As it happened: Second Qualifying
Minute by minute updates as Robert Wickens took his fifth pole of the season
Robert Wickens clinched the top spot in second qualifying -
remarkably his fifth pole of the season, and his third in a row.
Andy Soucek will line up alongside him in a mirror of today's race,
with Philipp Eng and the impressive Nicola De Marco completing the
second row. You can read session updates below:
10.40 - Well, another fantastic qualifying
session draws to a close. Just over half a second separates the top
ten, which makes this one of the closest session this year. Wickens
takes his third consecutive pole, and his fifth overall - the most
of any driver in F2. Join us later at 14.00 CET for the first of
the weekend's two races!
10.39 - That decision to come out early could
have cost Aleshin. The chequered flag comes out and Wickens is top,
with Soucek and Eng completing the top three. Jousse seals tenth,
but lost out by not finding a clean bit of road. Good stuff from
Ebrahim, who finishes ninth, and the British pair of Jason Moore
and Jolyon Palmer, who are 11th and 12th respectively.
10.37 - One lap, one chance, but that's all
Robert Wickens needs! The Canadian sets a storming 1:38.096 to go
fastest. Jousse goes into sixth but quickly falls down the order.
He has traffic on his next lap, too, and could struggle to find a
clean bit of track.
10.35 - Everyone is at it as the session really
heats up. Hegewald goes second, before Vautier and then Armaan
Ebrahim set their fastest times to go fourth and fifth. Jolyon
Palmer weighs in with the seventh fastest lap.
10.34 - Pavlovic goes second, before Soucek
shows just why he is champion with an outstanding lap to take top
spot. Jousse and Wickens are two of the last to blink, and are just
starting their flying laps, so keep an eye out.
10.33 - That's the fastest anyone has gone all
weekend - a great effort by Aleshin. Talking to the drivers
yesterday, these early morning conditions suit the car perfectly,
so this could be the quickest session we have.
10.30 - Aleshin's on a good lap, setting the
best time of anyone in the second sector. He goes fastest in the
final sector too, and sets a monster time of 1:38.470. That could
take some beating - the clean track obviously worked, but has he
gone too early?
10.28 - Timing is pretty crucial from here on
in - the key is to leave it as late as possible, but at the same
time ensure a clean bit of track to bang in that one hot lap.
Aleshin and Jousse take advantage of the quiet track to go out, but
could that be a little early? The track is expected to improve as
the session wears on, so it will be interesting to see what the
pair can do.
10.26 - Nicola De Marco spins on the entry to
turn 10 but is able to get going straight away. There hasn't been
much change in the top order, but now almost everyone is into the
pits for new rubber, which can be worth anything up to a second a
lap.
10.24 - Jason Moore continues his strong run,
and the Briton currently resides seventh. Kazim Vasiliauskas and
Mirko Bortolotti are struggling down in 16th and 17th. Clarke
punches in his best lap straight after spinning.
10.22 - I should have mentioned that Aleshin is
also back at the top with a 1:39.113 - fantastic effort from the
Russian. Jack Clarke has a brief spin at turn 15 but rejoins
without fuss.
10.21 - Hegewald moves into second - good news
for the German, who is still in contention for a top three spot in
the championship. He could only manage 12th yesterday, but is
running strongly in the early stages of this session.
10.19 - Wickens comes to the fore, but he's got
Soucek in close company. These two have been trading times all
weekend, and the battle looks like it could continue. Jousse - who
had been trailing down the order - moves into fourth, just ahead of
compatriot Tristan Vautier.
10.16 - Aleshin is still top by a comfortable
margin - really was an impressive lap in slippery conditions by the
Russian. Eng and Vautier have just set their fastest times, but
still trail Aleshin. Jason Moore and Jolyon Palmer are running well
in sixth and eighth respectively.
10.15 - Aleshin sets down a decent early marker
- good time that, especially in these drying conditions. Expect the
track to keep improving, though, and the times to tumble as the
session wears on.
10.13 - Early aggression from Milos Pavlovic,
the Serbian overtaking Jack Clarke and Sebastian Hohenthal on the
opening lap. Pavlovic is determined to score his first win in F2,
and is clearly pushing hard early on. Clarke is attacking Sebastian
now as they all vie for a bit of clean air.
10.10 - And they're off - Jack Clarke leading
them out, as the second qualifying session gets underway!
10.08 - Right, a bit of background information
- there has been a bit of rain overnight and this morning, but the
track has dried out and its slicks all the way.
10.06 - Here we go again: the second qualifying
session from Barcelona is due to start in just under five minutes,
and the cars are already queuing up in the pitlane ready for the
lights to go green.