Charles Leclerc made it six poles in six rounds with a stunning lap in this afternoon’s FIA Formula 2 qualifying session in Silverstone, easily continuing his perfect qualifying form to take the top spot by over four tenths from championship rivals Oliver Rowland and Norman Nato. 

The Monegasque driver was the fastest man on both sets of tyres, running quicker again on his second set to top all three sectors for a combined lap of 1:38.427 to break the hearts of any of his rivals who were hoping for a reversal of fortune at the fast, flowing circuit. 

The session got underway in overcast and changeable conditions, and with a little rain earlier in the day the drivers were taking no chances and were immediately onto the circuit when the lights went green.

Jordan King was the first man to set a competitive time, but the local driver was knocked off the top spot mere seconds later by Leclerc with a 39.1s lap, topping all the sectors on his way there. 

The entire field returned to the pits until there were just 10 minutes remaining, when they returned en masse to look for a better time. With most of the top runners following each other the top spot changed as each of them crossed the line: first Nato, then Rowland, and finally Leclerc, who cruised around on track as the others return to the pits in case there were any more challenges to his pole. 

He needn’t have worried, as the other filled the spaces behind the top three: King, Artem Markelov, Nicholas Latifi, Sergio Canamasas, Nobuharu Matsushita and Sergio Sette Camara were all within a second of the top spot and will be looking for more reward in tomorrow’s feature race.

Preliminary Qualifying Classification 

Artem Markelov dominated this morning’s FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria for a fine win which saw the likeable Russian close up on championship rival Charles Leclerc, who retired midway through the race, as he was greeted by the chequered flag ahead of Alexander Albon and Charles Leclerc.

The win was set up at the start, which saw a long hold before the lights went out to release the Russian, who easily controlled a fast charging Albon with Rowland in his wake: the start was too long for Ralph Boschung, who stuttered as he tried to go and was swamped by the grid before Raffaele Marciello drove into the back of the slower car, forcing the Italian into retirement and the safety car to emerge on track.

The race was live again on lap 5 with Markelov easily controlling the restart: further back Leclerc was looking to move forward and dispatched Jordan King for P5 and a ringside seat for the battle ahead of him.

Rowland was looking for a way past Albon, who was not in the mood to hand out presents: the DAMS man stuttered and Antonio Fuoco went to the outside of him at turn 4 but was squeezed onto the kerbs before stumbling back into teammate Leclerc, who had nowhere to go and spun into retirement after contact between the pair, prompting a VSC period.

The marshals did their customary quick job of removing the car and the race was live again 2 laps later, with a number of drivers very close together as the track went green: Nyck De Vries ran inside and through a fight between Luca Ghiotto and Gustav Malja, who came together with the Swede sailing into the gravel and the Italian resuming the fight and moving back past the Dutchman.

With his teammate controlling the race from the front, Ghiotto was on a charge to recoup something from a disappointing weekend: on lap 11 he dispatched Robert Visoiu for P7 before slicing past Nicholas Latifi a few laps later by running outside and switching back at turns 5/6, blasted past King on lap 19 before closing on Fuoco, easily claiming the inside line at turn 4 for P4 a lap before Visoiu and De Vries tripped over each other at the same place, with both running through the gravel and losing a probable points finish.

But at the flag it was Markelov who collected all the plaudits for a fine win ahead of Albon and Rowland, with Ghiotto in P4 after an astonishing drive to finish just ahead of a disappointed Fuoco. King was promoted to 6^th following a 5 second time penalty for Latifi for speeding in the pitlane, with the Canadian finishing his run of podiums in P8 behind Norman Nato, who celebrated his birthday with more points for 7^th.

As disappointed as he was with the retirement, Leclerc could at least be consoled with an extended lead in the Drivers’ Championship, moving up to 151 points ahead of Rowland on 102, Markelov on 99, Latifi on 72 and Ghiotto on 66 points, while in the Teams’ Championship PREMA Racing and DAMS share a seat at the top of the table on 174 points each ahead of RUSSIAN TIME on 165 and ART Grand Prix on 130 as they look towards next week’s Round 6 of the 2017 Championship in Silverstone.

Sprint Race Provisional Classification

Charles Leclerc has picked up where he left off in Austria by topping the timesheets in this afternoon’s free practice session in Silverstone, grabbing the position early in the session before chipping away at his own times to lead Oliver Rowland and Luca Ghiotto at the flag.

The Monegasque was competing with himself throughout the session, improving his times continually before finally settling on 1:40.695 two thirds of the way through an uneventful session, which took place on a Thursday for the first time.

The session took place under overcast and cool conditions, with all of the field heading straight onto the circuit to record some times in case the threatened rain arrived. Leclerc set the first competitive time at the 10 minute mark, with Nicholas Latifi and Ghiotto briefly usurping him on the top of the timesheets before the Ferrari Academy driver reverted to the top spot a few minutes later.

Rowland closed the gap to his championship rival at the 30 minute mark but Leclerc ran quicker still a few minutes later and the matter was settled as the grid concentrated on longer run pace.

Behind the top 3 Latifi, Artem Markelov, Sergio Canamasas, Jordan King, Nyck De Vries, Norman Nato and Louis Deletraz were all within a second of the top spot and will be hoping for more to come in tomorrow’s qualifying session.

Preliminary Free Practice Classification

Charles Leclerc has extended his championship lead with a sparkling win in muggy conditions in this afternoon’s FIA Formula 2 feature race at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, dictating the pace throughout the race to record a convincing victory ahead of Nicholas Latifi and PREMA teammate Antonio Fuoco.

The Monegasque driver controlled the race right from the start, when Fuoco made a better initial getaway from P2 but Leclerc was quicker in the second phase and into the corner, leading the race once again as the rest of the field shook out between the pair.

Championship contender Oliver Rowland made a poor getaway on the option tyres and was swamped into turn one, with the ART pair of Alexander Albon and Nobuharu Matsushita as well as DAMS teammate Latifi blasting past the British racer.

The PREMA pair swapped fastest laps as they pulled away from their pursuers, but Fuoco ultimately had no answer for his teammate’s pace as the gap grew between them.

Latifi was the first of the option-shod drivers to pit, on lap 7, with his teammate coming in one lap later but emerging behind the Canadian, who had driven a great first stint but had no response when Rowland blasted inside him at turn on lap 13 for P8 on track, and a net podium if his strategy worked.

Leclerc, however, was unruffled, maintaining the gap back to Rowland the leader of the option drivers and a solid hand on a net victory.

Rowland was doing what he could to make his strategy work, overtaking prime drivers and trying to close the gap, but it was to no avail: Fuoco pitted on lap 31 and emerged between the DAMS drivers, Leclerc came in a lap later and emerged ahead of Rowland, and when Matsushita pitted next time through the Ferrari Academy driver was back in P1.

Unfortunately the effort had taken a toll on Rowland’s tyres, allowing his rivals to regain a march on him: Fuoco got through the Briton on lap 33, Latifi dispatched his teammate 3 laps later and, remarkably given the age difference in their tyres, also pushed past Fuoco on lap 38 to form the podium: Leclerc slowed in the end but easily controlled the run to the line for a fine victory ahead of Latifi and Fuoco, with Rowland just unable to unseat the Italian for a podium.

Albon and Matsushita were next across the line, running as they had all weekend, with Ralph Boschung an impressive 7th from P11 on the grid and Artem Markelov on the reverse pole from P14, ahead of Jordan King and Sean Gelael, who mugged Robert Visiou for the final point on the final lap.

Feature Race Provisional Classification