F3 Qualifying: Hiyu Yamakoshi takes maiden pole in Austria

Written by Trisha Lynnette Nathan

Credit: Formula 3 via X

Formula Three's qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring produced plenty of incidents across its 30 minutes, as Hiyu Yamakoshi of Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR) claimed pole position for Sunday's feature race.

The VAR driver heads a grid that was shaped as much by track limits, deletions and late drama as by outright pace, with championship leader Ugo Ugochukwu of Campos Racing placed second, giving him a fighting chance to extend his lead.

An early flurry of lap times

The session opened with cars moving out onto the circuit and lap times beginning to appear on the board almost immediately. Taito Kato was the first driver to start his flying lap, moving quickest through Sector 1 in the opening exchanges for ART Grand Prix. 

The Japanese driver then went to the top of the timesheets provisionally, only to be snatched almost straight away by Tuukka Taponen of MP Motorsport, who put in a lap strong enough to take provisional pole.

Kato's time at the top was short-lived, but it was an encouraging sign for ART, who had shown single-lap pace throughout the season. 

Noah Strømsted then went quickest for Trident, putting a lap time of 1:21.859 to jump to the top of the order. This put himself firmly in contention for pole. 

He had been one of the more consistent qualifiers across the season and looked comfortable at the Red Bull Ring, constantly going quickest in the sectors.

Colnaghi goes off, track limits bite hard

The session was not without its difficulties and casualties. Mattia Colnaghi in the MP Motorsport, exceeded track limits and went beyond the circuit and into the gravel. He was able to return to the pits without significant damage, but the incident was a sign of the unforgiving track limits and curves.

Multiple drivers had lap times deleted during the session for exceeding track limits, a theme at the Red Bull Ring where the margins were tight. The deletions disorganised the order on several occasions, adding an extra layer of uncertainty to an already competitive session.

Credit: Formula 3 via X

16 minutes remained on the board, most of the field returned to the pits for a brief lull, leaving Taponen provisionally at the top ahead of Strømsted. 

Yamakoshi, Enzo Deligny and Bruno Del Pino of VAR were strategically sent back on the empty track to set the fastest lap times on the grid. Yamakoshi went fastest on the track, taking provisional pole as he exceeded Strømsted's benchmark. 

With three minutes remaining, Yamakoshi held the top spot ahead of Taponen and Strømsted as the field prepared for one final push.

Kato spins, loses on possible pole

The closing moments brought the session's most dramatic moment. Kato, pushing hard on what could have been a lap good enough to challenge for pole, spun on track and lost control of his ART Grand Prix machine. He was unable to improve and dropped back in the order, a costly end to what had been a promising session for him.

Ugochukwu in the last few moments was able to take second position in qualifying. He is followed by Taponen and Strømsted who have proven themselves to be strong contenders on this particular track.