F2: Martins on pole once again for ART Grand Prix in Silverstone qualifying

Victor Martins made it two pole positions in a row during F2 qualifying at Silverstone, sealing his third P1 start of the 2023 season. The ART Grand Prix and Alpine Academy driver led the way for the majority of the session and saved his best for last, pipping Campos Racing’s Kush Maini to the top spot on the grid.

Maini’s P2 finish was his best result of an impressive rookie campaign so far, as he secured a front row start in a Formula 2 Feature Race for the first time. Ayumu Iwasa was third for DAMS. Pace-setter in Free Practice, the Red Bull Junior Team driver was fighting for pole throughout but couldn’t quite match Martins’ pace when it counted.

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The session was disrupted by two red flag stoppages. The first came after a crash for Invicta Virtuosi Racing’s Amaury Cordeel. The Belgian spun in the opening 10 minutes, hitting the barriers at Copse. A second pause to correct the session timer prompted a flurry of late improvements with under five minutes remaining of the session.

Jack Doohan went fourth for Invicta Virtuosi Racing to continue his improved form on a Friday. It is the fourth consecutive weekend the Alpine Academy man has started from inside the top five following the in-season test at Barcelona.

Leading the British charge, Oliver Bearman secured P5 for PREMA Racing, a strong result after ending up 19th in Spielberg one week ago.

The Rodin Carlin and Red Bull Junior Team pairing of Enzo Fittipaldi and Zane Maloney line up alongside one another on the grid, sixth and seventh respectively in their team’s home event.

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Theo Pourchaire couldn’t quite match his team mate’s speed in eighth position, just 0.007s ahead of compatriot and F2 rookie Isack Hadjar.

Championship leader Frederik Vesti ended up 10th after a spin in the final minute of the session but will start the Sprint Race on Saturday from reverse grid pole.

For an in-depth recap of the Formula 2 qualifying session, visit the official F2 website.