Australian Joseph Mawson has qualified on pole position in the French Formula 4 Championship at Le Mans.

Mawson will be joined on the front row for race one and three of the weekend by Anglo-Swiss driver Felix Hirsiger.

The line-up for the first race will be established according the second-fastest time of each driver in the qualifying session.

The classification of race 1 will decide the grid positions for race 2 with the first ten in race 1 starting in reverse order.

The other drivers will start in the finishing order.

The grid line-up for race 3 will be established according to the fastest time of each driver in qualifying.

“To be on the front row was above my expectations, especially for both races,” said Mawson who is making his F4 debut.

“Leading into the weekend, my test days have been a bit inconsistent but the official test days in my actual race car have gone well.

“The biggest thing I need to focus on is making the most out of the car on new tyres. I was able to achieve that today.

“It is a great start, but tomorrow is another day, fingers crossed I can keep it up.”

Hirsiger and Mawson were followed by Lasse Sorensen, Amaury Richard, Bryan Elpitiya, Vladamir Atoev, Reuben Kressner, Valentin Moineault, Simo Laaksonen and Dorian Boccolacci.