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Two further pole positions for Jake Dennis

16.05.15
The only 2.76 kilometres short street circuit in the city of Pau in the south of France seems to suit Jake Dennis (Prema Powerteam) particularly well.

After pole position for the first race at the foot of the Pyrenees, the Brit now also claimed the best starting grid position for the second and third race of the weekend. Behind him, Charles Leclerc (Van Amersfoort Racing), Maximilian Günther (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin), Markus Pommer (Motopark) and Arjun Maini (Van Amersfoort Racing) will line up on the grid for race two. On the grid for the third race, Dennis will see Giovinazzi, Günther, Leclerc, Pommer and Alexander Albon (Signature) in his rear view mirrors. 

Starting grid race 2
Like in first qualifying, the 34 drivers were split up into two groups. The outright fastest driver claimed pole position while the fastest driver of the other group will be placed second on the starting grid. The remaining drivers from the two groups will follow in a straight line behind the fastest driver of their group, in the order of their respective positions in qualifying.

Group A started the action in second qualifying as well. Soon, Charles Leclerc (1:10.386 minutes) moved up into first place, but lost it to Antonio Giovinazzi (1:10.659 minutes) around the halfway point. However, the Monegasque, currently the best-placed rookie in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship standings, did not give in and countered successfully. Red flags interrupted the action with five minutes remaining after Kang Ling (kfzteile Mücke Motorsport, 1:11.777 minutes) crashed into the barriers. After the session had resumed, nobody was able to beat Leclerc’s fastest time. Giovinazzi, Maini (1:10.927 minutes), Albon (1:11.084 minutes) and Felix Rosenqvist (Prema Powerteam, 1:11.091 minutes) completed the top five.

In Group B, Alessio Lorandi (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:10.999 minutes), Raoul Hyman (Team West-Tec F3, 1:12.261 minutes), Maximilian Günther (1:10.613 minutes), Dorian Boccolacci (Signature, 1:11.079 minutes), Markus Pommer (1:10.798 minutes) and Jake Dennis (1:10.253 minutes) battled for first place. Only 90 seconds before the end, Dennis finally secured himself first place, followed by Günther, Pommer, Lorandi and Boccolacci.

Starting grid race 3
In the ranking of the second-fastest laps, used to determine the starting grid positions for the third race of the weekend, Antonio Giovinazzi (1:10.736 minutes) came out on top in Group A from Charles Leclerc (1:10.750 minutes), Alexander Albon (1:11.168 minutes), Arjun Maini (1:11.304 minutes) and Lance Stroll (Prema Powerteam, 1:11.593 minutes).

In this ranking as well, Jake Dennis (1:10.276 minutes) was the fastest driver in Group B, followed by Maximilian Günther (1:10.854 minutes), Markus Pommer (1:10.874 minutes), Alessio Lorandi (1:11.055 minutes) and Dorian Boccolaci (1:11.080 minutes). As, once again, Dennis’s fastest time was faster than Leclerc’s best lap, Dennis will also be starting the third race from first place on the grid.

Jake Dennis (Prema Powerteam): “This qualifying was different than the first one, because this time, the track was dry. I was quick straight away, but after changing tyres initially not fast enough for first place. Only on the last three laps, my car was really good again and I managed to claim two more pole positions. Having three pole positions on one weekend is fantastic. Now, of course, I want to score good results in the three races as well.”