFIAMP Motorsport+0.393s
918Isack HadjarFRAHitech Grand Prix+0.400s
1020David VidalesSPACampos Racing+0.458s
116Oliver BearmanGBRPrema Racing+0.594s
1226Zak O’SullivanGBRCarlin+0.611s
1310Caio ColletBRAMP Motorsport+0.696s
144Arthur LeclercMONPrema Racing+0.712s
151Jonny EdgarGBRTrident+0.776s
1630Rafael VillagomezMEXVan Amersfoort Racing+0.837s
1731Reece UshijimaUSAVan Amersfoort Racing+0.874s
1825William AlataloFINJenzer Motorsport+0.910s
1917Kaylen FrederickUSAHitech Grand Prix+0.958s
2022Josep Maria MartiSPACampos Racing+1.054s
215Jak CrawfordUSAPrema Racing+1.122s
2223Ido CohenISRJenzer Motorsport+1.195s
2316Francesco PizziITACharouz Racing System+1.250s
2427Brad BenavidesUSACarlin+1.317s
2524Niko KariFINJenzer Motorsport+1.397s
2621Hunter YeanyUSACampos Racing+1.446s
2719Nazim AzmanMALHitech Grand Prix+1.453s
2828Enzo TrulliITACarlin+1.457s
2915Ayrton SimmonsGBRCharouz Racing System+1.760s (+3pos.)
3014Laszlo TothHUNCharouz Racing System+2.983s
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