Pulcini snatches maiden GP3 pole for Barcelona opener
Campos Racing’s Leonardo Pulcini grabbed a dramatic maiden GP3 pole position with a late effort to pip ART Grand Prix’s Nikita Mazepin for the 2018 season-opener in Barcelona.
Pulcini surged to the top of the timesheets with a 1m32.258s in the closing stages of qualifying to deny Force India development driver Mazepin what would have been his first-ever pole in single-seater racing.
Campos Racing’s Leonardo Pulcini grabbed a dramatic maiden GP3 pole position with a late effort to pip ART Grand Prix’s Nikita Mazepin for the 2018 season-opener in Barcelona.
Pulcini surged to the top of the timesheets with a 1m32.258s in the closing stages of qualifying to deny Force India development driver Mazepin what would have been his first-ever pole in single-seater racing.
Mazepin, who led the way for the majority of the session, missed out on pole by just 0.1s and was clear of ART teammate and third-placed man Anthoine Hubert by the same margin.
Ferrari junior and fellow ART teammate Callum Ilott rose to fourth with a late improvement, ahead of MP Motorsport duo Niko Kari and Dorian Boccolacci.
Euroformula Open graduate Simo Laaksonen impressed with the seventh-fastest time for Campos, beating Jenzer driver David Beckman, and Trident pair Alessio Lorandi and Guliano Alesi, who rounded out the top 10.
Jake Hughes, who set the pace in morning practice in Spain, ended 11th quickest in the fourth ART entry, ahead of Juan Manuel Correa, Pedro Piquet and Sauber test driver Tatiana Calderon.
Julien Falchero took the honours of being the fastest Arden driver as he headed Diego Menchaca and teammates Joey Mawson and Gabriel Aubry in 15th, while Ryan Tveter and late entrant Will Palmer propped up the field in 19th and 20th respectively.
