DAMS driver Ayumu Iwasa has topped F2 qualifying in Abu Dhabi from team-mate Roy Nissany and ART Grand Prix driver Théo Pourchaire ahead of tomorrow’s reverse grid Sprint Race.
The final qualifying session of the 2022 season was held in near perfect conditions, albeit 34 degrees.
Aussie Jack Doohan laid down the fastest time early with a 1:36.677 – far quicker than Iwasa’s 1:38.168 that topped Practice 1 hours earlier – before Doohan’s Virtuoso team-mate Marino Sato caused a red flag after hitting the wall at the hotel.
The session resumed with 23:24 left on the clock, Jehan Daruvala setting the fastest first sector and Juri Vips the best in the second, but neither could match Doohan’s time.
Halfway through Doohan remained on top – albeit no faster – from Theo Pourchaire (1:36.903) and Daruvala (1:36.997), but track evolution saw driver times improving.
The final runs saw Drugovich top Doohan with a 136.514 before Pourchaire went faster with a 136.372 – Sargeant slotting into second with a 1:36.514, pushing Doohan down to fifth with a 1:35.599.
Drugovich went faster but remained P2 with a 136.482, Doohan to third with a 1.13,510 before Nissany, then team-mate Iwasa topped the charts – a yellow in the final sector after debutant Zane Maloney spun seeing Iwasa unbeaten and a front-row lockout for DAMS.
Iwasa topped Practice 1 earlier in the day (1:38.168) from Pourchaire and Jack Doohan, with 2022 champion-elect Felipe Drugovich in 10th.
Saturday’s 23-lap reverse grid Sprint Race starts at 16:20 local time (23:20 AEDT) ahead of Sunday’s season-ending Feature Race.
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