PAC: Series Sepang qualifying report

Kvyat and Sainz Junior take pole apiece for Rounds 3&4.

Kuala Lumpur - Daniil Kvyat (RUS/15/Eurointernational) will start from pole position for Round 3 of Formula BMW Pacific today, while teammate and Formula BMW Junior Carlos Sainz Jr. (ESP/15) continued his impressive run from Barcelona last weekend where he was top Rookie, to take pole for Round 4.

Formula BMW Pacific Junior Kotaro Sakurai (JPN/15/Eurasia Motorsport) put in a superb qualifying performance and will line up alongside Kvyat for the start of the first of four races this weekend, with Michael Lewis (USA/19/Eurointernational) third on the grid. Sainz Jr. was fourth-fastest overall, while Nabil Jeffri (MAS/16/Eurasia Motorsport) was fifth quickest on his home circuit.

As the drivers' second-fastest qualifying times sets the grid for Round 4, Kvyat will start from second in Round 4, with Lewis again starting from third.

Current Drivers Classification and Rookie Cup leader Richard Bradley (SIN/18/Eurasia Motorsport) will start from sixth and fifth in Rounds 3 and 4, respectively. After earning pole position and winning both of the opening rounds of the season in April, Bradley improved his lap times towards the end of the session. He was not the only front-runner to face challenges during the 30-minute session, with Oscar Tunjo (COL/Meritus), second in the Drivers Classification and Rookie Cup, impaired by a locked wheel nut and only able to complete six laps.

Formula BMW Pacific Juniors Jordan Oon (AUS/20/E-Rain Racing) qualified ninth for both Rounds 3 and 4, while fellow Junior Jesse Dixon (AUS/17/Atlantic Racing Team) will start from 17th on the grid in both of Saturday's races.

Amirrul Khirudin (MAS/17/PETRONAS Mofaz Racing) will not start Round 3 due to an engine change, while teammate Axcil Jefferies (ZIM/16) did not participate in the qualifying session.

Formula BMW Pacific Driver Quotes:

Daniil Kvyat, 1st Round 3 Qualifying: "Last month [for the Malaysian Formula 1Grand Prix] it was my first race in my career and since then I've gotten used to everything, I feel more relaxed because I am much more confident. Maybe last time in Malaysia I felt nervous, but this time I am on good form. Although we did use the new tyre compound last week in Barcelona, I don't feel it was an advantage because it's a completely different circuit and weather conditions."

Kotaro Sakurai, 2nd Round 3 Qualifying and Top Rookie: "At the beginning, it didn't go as well, but I came in put on new tyres and then pushed again and got my time in the middle of the session. The feeling of being second is strange, I'm happy, really happy, but also really angry because I was less than one tenth off pole position."

Michael Lewis, 3rd Round 3 Qualifying: "The car is driving really well. On one lap when I was trying to go for pole, I made one small little mistake, but for me it's no problem to be third. To be honest, the car felt exactly the same using the new tyres as it did the old tyres. Last time in Malaysia we had a couple issues with set-up, but this weekend everything is dialed in to how we like it."

-source: fbmw pacific