Drugovich claims first pole since Monaco in wet-to-dry Spa session · RaceFans

Championship leader Felipe Drugovich took Formula 2 pole at Spa, his first since Monaco, slightly extending his title lead over Théo Pourchaire.

Wet conditions at the start of the session delayed the pit lane opening by five minutes. Once running did commence, all cars went out on soft tyres, but no driver went on to set a time in the first five minutes.

Two incidents interrupted early running, first a yellow flag as Jack Doohan spun in turn one, then Jüri Vips spun through La Source after seven minutes of running, prompting a red flag. Vips was subsequently out of the remaining 23 minutes of qualifying.

At the restart, Richard Verschoor had the best time of the session with a 2’11.460 but times quickly fell on the drying track, with Marcus Armstrong setting a 2’00.353 with 18 minutes to go.

Felipe Drugovich was the first driver to set a lap below two minutes, putting in a 1’59.990 with 13 minutes left in qualifying.

With seven minutes remaining in the session, David Beckmann came across a large pack of traffic at the Bus Stop chicane and had to take avoiding action, running off the track and ruining his flying lap attempt.

Drivers began their final runs in the last five minutes of the session, with Ralph Boschung – who had topped practice on his return to F2 following missing several rounds with a spinal injury – setting a 1’59.126 to take provisional pole, but he was quickly forced down to eighth.

Drugovich was able to retake the top spot with a 1’58.232, seven tenths faster than Jack Doohan’s second-placed time. The pole time seemed untouchable, with a yellow in sector two during drivers’ final flying laps, but Enzo Fittipaldi was able to claim second and Logan Sargeant third, demoting Doohan to fourth while David Beckmann found a lap good enough for fifth-fastest.

The points for pole extend Drugovich’s championship lead to 23 points over Théo Pourchaire, who qualified eighth. The partially reversed grid format for tomorrow’s sprint race puts tenth-fastest Boschung on pole, with Jehan Daruvala alongside him on the front row.

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Formula 2 Spa-Fraoncorchamps qualifying results