In qualifying for the Magny-Cours round of the French F4 Championship, Anglo-Swiss Félix Hirsiger clinched pole position in front of Dane Lasse Sorensen, provisional championship leader, and French driver, Dorian Boccolacci.
The 24 divers began qualifying for the fourth round of the season in beautiful summer weather on the legendary circuit in the Nièvre. Some already knew the track while others were having their first outing, and the spectators were on tenterhooks to see how quickly the drivers would find their marks. Finally, it was business as usual at the front of the grid. Dorian Boccolacci was the first to set a benchmark time followed by Félix Hirsiger and Lasse Sorensen. Although the Frenchman improved each time round he was soon knocked off pole by Sorensen. Behind him Paul Hockfelt Jr and Hirsiger rounded out the top 3 while Boccolacci fell back to fourth.
Reuben Kressner from Sweden created a shock by moving up to second place that he snatched from Hokfelt Jr. On his first outing Max Defourny from Belgium got up into fourth. Hirsiger then went to the top of the time sheets in front of Sorensen. Australian Joseph Mawson, who had mechanical problems in free practice fought his way up to third before a full yellow was hung out when Anouck Abadie went off putting an end to her qualifying session. Hirsiger was still on top at this moment.
Half-way through the session the drivers took to the track for the final qualifying shoot-out. Shortly afterwards Valentin Moineault clinched 10th place while Russian Vladimir Atoev was gunning for Mawson in third. Valentin Hasse-Clot put in a stunning lap to mark his territory and snatched fourth. Boccolacci improved five minutes from the end and took third pushing Mawson back to fourth. Swiss David Droux created an upset by clinching fifth in front of Hasse Clot. Russian Vladimir Atoev, Hokfelt Jr, another Russian Denis Bulatov and Mexican Patricio O’Ward rounded out the top 10. French trio Erwan Julé, Bryan Elpitiya and Moineault all failed to make the top 10 and will have to go pedal to the metal to score a good result in tomorrow’s race.
Hirsiger, who set the fastest and second-fastest times, will start from pole in race 1 followed by Sorensen and Boccolacci.
Reminder
The line-up for the first race will be established according the second-fastest time of each driver in the qualifying session. The classification of race 1 will decide the grid positions for race 2 with the first ten in race 1 starting in reverse order. The other drivers will start in the finishing order. The grid line-up for race 3 will be established according to the fastest time of each driver in qualifying.
Race 1: Saturday 6th September: start at 11h45.
>>> Races to be follow in live on www.gt-tour.fr
Info Auto Sport Academy / © KSP