Italian Grand Prix – F2 Qualifying: Two red flags for Zane Maloney on pole
After a hot and slippery race, Zane Maloney set the fastest time of the session. He will start on pole for Sunday's main race. The Formula 2 qualifying session saw a number of difficulties, including 2 red flags for running off the track.
The Formula 2 qualifications on Friday started with a delay and difficult conditions. The drivers took to the track at 4:02 pm, in the high temperatures with a track temperature exceeding 50°C. Among them, young drivers Oliver Goethe and Nils Koolen who were making their second appearance in the category, after their sudden promotion to Formula 2.
A series of misfortunes
Roman Stanek set the first reference time with a time of 1:43.827 in the opening minutes of qualifying. But he was also the first to go off track, a recurring scene throughout the session. While he dropped down the standings at the end of the session, it didn’t stop him from impeding French driver Isack Hadjar on his first flying lap. The incident was noted by the FIA, with an investigation scheduled after the race.
Several flags made their appearance this Friday, notably with Oliver Goethe and a yellow flag, which spun in sector 1 in the first 10 minutes of qualifying. The young German driver, for his first weekend in Formula 2, made several mistakes but managed to finish eleventh at the end of the session. A few seconds later, the first red flag was deployed 19 minutes before the end. It was caused by a polystyrene panel falling on the track, a result of Victor Martins going off track on the new surface of Monza.
A second red flag occurred because of Gabriel Bortoleto, who ended up in the gravel trap. However, he did not have the same luck as Victor Martins. While the French driver managed to rejoin the track, for Gabriel Bortoleto, his excursion meant the end of the session. He will therefore start from last position for the two races of the weekend. The Brazilian driver is Isack Hadjar’s main rival in the championship. He currently sits in second place in the drivers’ standings after the Red Bull junior. This mistake will offer an opportunity for the French driver to extend his lead at the top of the standings.
The session, significantly shortened by these interruptions, ended with Zane Maloney setting the fastest time in 1:32.160. He therefore secures the pole position for Sunday’s race. As a reminder, with the reverse grid principle in Formula 2, Enzo Fittipaldi, who finished tenth in qualifying, will start in first position for Saturday’s sprint race.
Ranking to come…
