F2 | Austrian GP | Qualifying | Fornaroli stuns with pole position - Motorsport

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While Alexander Dunne had topped the earlier practice running ahead of Gabriele Minì, qualifying at the F2 Austrian GP would tell a different story with Leonardo Fornaroli. The Red Bull Ring hosted another captivating qualifying session where the pace advantage established in Free Practice underwent a dramatic transformation.

An easy start to the session

When the Austrian GP F2 qualifying session commenced, drivers utilised their Supersoft tire allocation to gradually bring their machinery up to operating temperature. The initial flying laps saw Minì claim the early advantage with a time of 1:15.888, while Verschoor slotted into second position behind the PREMA driver.

Fornaroli soon demonstrated his qualifying credentials by improving to the front with a lap of 1:15.769. The competitive nature of the field became immediately apparent when Martins responded by claiming second place, finishing just 0.001 seconds away from the provisional pole time.

Fornaroli jumps to the top with a 1:15.769! ⬆️

Just 0.001 ahead of Martins! 😱#F2 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/XuSaqHgmOC
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) June 27, 2025

The Italian driver continued to find additional pace reserves during the session’s middle phase. Fornaroli delivered the fastest opening sector en route to a significantly improved lap time of 1:15.574, establishing a more substantial gap to his pursuers. Duerksen moved into second position during this period, though he remained 0.177 seconds behind Fornaroli’s commanding pace around the Austrian circuit.

Strategic tire management became crucial as drivers returned to the pitlane for fresh Supersoft compounds, preparing for their final qualifying attempts with ten minutes remaining on the session clock.

A fierce battle for pole

The concluding stages witnessed a fierce exchange of fastest laps as drivers extracted maximum performance from their fresh tire sets. Verschoor initially claimed the top spot with an impressive time of 1:15.253, but his advantage proved short-lived when Martins responded with an even quicker effort, taking provisional pole by the slenderest margin of 0.010 seconds.

Goethe pushing the limits! ⚡️#F2 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/UmrWO9OVyp
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) June 27, 2025

The ART driver’s position at the summit faced immediate pressure as other competitors completed their final attempts. Verschoor was unable to improve his time, while Minì, running in fourth position, also failed to find the additional pace needed to challenge for pole position.

Fornaroli had been building toward his ultimate qualifying lap throughout the session, and his patience was rewarded in the closing moments. After setting the two fastest sector times, the Italian delivered a masterful final lap of 1:15.229 that secured pole position by 0.014 seconds over Martins.

As drivers completed their final attempts and returned to the pitlane, the qualifying order was established. Fornaroli’s late surge had proven decisive in claiming the top starting position for the upcoming race.

The qualifying session concluded with Fornaroli on pole position, ahead of Martins and Verschoor who completed the front row and top three respectively. The competitive nature of the session was evident in the minimal gaps between the leading contenders.

Further down the order, Martí secured ninth position while John Bennett claimed tenth place. Bennett’s qualifying result positioned him advantageously for the Sprint Race, where the reverse grid format would see him start from pole position for the shorter Saturday encounter.