ART Grand Prix’s Nyck de Vries took feature race pole in Monaco’s FIA Formula 2 (F2) Championship weekend ahead of Sauber Junior Team by Charouz’s Callum Ilott.
Group A
Looking at the narrow streets of Monte Carlo, the Monaco F2 qualifying was divided into two groups with Group A consisting of odd numbered cars to the start the proceedings. The lead changed hands multiple times even after the chequered flag fell.
The two Ferrari juniors led the way with Sauber Junior Team by Charouz’s Callum Ilott (1m21.462s) from Prema’s Mick Schumacher (1m21.469s) and DAMS’ Sergio Sette Camara (1m21.537s) as the British racer had the last laugh.
BWT Arden’s Anthoine Hubert (1m21.675s) slotted in fourth with Carlin’s Louis Deletraz (1m21.936s) in fifth from ART Grand Prix’s Nikita Mazepin (1m22.089s) and Trident’s Ralph Boschung (1m22.233s).
The remaining three places went to UNI-Virtuosi Racing’s Guanyu Zhou (1m22.772s) in eighth from Campos Racing’s Jack Aitken (1m22.877s) and MP Motorsport’s Mahaveer Raghunathan (1m26.522s).
Group B
The second group had the even numbered cars as ART’s Nyck de Vries led the way with a 1m20.676s lap from UNI-Virtuosi Racing’s Luca Ghiotto (1m20.924s) and DAMS’ Nicholas Latifi (1m21.130s) in the Top 3 as the Dutchman secured Monaco F2 pole.
Prema’s Sean Gelael (1m21.598s) slotted in fourth from Carlin’s Nobuharu Matsushita (1m21.807s) as F2 returnee MP Motorsport’s Artem Markelov (1m22.086s) finished sixth from Campos’ Dorian Boccolacci (1m22.290s).
Sauber Junior Team by Charouz’s Juan Manuel Correa (1m22.437s) was eighth from Trident’s Giuliano Alesi (1m22.785s) and BWT Arden’s Tatiana Calderon (1m24.791s). With de Vries setting pole from his group, the drivers gained a place in the standings already.
Position 1-19: De Vries, Ilott, Ghiotto, Schumacher, Latifi, Sette Camara, Gelael, Hubert, Matsushita, Deletraz, Markelov, Mazepin, Boccolacci, Boschung, Correa, Zhou, Alesi, Aitken, Calderon. Outside 107%: Raghunathan.
UPDATE: Latifi was handed a three-place penalty as the Canadian ‘crossed the white line at the pit exit after the red light was illuminated’. The DAMS racer is to start from eighth as a result with Sette Camara, Gelael and Hubert to move up the order.