Home Formula 2 Vandoorne starts GP2 campaign with fifth consecutive pole

Vandoorne starts GP2 campaign with fifth consecutive pole

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
Photo: Sam Bloxham / GP2 Series Media Service

Photo: Sam Bloxham / GP2 Series Media Service

GP2 pre-season favorite Stoffel Vandoorne dominated the opening qualifying of the season, leading an ART 1-2 at Sakhir.

The Belgian seemed in a league of his own on his way to a fifth consecutive pole position – a series record.

Just a tenth clear after the first round of laps, Vandoorne ramped up the pace in the second half of the session, putting himself out of reach with three minutes to go.

Rookies Alex Lynn and Jordan King, as well as sophomore Arthur Pic, all looked like good shouts for runner-up during the session, but were stunned by Japanese F3 champion Nobuharu Matshushita, who will join teammate Vandoorne on front row.

GP3 title holder Lynn qualified third with Pic alongside, while Raffaele Marciello overcame a troubled start to the session to claim fifth. The Italian appeared stuck in gear on his first run and had to crawl back to the pitlane, but was quickly back up to pace in the final minutes of qualifying.

Racing Engineering’s practice-topping duo of Jordan King and Alexander Rossi took sixth and eighth respectively, split by Arden signing Norman Nato. Formula Renault 3.5 graduates Pierre Gasly and Sergey Sirotkin completed the top ten.

Session results
Pos. Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Stoffel Vandoorne ART Grand Prix 1:39.237 11
2 Nobuharu Matsushita ART Grand Prix 1:39.545 0.308 11
3 Alex Lynn DAMS 1:39.599 0.362 11
4 Arthur Pic Campos Racing 1:39.630 0.393 11
5 Raffaele Marciello Trident 1:39.645 0.408 8
6 Jordan King Racing Engineering 1:39.770 0.533 11
7 Norman Nato Arden International 1:39.857 0.620 11
8 Alexander Rossi Racing Engineering 1:39.872 0.635 12
9 Pierre Gasly DAMS 1:39.877 0.640 12
10 Sergey Sirotkin Rapax 1:39.887 0.650 12
11 Artem Markelov Russian Time 1:39.955 0.718 11
12 Rio Haryanto Campos Racing 1:39.961 0.724 10
13 Mitch Evans Russian Time 1:39.999 0.762 11
14 Robert Visoiu Rapax 1:40.128 0.891 12
15 Richie Stanaway Status Grand Prix 1:40.251 1.014 11
16 Julian Leal Carlin 1:40.353 1.116 12
17 Sergio Canamasas MP Motorsport 1:40.434 1.197 12
18 Marco Sorensen Carlin 1:40.444 1.207 12
19 Andre Negrao Arden International 1:40.634 1.397 11
20 Daniel de Jong MP Motorsport 1:40.653 1.416 11
21 Nathanael Berthon Lazarus 1:40.654 1.417 11
22 Rene Binder Trident 1:40.773 1.536 10
23 Marlon Stockinger Status Grand Prix 1:40.995 1.758 11
24 Zoel Amberg Lazarus 1:41.690 2.453 11