Max Chilton and Walter Grubmuller were the men to beat at Oulton Park today (Sat), Carlin Motorsport driver Chilton claiming pole position for Monday's opening round of the Cooper Tires British F3 International Series and Hitech Racing's Grubmuller ending the second session on top of the timesheets.In qualifying 1, young Brit Chilton pipped his Australian team-mate Daniel Ricciardo to the pole by nearly three-tenths of a second in the closing moments of the session to establish a Dallara-Volkswagen 1-2. "I was surprised," said Max, who turns 18 later this month. "I knew it was a good lap, but I didn't realise until I saw the time that it had been that quick and that it was good enough for pole. I'm very pleased of course; it's a great start to my season."Ricciardo ended the session just ahead of another Oulton Park and British F3 debutant, Daisuke Nakajima, the Japanese driver impressing with his unheralded pace in the Raikkonen Robertson Dallara and taking third on the grid and the honour of top Mercedes-powered runner. Nick Tandy's Mygale-Mercedes was fourth fastest. Less than a second covered the top nine.
The leading National Class runner was Fortec's Daniel McKenzie. Victor Correa's Litespeed SLC was third fastest in the National Class despite a session-ending off at the chicane.
Austrian veteran Walter Grubmuller earned his maiden F3 pole position this afternoon at Oulton, the Hitech Racing pilot setting the fastest time in the day's second qualifying session.
Grubmuller, 20, will start Monday afternoon's championship Round 2 from top spot, with Ricciardo alongside him. F3 newcomer Riki Christodoulou will line up third on the grid in his Fortec-prepared Dallara-Mercedes, with Tandy top Brit in his Mygale in fourth. Round 1 pole-sitter Chilton could not repeat his form and will start fifth.
T-Sport's Gabriel Dias emerged the quickest of the National Class runners on this occasion.Round 1 qualifying times, Oulton Park, 11/4/2009
Dry, sunny1 Max CHILTON/GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 27.830s2 Daniel RICCIARDO/AUS, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 28.105s3 Daisuke NAKAJIMA/JPN, RR Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 28.236s4 Nick TANDY/GBR, JTR Mygale-Mercedes, 1m 28.240s5 Walter GRUBMÜLLER/AUT, Hitech Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 28.263s6 Riki CHRISTODOULOU/GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 28.309s7 Henry ARUNDEL/GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 28.422s8 Carlos HUERTAS/COL, RR Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 28.423s9 Oliver OAKES/GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 28.654s10 Adriano BUZAID/BRA, T-Sport Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 28.894s11 Wayne BOYD/GBR, T-Sport Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 29.134s12 Victor GARCIA/ESP, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 29.315s13 Hywel LLOYD/GBR, CF Racing Dallara-Mugen Honda, 1m 29.473s14 NAT Daniel McKENZIE/GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mugen Honda, 29.554s15 Jay BRIDGER/GBR, West-Tec Mygale-Mugen Honda, 1m 29.583s16 NAT Gabriel DIAS/BRA, T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda, 1m 29.884s17 Stéphane RICHELMI/MON, Barazi-Epsilon Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 30.793s18 NAT Victor CORREA/BRA, Litespeed-Mugen Honda, 1m 31.027s19 NAT Max SNEGIREV/RUS, West-Tec Dallara-Mugen Honda, 1m 31.529sRound 2 qualifying times, Oulton Park, 11/4/2009Dry, sunny1 Walter GRUBMÜLLER/AUT, Hitech Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 27.921s2 Daniel RICCIARDO/AUS, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 28.103s3 Riki CHRISTODOULOU/GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 28.354s4 Nick TANDY/GBR, JTR Mygale-Mercedes, 1m 28.354s5 Max CHILTON/GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 28.416s6 Carlos HUERTAS/COL, RR Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 28.567s7 Daisuke NAKAJIMA/JPN, RR Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 28.608s8 Henry ARUNDEL/GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 28.733s9 Hywel LLOYD/GBR, CF Racing Dallara-Mugen Honda, 1m 28.939s10 Oliver OAKES/GBR, Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 28.950s11 Adriano BUZAID/BRA, T-Sport Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 29.248s12 Victor GARCIA/ESP, Fortec Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 29.465s13 Jay BRIDGER/GBR, West-Tec Mygale-Mugen Honda, 1m 29.554s14 Wayne BOYD/GBR, T-Sport Dallara-Volkswagen, 1m 29.604s15 NAT Gabriel DIAS/BRA, T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda, 1m 29.867s16 NAT Daniel McKENZIE/GBR, Fortec Dallara-Mugen Honda, 1m 29.964s17 Stéphane RICHELMI/MON, Barazi-Epsilon Dallara-Mercedes, 1m 31.193s18 NAT Max SNEGIREV/RUS, West-Tec Dallara-Mugen Honda, 1m 31.772s19 NAT Victor CORREA/BRA, Litespeed-Mugen Honda, no time
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