Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia
Qualifying report

Silverstone GP3: Kirchhofer storms to third career pole

ART Grand Prix's Marvin Kirchhofer ended Luca Ghiotto's 2015 qualifying streak by taking his third GP3 pole position in qualifying at Silverstone.

Marvin Kirchhofer, ART Grand Prix

Marvin Kirchhofer, ART Grand Prix

GP3 Series Media Service

ART engineers watch Marvin Kirchhofer, ART Grand Prix on the big screen
Marvin Kirchhofer, ART Grand Prix
Marvin Kirchhofer, ART Grand Prix
Marvin Kirchhofer, ART Grand Prix
Marvin Kirchhofer, ART Grand Prix
Luca Ghiotto, Trident

It took Kirchhofer less than a third of the session to surpass the dominant practice benchmark set by Ghiotto, the Italian himself coming up four tenths short on his first proper attempt.

Last year's Silverstone poleman Jimmy Eriksson then vaulted to the top, but it would be an ever-familiar sight out front at halfway point as Ghiotto responded by becoming the first driver to dip into the 1m47s.

After the customary mid-session tyre change, Arden's Emil Bernstorff started his second round of flyers early and established a new benchmark. He was briefly dethroned by Carlin's Mitch Gilbert but then strung three purple sectors together to move back to the top.

However, first-half frontrunners were also improving, with Kirchhofer taking a tenth out of Bernstorff shortly thereafter.

The German subsequently bettered his time at the chequered flag, cementing his pole position.

Bernstorff eventually came up a tenth and a half short, finding traffic on his final flyer.

Rookies Alex Palou and Matt Parry qualified third and fourth respectively, with the latter's teammate Eriksson in fifth.

Having had to back out from his best lap due to a track limits infringement, Ghiotto ended up just sixth, ahead of Adderly Fong, who made it three Koiranen cars in the top seven.

Reigning FIA F3 champion Esteban Ocon, Gilbert and Kevin Ceccon completed the top ten.

 Pos   Driver   Team  Time   Gap
M.Kirchhofer ART Grand Prix 1'47.040  
Emil Bernstorff Arden International 1'47.197 0.157
Alex Palou Campos Racing 1'47.237 0.197
Matt Parry Koiranen GP 1'47.258 0.218
Jimmy Eriksson Koiranen GP 1'47.389 0.349
Luca Ghiotto Trident 1'47.602 0.562
Adderly Fong Koiranen GP 1'47.620 0.580
Esteban Ocon ART Grand Prix 1'47.648 0.608
Mitchell Gilbert Carlin 1'47.664 0.624
10  Kevin Ceccon Arden International 1'47.945 0.905
11  Ralph Boschung Jenzer Motorsport 1'48.053 1.013
12  Artur Janosz Trident 1'48.086 1.046
13  Seb Morris Status Grand Prix 1'48.169 1.129
14  J.Mardenborough Carlin 1'48.204 1.164
15  Oscar Tunjo Trident 1'48.275 1.235
16  Pal Varhaug Jenzer Motorsport 1'48.338 1.298
17  Alfonso Celis ART Grand Prix 1'48.522 1.482
18  Alex Fontana Status Grand Prix 1'48.536 1.496
19  Sandy Stuvik Status Grand Prix 1'48.541 1.501
20  Matheo Tuscher Jenzer Motorsport 1'48.609 1.569
21  Antonio Fuoco Carlin 1'49.157 2.117
22  Alex Bosak Arden International 1'49.351 2.311
23  C.Hoher Campos Racing 1'49.661 2.621
24  Zaid Ashkanani Campos Racing 1'49.750 2.710

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article The GP3 Series heads to Silverstone for the third round of the season
Next article Silverstone GP3: Kirchhofer fends off Bernstorff for second win of 2015

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia