QUALIFYING: Beganovic earns maiden F2 pole after late Red Flag

Dino Beganovic timed his Qualifying lap perfectly to beat the Red Flags and the rest of the field to earn his first pole position in Formula 2.

The Hitech TGR driver logged a 1:27.418 to lead PREMA Racing’s Sebastián Montoya and ART Grand Prix driver Victor Martins, with the top three separated by just 0.006s.

Arvid Lindblad got the ball rolling with a 1:28.175 to lead the pack but he was pipped by Martins and Alexander Dunne in short order, the Irishman continuing from where he was in Practice.

The Rodin Motorsport driver’s 1:27.827 was later beaten by Lindblad who moved back up to the top by going 0.012s quicker on his next attempt. Martins improved too, and he put ART on top with a 1:27.424.

After a brief spell back in the pitlane, drivers returned to the track with 10 minutes to go in the session and conditions improving.

Montoya hit the front next for PREMA, but his time was bettered by Beganovic by just 0.003s. The Swede got his 1:27.418 in just before the Red Flags were waving.

Kush Maini suffered a spin into the barriers at Tamburello. With the clear up of the DAMS Lucas Oil car not able to be completed in time, the session was not resumed.

It put Beganovic on pole and meant he was the first winner of the Aramco Pole Position Award in F2, ahead of Montoya and Martins.

Leonardo Fornaroli completed a late lap in the initial runs to wind up third fastest for his first home event of the season, while Dunne completed the top five.

Lindblad and Luke Browning followed in sixth and seventh places, while MP Motorsport’s Oliver Goethe was eighth. Maini finished ninth ahead of DAMS teammate Jak Crawford in 10th.

The Sprint Race is scheduled to get underway on Saturday at 14:15 local time.