MP’s Dorian Boccolacci is set to begin GP3’s Paul Ricard feature race from the front after taking his and the Dutch outfit’s first series pole in qualifying.
Boccolacci set a time of 1m50.615s at the end of the session to displace ART Grand Prix’s championship leader Anthoine Hubert by 0.082 seconds and claim pole for his team in just its second event.
After Leonardo Pulcini’s pole for Campos at Barcelona, this is the longest period with non-ART polesitters since Luca Ghiotto had the top spot for Trident at Hungary, Spa and Monza between July and September 2015.
Ferrari academy driver Giuliano Alesi threatened to put Trident back at the front but lost time in the final sector on two occasions, having to settle for third on the grid.
Alesi lost three tenths with around five of 30 minutes remaining after having traffic in the final part of the circuit, having a front-left lock-up when passing Pulcini, and then encountering ART’s Jake Hughes.
In the final minute, the Frenchman went off track slightly and lost three tenths again after being faster than anyone in the opening two checkpoints.
The late fast lap knocked Force India F1 tester Nikita Mazepin and Pulcini down to fourth and fifth in the order.
Boccolacci’s team-mate Niko Kari qualified sixth, joining Ferrari academy racer Callum Ilott as the last competitors to reach under the 1m51s barrier.
Trident’s Alessio Lorandi and Pedro Piquet – son of F1 champion Nelson Sr – and Arden’s Joey Mawson completed the top 10.
Renault-backed Christian Lundgaard, taking part in his first qualifying in GP3 after replacing Will Palmer at MP for this round, pushed into 11th as the chequered flag was waved.
ART’s other entry, Hughes, finished 12th as he is set to start outside the first five rows for the third straight race.
The Midlander was three hundredths clear of Sauber F1 test driver Tatiana Calderon.
