In the morning Erwan Julé dominated the free practice session on the Paul Ricard circuit. But in the afternoon Valentin Moineault put on a stunning performance in the last F4 qualifying session in 2014 and clinched his maiden pole position. He will start in first place in race 3 ahead of Anglo-Swiss Félix Hirsiger and Lasse Sorensen from Denmark. As the latter set the second-quickest time he will be on pole in race 1 in front of Hirsiger and Amaury Richard.
When the session began and in the early laps the tension could be cut with a knife! The drivers all knew that the final points could prove crucial as they would determine the final places in the top 3 in the championship (apart from the title). Amaury Richard, Valentin Hasse Clot and Patricio O’Ward from Mexico swapped the fastest time while Russian Vladimir Atoev fought his way up the time sheets. Hasse Clot was pretty quick but was out-paced by O’Ward. Sorensen, who wanted to end the final meeting with a flourish even though he had already clinched the championship title, snatched first place with Russian Denis Bulatov hot on his heels as the latter moved up to second. Moineault put on a final charge determined to have the last word and took first place, which he held for almost the whole of the remainder of the session, in front of Sorensen and Hirsiger. The Dane, though, had no intention of letting himself be beaten and he recaptured pole briefly, but Moineault went even quicker and pushed Sorensen back to second. Dorian Boccolacci, who was not very much at home on the Paul Ricard layout, dialed in some quick laps in the closing stages and two minutes from the flag he clinched fourth place. O’Ward put on another good performance and set the fifth-quickest time.
Moineault did not wilt under pressure despite the quick times set by Hirsiger and Sorensen. Richard, who had been very fast early on in qualifying, finally took sixth place in front of Hasse Clot and Swiss Paul Hokfelt Jr. Reuben Kressner from Sweden stood out briefly by setting the best time in the first sector, but could do no better than ninth overall while Bulatov rounded out the top 10. Behind the Russian came Bryan Elpitiya and Max Defourny from Belgium. Harrison Newey, a new Auto Sport Academy recruit for the last event, put on a credible performance setting the 19th-quickest time in his first qualifying session.
Thanks to his second-fastest time Sorensen will start from pole position in race 1 followed by Hirsiger and Richard.
Race 1: Saturday 25th October – start at 10h30.
Info Auto Sport Academy / © Photo KSP