The last qualifying session of 2019 promises high tension in the fight for the BOSS GP FORMULA title.
Ingo Gerstl (AUT, Top Speed) in the Toro Rosso STR1 takes his fifth pole position in the sixth race of the year. Behind him title contender Alessandro Bracalente (ITA, Speed Center) set the fastest time of the FORMULA drivers and put himself in a good position for the first race on Saturday afternoon (starting time: 15:50). With 1:30.641 he was a solid six-tenths faster than championship leader Marco Ghiotto (ITA, Scuderia Palladio), who will start the race in third place from the second row of the grid. On the very last lap Ghiotto managed to drive into the top-3. Should Ghiotto win the first race, Bracalente must finish at least sixth to postpone the title decision until the last race on Sunday.
Luca Martucci (ITA, MM International) starts from row 2 next to Ghiotto. This means that three Italian will chase pole setter Ingo Gerstl through Tamburello, Acque Minerali, Rivazza and Co. Benetton driver Phil Stratford (USA, Penn Elcom) had to retire from qualifying early. There had already been a leak in the gearbox yesterday. With just one fast lap he qualified in fifth place on the grid.
The fastest driver in Q2 was Salvatore de Plano (ITA, Top Speed), who qualified sixth overall. After a messed-up season, he wants to perform strongly in the finale.
Andreas Fiedler (DEU, Fiedler Racing) increased his pace from lap to lap as usual. When hardly anyone could further improve his lap times, Fiedler drove the seventh fastest time. So, Fiedler starts a row ahead of his fiercest competitor for third place in the championship: Philippe Haezebrouck (FRA, Speed Center).
Walter Steding (DEU, Inter Europol) proved the strong impression from the free practice sessions on Friday with rank 10. With 10th place he was able to repeat his best qualifying result of this year in Assen.
The first of two races this weekend will have a distance of 20 minutes and begin at 3:50 p.m. – according to the forecast at dry weather and 22 degrees.