Taponen takes Qualifying 2 pole as Slater suffers another setback
Tuukka Taponen of MP Motorsport secured pole position for the Feature Race at the Madrid F3 round after a dramatic Qualifying 2 session, beating Pedro Clerot of Rodin Motorsport, Taito Kato of ART Grand Prix and championship contender Ugo Ugochukwu of Campos Racing to the top spot.
The MP Motorsport driver produced a late 1:49.7 lap to move to the front of the field, denying Clerot the chance to challenge for pole after the Rodin Motorsport driver crashed at the final corner during his final attempt.
Kato had carried his strong pace from the opening qualifying session into the second session, while championship leader Freddie Slater of Trident recovered from his disastrous Qualifying 1 to finish eighth. The Briton had initially looked capable of challenging for pole after immediately setting the fastest time of the session, but a lock-up later in the lap compromised his final runs.
With the grid for Sunday's Feature Race at stake, the drivers headed out onto the Madring for another 20-minute session. Slater's focus was firmly on recovering from the problems that had left him 17th in Qualifying 1, with Trident having worked extensively on his car between the two sessions.
The team had changed several components, including parts of the suspension, after Slater reported that the car had felt as though it was crabbing during the opening session. He was also sent back out on a new set of Hard tyres, giving him the opportunity to put the earlier problems behind him.
Slater immediately demonstrated the pace that had been missing in Qualifying 1. His opening flying lap produced a 1:49.972, putting him at the top of the timesheets and making an emphatic statement after his earlier disappointment.
The championship leader was particularly strong through the opening sector, setting the fastest first sector of the session at that stage. He continued to push hard through the technical middle section, running extremely close to the walls as he attempted to maximise every available fraction of a second.
Kato remained among the leading drivers as the session developed. The ART Grand Prix driver had already secured his first F3 pole position in Qualifying 1 and continued to show why he had been one of the fastest drivers throughout the day.
The Japanese driver moved ahead with a 1:49.916, before Ugochukwu responded with a 1:49.901. Clerot then produced a 1:49.830 to take provisional pole, with the leading drivers separated by only a matter of hundredths as the session moved towards its decisive phase.
Slater remained firmly in contention, but his second run was compromised after he locked up in the middle sector. The incident came after another extremely strong first sector and cost him the advantage he had built at the start of the lap.
The lock-up also left a significant flat spot on his tyre, creating an additional problem for the championship leader heading into the final runs. Slater nevertheless continued to push, with his pace through the second sector still strong enough to keep him within reach of the provisional pole time.
As the drivers began their final attempts, Ugochukwu was also firmly in the fight. The Campos Racing driver had consistently remained near the front throughout the session and knew that a strong qualifying result could provide him with an important advantage over Slater in the championship.
Ugochukwu subsequently moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:49.771, giving himself provisional pole and putting further pressure on his championship rival. The American had come close to pole on several occasions during the season and now had an opportunity to start the final race of the year from the front.
Clerot was determined to respond, but his final attempt ended in spectacular fashion. The Rodin driver attacked the final corner in an attempt to find the time required to reclaim first place, only to lose control of the car and hit the wall.
Clerot was able to climb from the car unhurt, but the crash prevented him from completing his lap. His previous time was nevertheless strong enough to leave him second on the grid, preserving a front-row starting position despite the late incident.
Taponen then delivered the decisive lap. The MP Motorsport driver crossed the line with a 1:49.7 to move ahead of Ugochukwu and take pole position for Sunday's Feature Race.
Clerot therefore finished second, with Kato taking third and Ugochukwu fourth. Slater ended the session in eighth after failing to reproduce his opening-lap pace in the final stages.
The result represents a significant recovery for Slater after his problems in Qualifying 1. Having started that session on course for a strong result before his car developed its apparent suspension issue, he was ultimately forced to settle for 17th. His eighth-place finish in Qualifying 2 now gives him a much stronger starting position for the final Feature Race of the season.
Ugochukwu, meanwhile, will start four places ahead of his championship rival, giving the Campos driver an important opportunity to reduce the 15-point deficit to Slater.
With the championship fight reaching its conclusion in Madrid, Slater will now have to fight through the field while Ugochukwu starts from the second row. Taponen will lead the field away from pole, with Clerot alongside him and Kato completing the second row for what promises to be a decisive Feature Race.
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