Sharp beats the red flag to take double GB3 Donington pole

Sharp beats the red flag to take double GB3 Donington pole

07 September 2024

Rodin Motorsport’s championship leader Louis Sharp delivered a fast lap in wet conditions, just before a red flag to take a double pole at Donington Park, edging out championship rival Tymek Kucharczyk by 0.039s.

Kucharczyk looked on course for another pole, but Sharp crossed the line with a new benchmark, just seconds before the red flags flew after Noah Ping stranded his VRD Racing by Arden machine into the gravel at Redgate with two minutes remaining. Sharp's late effort shaved just over a tenth off his previous best, with that lap ensuring he also claimed pole position for race two.

With so little time remaining, the session was not restarted, giving Sharp his third and fourth pole positions of the season, with Kucharczyk having to settle for second. 

Despite challenging drizzly conditions, the first wet running of the week produced an ultra close top-three, with Gerrard Xie's Hitech just 0.002s further back, the lead trio covered by 0.041s, with Xie leading much of the session. 

JHR's John Bennett was fourth quickest, a quarter of a second further back, and ensuring the top three in the championship standings are represented in the first two rows of the grid.

Despite his gravelly moment, Ping was fifth to equal his best grid slot of the season, and 0.186s clear of Rodin's championship newcomer Freddie Slater in sixth. 

Hugo Schwarze was the quickest Elite Motorsport runner in seventh, 0.021s away from Slater and 0.047s ahead of the third Hitech of Will Macintyre. 

Colin Queen (Fortec) and Arden newcomer Max Taylor completed the qualifying top-10, which was covered by three quarters of a second. 

For the race two grid, Sharp's second fastest lap gives him pole for tomorrow morning's contest, this time 0.163s clear of Kucharczyk, with Xie third once more. 

Slater rises to fourth ahead of Ping and Bennett, with Macintyre, Queen, Taylor and Rodin's Arthur Rogeon the top-10. 

The first race of the weekend at Donington Park is due to commence at 15.10. 

GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Donington Park provisional qualifying result:
1. Louis Sharp, Rodin Motorsport, 1m33.263s
2. Tymek Kucharczyk, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +0.039s
3. Gerrard Xie, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +0.041s
4. John Bennett, JHR Developments, +0.266s
5. Noah Ping, VRD Racing by Arden, +0.282s
6. Freddie Slater, Rodin Motorsport, +0.468s
7. Hugo Schwarze, Elite Motorsport, +0.489s
8. Will Macintyre, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +0.536s
9. Colin Queen, Fortec Motorsport, +0.686s
10. Max Taylor, Arden Motorsport, +0.750s
11. McKenzy Cresswell, Elite Motorsport, +0.966s
12. Arthur Rogeon, Rodin Motorsport, +1.039s
13. Jarrod Waberski, Elite Motorsport, +1.093s
14. Aditya Kulkarni, Hillspeed, +1.105s
15. Patrick Heuzenroeder, JHR Developments, +1.115s
16. Nikita Johnson, VDR Racing by Arden, +1.277s
17. Shawn Rashid, VDR Racing by Arden, +1.426s
18. Josh Irfan, JHR Developments, +1.483s
19. Seb Murray, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.528s
20. Jacob Douglas, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.767s
21. Alex Kattoulas, Fortec Motorsport, +2.054s

GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Donington Park qualifying, second fastest times (race two grid):
1. Louis Sharp, Rodin Motorsport, 1m33.436s
2. Tymek Kucharczyk, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +0.163s
3. Gerrard Xie, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +0.189s
4. Freddie Slater, Rodin Motorsport, +0.302s
5. Noah Ping, VRD Racing by Arden, +0.349s
6. John Bennett, JHR Developments, +0.422s
7. Will Macintyre, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +0.529s
8. Colin Queen, Fortec Motorsport, +0.658s
9. Max Taylor, Arden Motorsport, +0.669s
10. Arthur Rogeon, Rodin Motorsport, +0.869s
11. McKenzy Cresswell, Elite Motorsport, +0.966s
12. Patrick Heuzenroeder, JHR Developments, +1.012s
13. Nikita Johnson, VDR Racing by Arden, +1.126s
14. Hugo Schwarze, Elite Motorsport, +1.142s
15. Aditya Kulkarni, Hillspeed, +1.155s
16. Jarrod Waberski, Elite Motorsport, +1.188s
17. Shawn Rashid, VDR Racing by Arden, +1.388s
18. Josh Irfan, JHR Developments, +1.400s
19. Seb Murray, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.419s
20. Jacob Douglas, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.648s
21. Alex Kattoulas, Fortec Motorsport, +2.179s

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