Felix to start Race 1 from sixth following “messy” qualifying session

Felix will start the first FIA Formula 3 European Championship race of the weekend from sixth on the grid following what he labelled a “messy” qualifying outing at the Hungaroring on Friday evening.

After ending up second in the preceding free practice session, Felix had laid the foundations for a strong qualifying performance at the Budapest venue, only to find himself outside the pole position scrap as a combination of factors hindered his progress.

The first half of the 20-minute session was scuppered by traffic, with Felix constantly encountering slower cars as he tried desperately to find an uninterrupted lap.

Once in clear air, the tyres had then lost most of their bite, leaving Felix a disappointed sixth – his frustration depicted by the fact that his eventual best was close to two tenths slower than he’d managed in practice.

Pole position went to Prema Powerteam’s Esteban Ocon, with Felix ending up 0.633s adrift of the Frenchman.

Race 1 takes place tomorrow morning, with a second qualifying session later on Saturday then setting up the grid for Race 2 and 3.

FELIX:

“Less than we expected. It was a very messy session, in which I encountered traffic on each of my first five or six laps. Once I found some clear air, the rears (tyres) had lost most of their grip, and there was little I could do to improve. To add to that, the overall balance was worse than this morning, which I think was due to a change in track conditions. I was almost two tenths slower than in free practice, which probably says it all. Quite simply a session to forget, and I’m already focussing on tomorrow.”

RESULTS

Felix