Home News Sainz maintains Spa dominance with Sunday pole

Sainz maintains Spa dominance with Sunday pole

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
Photo: Gregory Lenormand / DPPI / Renault Sport Media

Photo: Gregory Lenormand / DPPI / Renault Sport Media

Spanish racer Carlos Sainz was again the class of the Formula Renault 3.5 field as he dominantly secured pole for race two of the Spa-Francorchamps round.

The Spaniard comfortably led the session at halfway point when the field, as is usual, pitted for new tyres. While a flurry of improvements followed next, the Spaniard dealt a crushing blow to his rivals in the closing minutes with a superb lap that wound up being 0.36s clear of his nearest rival.

It was Oliver Rowland who managed to secure the other front row spot, bouncing back from a torrid Saturday, which yielded an early retirement from an already tough race.

Will Stevens secured the best qualifying result of his season so far, while championship returnee Richie Stanaway will again line up in fourth.

Jazeman Jaafar will take fifth on the grid, very narrowly ahead of Pietro Fantin, Sergey Sirotkin and Matias Laine.

Marco Sorensen and Norman Nato round out the top ten.

Session results
Pos. Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Carlos Sainz DAMS 1:58.319 10
2 Oliver Rowland Fortec Motorsports 1:58.679 0.360 11
3 Will Stevens Strakka Racing 1:58.815 0.496 11
4 Richie Stanaway Lotus 1:58.955 0.636 11
5 Jazeman Jaafar ISR 1:59.058 0.739 11
6 Pietro Fantin International Draco Racing 1:59.061 0.742 11
7 Sergey Sirotkin Fortec Motorsports 1:59.071 0.752 11
8 Matias Laine Strakka Racing 1:59.075 0.756 11
9 Marco Sorensen Tech 1 Racing 1:59.179 0.860 11
10 Norman Nato DAMS 1:59.228 0.909 11
11 Pierre Gasly Arden Motorsport 1:59.312 0.993 12
12 Zoel Amberg AVF 1:59.335 1.016 11
13 Marlon Stockinger Lotus 1:59.372 1.053 11
14 Roberto Merhi Zeta Corse 1:59.417 1.098 10
15 Meindert van Buuren Pons Racing 1:59.516 1.197 11
16 Beitske Visser AVF 1:59.708 1.389 11
17 William Buller Arden Motorsport 1:59.772 1.453 11
18 Luca Ghiotto International Draco Racing 1:59.909 1.590 11
19 Oscar Tunjo Pons Racing 2:00.381 2.062 11
20 Roman Mavlanov Zeta Corse 2:00.688 2.369 12