Italia: Series Hockenheim qualifying report

Hockenheim, qualifying: first pole for Gabriel Chaves

First pole position in Formula 3 for Gabriel Chaves, author of the best laptime of 1'52.925 at Hockenheim in qualifying. The session started under a light rain that decreased as minutes went by; the final stages were held on an almost dry circuit in some sectors of the track and drivers were improving their laptimes lap after lap.

Second time for Daniel Mancinelli (Team Ghinzani), who proceeded Segio Campana (Lucidi Motors) and Matthew Lee (Alan Racing Team). Samuele Buttarelli (Prema Junior), Cesar Ramos (BVM-Target), Frederic Vervisch (RC Motorsport) and Jesse Krohn (RP Motorsport), the latter starting from the pole position of race two, conclude the first eight drivers.

The classification leader Andrea Caldarelli (Prema Junior), victim of an off track exit that prevented him to run in the last few decisive minutes of the session, concluded only in tenth position. Some comments from the paddock follow:

Giuseppe Mazzotti (BVM-Target, Team Principal):
"The last few laps, on the circuit that was getting drier by the minute, were a guessing game. Ramos could probably improve further, but the same holds true for other drivers. We are hopeful anyway for the race".

Piercarlo Ghinzani (Team Ghinzani, Team Principal):
"We obtained a good level of competitiveness with Mancinelli in the tests at Imola, this was confirmed today in qualifying too. Mason is at his first experience in Formula 3 and he unavoidably pays the penalty for his debut on such a demanding track like this one".

Ivan Valori (BVE Racing, Team Owner):
"We are growing even if little by little. The seventeenth laptime is a discrete result and a good starting point for the two races".

Eleonora Marcone (RC Motorsport, Team Manager):
"In the roulette at the end of the session Vervisch managed to get a seventh place that will allow him to start from row one in the second race; what a shame for Roda, victim of an off track excursion that took him out of the scene early".

Sergio Campana (Lucidi Motors):
"In qualifying at Imola, my favourite track, the wet tarmac did not bring me good luck. Here things went certainly much better and it seems like we have all what it takes to run a good race".

Race one will start this afternoon at 17.10 Italian time.

-source: f3italia