Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Gerrard Xie claimed his first ever GB3 Championship pole positions with a late lap in qualifying at the Hungaroring.
The Chinese driver’s final effort put him just 0.006s quicker than teammate Tymek Kucharczyk, ensuring a Hitech Pulse-Eight front row for race one at the Hungaroring. On the second best times for the race two grid, Xie again earned pole by the slightly larger margin of 0.157s.
Xie and Kucharczyk battled for pole throughout the 25 minute session, with both taking turns at the top of the times in the first half, with Xie on top when cars pitted for fresh tyres.
The third Hitech of Will Macintyre briefly took provisional pole as the second half of the session began, only for Xie and Kucharczyk to resume their battle. Xie reclaimed top spot with a 1m39.726s only for the Polish driver to find just under a tenth of a second to go back on top.
But just as the chequered flag was about to drop, Xie put in his lap to deny Kucharczyk pole at his local venue, by the scant margin of six thousandths of a second.
Kucharczyk had to settle for second, just under two tenths of a second clear of the lead JHR Developments car of John Bennett, who was less than a tenth clear of Macintyre, who was fourth.
James Hedley was the lead Rodin Motorsport runner in fifth, just two thousandths of a second ahead of Elite Motorsport's McKenzy Cresswell.
JHR's Patrick Heuzenroeder claimed his best GB3 grid slot yet with the seventh quickest time, 0.063s away from Cresswell and 0.005s clear of VRD Racing by Arden's Shawn Rashid, another driver with a personal best qualifying result in eighth.
Championship challenger Louis Sharp was only ninth for Rodin Motorsport, with the second Elite car of Jarrod Waberski completing the top-10, which was covered by 0.535s, while just over a second covered the top-15 cars.
On the race two grid, based on each driver's second quickest times, Xie and Kucharczyk head the field again, this time ahead of Macintyre with Cresswell, Sharp and Heuzenroeder completing the top-six.
Waberski, Bennett, Arthur Rogeon (Rodin) and VRD Racing by Arden's Noah Ping complete the top-10 for the race two grid.
The first race of the weekend is due to commence at 18.10 local time (17.10 UK).
GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Hungaroring provisional qualifying result:
1. Gerrard Xie, Hitech Pulse-Eight, 1m39.629s
2. Tymek Kucharczyk, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +0.006s
3. John Bennett, JHR Developments, +0.184s
4. Will Macintyre, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +0.276s
5. James Hedley, Rodin Motorsport, +0.423s
6. McKenzy Cresswell, Elite Motorsport, +0.425s
7. Patrick Heuzenroeder, JHR Developments, +0.488s
8. Shawn Rashid, VRD Racing by Arden, +0.493s
9. Louis Sharp, Rodin Motorsport, +0.507s
10. Jarrod Waberski, Elite Motorsport, +0.535s
11. Arthur Rogeon, Rodin Motorsport, +0.660s
12. Josh Irfan, JHR Developments, +0.716s
13. Noah Ping, VRD Racing by Arden, +0.779s
14. Hugo Schwarze, Elite Motorsport, +0.841s
15. Flynn Jackes, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.044s
16. Javier Sagrera, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.118s
17. Seb Murray, Chris Dittmann Racing, +1.125s
18. Aditya Kulkarni, Hillspeed, +1.205s
19. Nikita Johnson, VRD Racing by Arden, +1.419s
20. Edward Pearson, Fortec Motorsport, +1.496s
21. Colin Queen, Fortec Motorsport, +1.506s
GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Hungaroring provisional second fastest qualifying result (race two grid):
1. Xie, 1m39.720s
2. Kucharczyk, +0.157s
3. Macintyre, +0.279s
4. Cresswell, +0.364s
5. Sharp, +0.479s
6. Heuzenroeder, +0.501s
7. Waberski, +0.550s
8. Bennett, +0.585s
9. Rogeon, +0.596s
10. Ping, +0.694s
11. Rashid, +0.743s
12. Hedley, +0.750s
13. Schwarze, +0.958s
14. Irfan, +1.036s
15. Sagrera, +1.140s
16. Johnson, +1.355s
17. Jackes, +1.392s
18. Queen, +1.417s
19. Pearson, +1.447s
20. Murray, +1.466s
21. Kulkarni, +1.753s