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Nato scores provisional pole

2016 GP2 Series Round 5. Silverstone, Northamptonshire, UK. Friday 8 July 2016. Norman Nato (FRA, Racing Engineering) Photo: Zak Mauger/GP2 Series Media Service. ref: Digital Image _79P3772

Norman Nato set polemical pole position at Silverstone as his laptime might have been set under red flag. Pierre Gasly and Nicholas Latifi completed the top 3 in a session interrupted twice by red flags.


Let’s remind that Sergio Canamasas would get a three-place penalty for “unsporting behaviour” to Oliver Rowland in practice session. Like in FP1, Lucas Ghiotto faced another technical issue and was forced to retire only three minutes into the session. Rowland was the first to dip under the 1:40 laptime before being joined by Sergey Sirotkin and Pierre Gasly. Alex Lynn faced a way more difficult session, losing time in every sector. Meanwhile on top, Frenchmen Gasly and Norman Nato battled for the lead.

With nine-teen minutes to go, Nabil Jeffri stopped his car in the old starting line, bringing a red flag in the session for five minutes although all the drivers remained in the pits as it was the traditional mid quali break. At that point, Gasly lead from Nato and Sirotkin but the Russian was under investigation for missing the weigh-bridge.

Alex Lynn was once again the first to head out with eleven minutes to go but the DAMS struggled to find the pace on this track. Rowland, after struggling to get out of the pitlane, stopped just after the pitlane exit. The question was about Nato, setting the best time a few seconds after the red flag was waved although the lights were not red at that moment.

At the restart, Artem Markelov got out first ahead of Gustav Malja and Gasly. Gasly improved on his first flying lap but not fast enough to over score Nato. Norman Nato scored a provisional pole position as he is still under investigation for setting his fastest time under red flag. Pierre Gasly will join him on the front row. Latifi, Marciello, Sirotkin -likely to get excluded from the session, Giovinazzi, Evans, King, Pic and Rowland complete the top 10.