Written by Sean McKean
In a session headlined by low grip and mistakes, Laurens van Hoepen took his maiden FIA F3 pole position in Hungary. It was the Dutchman’s first pole position since his Formula Regional Oceania campaign in early 2023.
As it unfolded
The first run saw some unusual names – or rather, an unusual team – up front: AIX Racing. After nine minutes of running, the top three were Joshua Dufek, Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, and Nikita Bedrin.
A few lap deletions also affected the order. ART teammates Nikola Tsolov and Christian Mansell and Campos’ Sebastian Montoya saw their times go for track limits in Turn 4, and Sophia Floersch lost hers after suffering a spin in Turn 11.
The second run was a return to the usual contenders, as Leonardo Fornaroli, Noel León, and Santiago Ramos featured in the top three.
On the third run, ART flexed their pace, with Laurens van Hoepen and Nikola Tsolov slotting into the top two. But, before anyone could respond, Luke Browning crashed. Coming into Turn 11, Browning lost the rear and spun into the outside tyre barrier. He was okay, but the subsequent red flag brought an end to the session.
Van Hoepen hung on to take his first FIA F3 pole followed by teammate Tsolov. Leonardo Fornaroli snuck into third while Noel León followed behind him. Rounding out the top five was Santiago Ramos.
Provisional Classification:
Laurens van Hoepen (ART Grand Prix)
Nikola Tsolov (ART Grand Prix)
Leonardo Fornaroli (Trident)
Noel León (Van Amersfoort Racing)
Santiago Ramos (Trident)
Joshua Dufek (AIX Racing)
Luke Browning (Hitech GP)
Sami Meguetounif (Trident)
Tim Tramnitz (MP Motorsport)
Christian Mansell (ART Grand Prix)
Callum Voisin (Rodin Motorsport)
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (AIX Racing)
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