Pic leads all-Addax front row
Date published : 24 Jun 2011 - 14:40:13
Charles Pic will lead an all-Addax front row for the Spanish team's home race after he narrowly beat Giedo van der Garde to pole position for the main race.The Frenchman jumped from third to first with just two minutes of the session remaining to rob van der Garde of the top spot - and take the points lead thanks to the pole bonus. Then with just one minute to go, championship leader Romain Grosjean (DAMS) crashed at Turn 5, bringing out the red flags.Grosjean finished the session as best of the rest in third, while Luca Filippi took fourth for Super Nova thanks to a strong lap he set early on.Reigning GP3 champion Esteban Gutierrez had his best qualifying of the year as he took fifth place, and the ART driver will share the third row with iSport's Sam Bird.Dani Clos (Racing Engineering) and Davide Valsecchi (AirAsia) were next up, while free practice pacesetter Jules Bianchi could only take ninth for ART. The Frenchman had been on course for pole with a lap he was on with just four minutes remaining, but he aborted as it fell away in the middle sector.He had already been one of several drivers to have a first hot lap on fresh tyres ruined earlier in qualifying, when Johnny Cecotto Jr spun and brought out the red flags with nine minutes to go.Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Charles Pic Addax 1m46.675s 2. Giedo van der Garde Addax 1m46.727s + 0.052s 3. Romain Grosjean DAMS 1m46.771s + 0.096s 4. Luca Filippi Super Nova 1m46.953s + 0.278s 5. Esteban Gutierrez ART 1m46.995s + 0.320s 6. Sam Bird iSport 1m47.016s + 0.341s 7. Dani Clos Racing Engineering 1m47.041s + 0.366s 8. Davide Valsecchi AirAsia 1m47.129s + 0.454s 9. Jules Bianchi ART 1m47.337s + 0.662s10. Marcus Ericsson iSport 1m47.417s + 0.742s11. Luiz Razia AirAsia 1m47.418s + 0.743s12. Max Chilton Carlin 1m47.451s + 0.776s13. Alvaro Parente Carlin 1m47.752s + 1.077s14. Pal Varhaug DAMS 1m47.802s + 1.127s15. Christian Vietoris Racing Engineering 1m47.875s + 1.200s16. Stefano Coletti Trident 1m47.963s + 1.288s17. Jolyon Palmer Arden 1m48.032s + 1.357s18. Michael Herck Coloni 1m48.056s + 1.381s19. Fabio Leimer Rapax 1m48.234s + 1.559s20. Johnny Cecotto Jr Ocean 1m48.337s + 1.662s21. Fairuz Fauzy Super Nova 1m48.527s + 1.852s22. Josef Kral Arden 1m48.601s + 1.926s23. Kevin Ceccon Coloni 1m48.631s + 1.956s24. Rodolfo Gonzalez Trident 1m48.716s + 2.041s25. Julian Leal Rapax 1m48.768s + 2.093s26. Kevin Mirocha Ocean 1m48.972s + 2.297s
