Yamakoshi times his run to perfection
Hiyu Yamakoshi delivered a finely judged Qualifying performance in Spielberg to secure the Aramco Pole Position Award, setting a 1:21.730 for Van Amersfoort Racing and claiming the first pole position of his FIA Formula 3 career.
The Japanese driverâs decisive lap came at a crucial point in the session. While much of the field worked around the conventional first and second run rhythm, Yamakoshi went in the gap between the majorityâs attempts and found time when others could not. In a session where track position and slipstream management became increasingly decisive, that execution proved enough.
Ugo Ugochukwu finished second, just 0.015s adrift, while Tuukka Taponen completed the top three after setting the early benchmark that had looked difficult to beat.
Taponen and Stromsted trade the early advantage
Noah Stromsted carried momentum into Qualifying after topping Practice for TRIDENT, a session covered in our report on Stromsted setting the pace in Austria Practice. He was quickly to the fore again, going fastest early on, but his opening effort was soon displaced as the field began to build speed.
Taito Kato, Alessandro Giusti and then Taponen all moved ahead, with the Finn establishing himself at the head of the order on a 1:21.968. Stromsted responded on his next attempt to reclaim P1, only for Taponen to strike back again with a 1:21.775, 0.084s clear of the Dane.
At that stage, Giusti, Kato and Kanato Le rounded out the top five before the field returned to the pitlane for a second set of Soft Pirelli tyres.
VARâs early call pays off
Van Amersfoort Racing chose to send all three cars out early for the second run, and the decision shaped the session. Yamakoshi improved to a 1:21.730 and moved provisionally fastest, while teammate Bruno Del Pino aborted his lap and remained 10th. Enzo Deligny climbed to 12th with 10 minutes remaining.
As the final runs approached, the fight for track position intensified, with drivers searching for an effective tow through the long DRS zones at Turns 3 and 4. ART Grand Prix found clean air but could not challenge Yamakoshiâs time. Ugochukwu improved to second, while Kato spun at the final corner on his last push lap.
Nobody found enough overall improvement to deny Yamakoshi. Stromsted edged teammate Freddie Slater as the TRIDENT pair finished fourth and fifth, ahead of Giusti, Kato, Le, Jin Nakamura and Pedro Clerot. Ernesto Rivera took 11th, leaving James Wharton 12th and set to start the Sprint Race from reverse-grid pole.
The FIA Formula 3 Sprint is scheduled for 10:05 local time on Saturday.
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