Frenchman heads ART 1-3 in qualifying
Jules Bianchi has taken an early lead in this year's GP2 championship with a storming drive to pole in Barcelona qualifying, claiming the top spot ahead of Sergio Perez and the morning's fastest man Sam Bird.
The Frenchman stunned his rivals with a laptime of 1:27.727 in warm, sunny conditions to claim the first pole position of the season, three tenths ahead of Perez and half a second in front of his teammate.
The session opened to warmer temperatures than the morning's free practice, with Christian Vietoris leading the way on the first lap before Bianchi asserted his authority and set the target for his rivals.
Bird, Perez and Pic opened a five way fight for the top spot early in the session, and when Bianchi broke the 27 second barrier a third of the way through the fight was on. The field headed back to the pits at half time for fresh tyres and a rethink, everyone casting around for a new advantage on the only testing circuit of the race season, but with the track so well known it was going to take an almighty effort to knock the Frenchman off his perch in the closing stages of qualifying.
With minutes remaining Bird pushed hard to repeat his morning's result but lost time in the final sector and was two tenths off, with Bianchi pushing to cover but actually running slower. When Perez's first sector time went purple it looked as though the Mexican was going to break through, but instead he came into the pits without crossing the line, clearly unhappy with something. And when Bianchi spun to a stop at the chicane in the final sector was no chance of anyone else improving, putting the rookie at the front of the grid for tomorrow afternoon's race one. Slotting in behind the top three will be Vietoris, Oliver Turvey, Pic, Dani Clos and Marcus Ericsson: with six rookies in the top eight the start promises to be unmissable entertainment.
Barcelona – Qualifying session Driver Team Time Laps
1. Jules Bianchi ART Grand Prix 1:27.727 13 2. Sergio Perez Barwa Addax Team 1:28.011 12 3. Sam Bird ART Grand Prix 1:28.241 14 4. Christian Vietoris Racing Engineering 1:28.254 16 5. Oliver Turvey iSport International 1:28.298 16 6. Charles Pic Arden International 1:28.300 16 7. Dani Clos Racing Engineering 1:28.372 14 8. Marcus Ericsson Super Nova Racing 1:28.376 12 9. Pastor Maldonado Rapax 1:28.670 15 10. Davide Valsecchi iSport International 1:28.714 14 11. Fabio Leimer Ocean Racing Technology 1:28.723 15 12. Giacomo Ricci DPR 1:28.969 14 13. Giedo van der Garde Barwa Addax Team 1:29.000 14 14. Luiz Razia Rapax 1:29.065 14 15. Johnny Cecotto Trident Racing 1:29.129 15 16. Jerome d’Ambrosio DAMS 1:29.238 15 17. Alberto Valerio Scuderia Coloni 1:29.271 13 18. Josef Kral Super Nova Racing 1:29.382 12 19. Max Chilton Ocean Racing Technology 1:29.437 16 20 Michael Herck DPR 1:29.500 15 21. Adrian Zaugg Trident Racing 1:29.518 14 22. Ho-Pin Tung DAMS 1:29.519 14 23. Vladimir Arabadzhiev Scuderia Coloni 1:29.912 9 24. Rodolfo Gonzalez Arden International 1:30.209 15
