Gabriele Mini clinches pole position for the Formula 3 Monaco

Gabriele Mini of Hitech GP claims pole position in a thrilling Formula 3 Monaco qualifying session. After a fierce battle, Mini outshines the competition in Group B, surpassing initial leader Dino Beganovic. The combined times from both groups determine the starting grid, setting the stage for an exciting Feature Race.

Hitech GP’s Gabriele Mini will secure the pole position for the Formula 3 Monaco Feature Race alongside Dino Beganovic of Prema, as Mini achieved the fastest time in Group B. Beganovic, initially ranked fourth fastest, managed to snatch the top spot in Group A with a time of 1:23.880. However, in the final moments of the Group B qualifying session, Mini surged ahead and claimed pole position by clocking a time of 1:23.270.

Qualifying for the 30-driver grid followed the customary practice of dividing into two groups at the Monte Carlo street circuit. The times from both Group A and Group B were then combined to determine the starting grid, with the driver setting the overall fastest time starting from pole position, while the second-fastest driver starts in P2.

After the initial laps to warm up the tires on the short Monaco circuit, the first group started their push laps with 10 minutes left in the session. Christian Mansell set the first fastest time, with Oliver Goethe and Leonardo Fornaroli following closely behind. However, the drivers still had some ground to cover in order to match their practice times.

As the minutes ticked by, lap times continued to drop rapidly. Beganovic emerged as the fastest driver, taking the top position on the timing screen. Luke Browning and Franco Colapinto also made impressive strides, displacing the previous top three drivers and securing their own prominent positions.

During the session, Ollie Gray encountered a momentary incident as he went wide at Turn 18. Fortunately, he managed to steer clear of the wall and avoid any damage. On the other hand, Luke Browning and Franco Colapinto persisted in improving their fastest lap times.

With five minutes left on the clock, Browning excelled in the third sector, setting the fastest time of the session thus far. His impressive performance further solidified his position at the top of the timing charts.

Several drivers narrowly avoided colliding with the walls at the swimming pool chicane, showcasing their skill and precision. In the midst of this, Montoya steadily improved upon his best lap time and secured the second-fastest position, trailing closely behind Browning.

However, Goethe caused a cautionary situation with two minutes remaining as he went straight on at Turn 1, prompting double-waved yellow flags.

On the other hand, in Group A, the Ferrari Academy driver demonstrated remarkable progress by leaping from fourth fastest to claim the fastest lap of the session, recording a time of 1:23.880.

Despite Browning setting the fastest time in the first sector, he brushed against the wall in the final sector, resulting in an abandoned fast lap. Consequently, he was unable to challenge Beganovic’s leading time.

In a twist of events, Montoya encountered late drama when he brushed the wall while navigating through the final corner. Fortunately, there appeared to be no visible damage to his car on that occasion. However, luck was not on his side, as a lap later, he collided with the wall, resulting in significant damage and ultimately forcing him to abandon the car as the session came to an end.

Following the conclusion of the first group’s session, the second group, consisting of fifteen drivers, took to the challenging twists and turns of the Monte Carlo circuit for their qualifying session.

Similar to Group A, the drivers in Group B also required a few laps to warm up their tires and reach optimal operating temperatures. This initial phase allowed the grid to disperse across the track.

With just over ten minutes left on the clock, the drivers had acclimated to the circuit and were attaining their desired speeds. Gabriele Mini claimed the top spot on the timing screen, with Caio Collet closely trailing behind. However, Pepe Marti soon emerged and set the fastest time, temporarily overtaking Mini. Additionally, Zak O’Sullivan managed to secure the third fastest time during this phase of the session.

As the session progressed, the lap times continued to decrease rapidly. Paul Aron made a significant improvement, securing the second fastest time, while Nikola Tsolov surpassed Zak O’Sullivan to claim the fourth fastest position with four minutes left.

However, Aron encountered a tense moment as he had a close encounter with the barrier. Later on, Caio Collet had a brush with the wall in the middle sector, further adding to the excitement of the session.

In an impressive move, Gabriel Bortoleto catapulted from tenth fastest to third fastest, fueled by his exceptional performance in the first sector, where he recorded the fastest time. His sudden surge in position demonstrated his skill and determination during the qualifying session.

Caio Collet made a valiant effort to improve his position by recording the fastest time in the middle sector. However, he was unable to challenge the top two drivers’ positions.

Although the lap times were consistently decreasing, none of the drivers were able to surpass Dino Beganovic’s fastest time set in Group A. Beganovic’s impressive performance remained unbeaten.

Nevertheless, in the closing moments of the session, Gabriele Mini delivered an outstanding performance by setting the fastest time of the Group B session with a remarkable lap time of 1:23.270. This outstanding achievement secured Mini the fastest time of the overall qualifying session, granting him pole position for the Formula 3 Monaco Feature Race.

Gabriele Mini clinches pole position for the Formula 3 Monaco Gabriele Mini clinches pole position for the Formula 3 Monaco Gabriele Mini clinches pole position for the Formula 3 Monaco

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