Indonesia’s Rio Haryanto has claimed a maiden GP2 pole in a soaking Spa qualifying session on Friday. The Carlin driver will share the front row with Britain’s James Calado, with championship leader Luiz Razia way down in 19th position for Arden.
Never headed atop the order, Haryanto led the way on a best effort of 2:17.535, generating huge delight in his garage once the final order had been established. With Lotus well placed in second and third, Saturday’s Feature Race could also be useful for Davide Valsecchi; the Italian, who is Razia’s closest rival for the championship, will set off from sixth spot.
As heavy rain continued to batter the Ardennes circuit, the start of the session was delayed. Once it was underway, all drivers stayed out of any major trouble and were able to register lap times; this included Austrian newcomer René Binder, who completes the 26-car grid as he steps up from Formula 3 to join Venezuela GP Lazarus.
With Johnny Cecotto Jr. on the back row, Englishman Max Chilton was another driver to be caught out by the conditions and could muster no more than 13th place. Enjoying contrasting fortunes, the Lazarus car of Spaniard Sergio Canamasas will set off from seventh position.
To the relief of all concerned, Saturday is forecast to be dry.
Saturday’s Feature Race will start at 3:40pm local time (BST +1)
Series
GP2
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Rio Haryanto
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| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  R. Haryanto | Carlin | 02:17.535 | 13 |
| 2. | J. Calado | Lotus | 02:17.643 | 11 |
| 3. | E. Gutiérrez | Lotus | 02:17.736 | 12 |
| 4. | M. Ericsson | iSport | 02:18.058 | 11 |
| 5. | J. Palmer | iSport | 02:18.368 | 12 |
| 6. | D. Valsecchi | DAMS | 02:18.397 | 12 |
| 7. | S. Canamasas | Lazarus | 02:18.582 | 11 |
| 8. | F. Leimer | Racing Engin. | 02:18.603 | 11 |
| 9. | F. Nasr | DAMS | 02:18.801 | 12 |
| 10. | G. van der Garde | Caterham | 02:18.930 | 11 |
| Full results | ||||
| Rio Haryanto | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| More Rio Haryanto photos | |||
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