Christian Mansell on pole incredibly tight qualifying

In a dramatically tight Formula 3 qualifying, it was Christian Mansell who took his first Formula 3 pole position in Barcelona on Friday.

Mansell took pole ahead of Arvid Lindblad in a stunning lap time to take pole position for Sunday's Spanish feature race. The top four were separated by 0.056s with Nikola Tsolov third and Luke Browning fourth.

The entire field were so closely matched. There was just 1.3 seconds separating the 30 car grid.

Championship leader Gabriele Mini was only 16th with Sami Meguetounif starting from reverse grid pole for Saturday's sprint race. 

How Formula 3 qualifying unfolded in Barcelona

Formula 3 was ready to go qualifying after the morning practice session, which had very little running but drivers have known this circuit for a while having raced here in many junior open-wheel racing series' in the past.

Eight winners so far in FIA Formula 3 in 2024 and four different pole sitters, with many wondering ahead of qualifying, whether we would see a fifth.

Matias Zagazeta returns this weekend after missing the previous round in Monaco due to him having appendicitis.

The green light would come on at the end of the pit lane and the start of qualifying would be underway, with cars heading out the pit lane in a 30-minute shootout for pole position.

After a couple of installation laps, which are also known as warm up laps, drivers began to attempt some flying laps. The first one across the line was Dino Beganovic of Prema. He did well to avoid the traffic at the final corners. He would go fastest but would be beaten by many.

His teammate Mini would beat him but would too be beaten.

The ART cars were showing great pace as Christian Mansell jumped above Arvid Lindblad who had sat fastest, to go top. However, Mansell's teammate Laurens Van Hoepen went quickest with a brilliant lap time. A 1:29.187 was set by the Dutchman.

Leonardo Fornaroli, who lost the championship lead in Monaco, went second quickest to split the two red and black liveried ART cars. Fornaroli's lap was within a tenth of Van Hoepen.

Drivers then headed back to the pits for a check of data. They would not stay in the pits for too long as with 19 minutes to go, the cars started to reemerge from the pit lane.

An incident would be investigated by the Stewards after the session involving an unsafe release between Martinius Stenshorne and Leonardo Fornaroli. The McLaren academy Hitech driver could be in hot water.

With 15 to go, drivers were ready for the second flying laps and Luke Browning was flying as the track was really ramping up. The Hitech driver, backed by the Williams Academy driver went top by three tenths.

The lap times were tumbling as Mari Boya on home soil went second quickest and just missed out on top by six thousandths of a second. Christian Mansell would go third and Goethe to go fourth.

It was mightily close between them, with 0.031s separating the top four, and 0.098s separating the top five. Championship leader was fifth.

With 10 minutes to go it was unbelievably close in the qualifying session with just one second separating the entire field. A fantastic session that was delivering marvellous things.

As it stood with 10 minutes to go, it would be Ireland's Alex Dunne for MP Motorsport on reverse grid pole for the Saturday sprint race, as he was in 12th - 0.283s off the pace!

A quick switchover in the pit lane and the drivers were back out onto the circuit. Could anyone dethrone that time from Browning, it could have been any of them as it was so closely fought out front.

While the cars were coming out, an incident involving an unsafe release would be noted between Joseph Loake of Rodin Motorsport and Christian Mansell of ART.

Four minutes remained, and drivers were setting off on their final laps in qualifying around the Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya.

Browning would be flying once again with another purple first sector momentarily and would pull over three tenths clear on provisional pole but he would be pipped by Arvid Lindblad by 0.020s! Incredible scenes in Formula 3 as Nikola Tslov, the Monaco sprint race winner, split their pair of them. He missed out on top of the time sheets by 0.020s.

Meanwhile, his Australian teammate Christian Mansell had put in a stunning lap time to take pole position in FIA Formula 3 for the first time in his career. He got a front row start in Monaco but this time it was pole position. Sensational stuff from the ART driver. 

Just over half a tenth separated the top four of the field. Arvid Lindblad was beaten for pole by Mansell by 0.036 - he was second overall. Nikola Tsolov was third for ART, with Luke Browning fourth.

Oliver Goethe was just over a tenth away from pole position but had to settle for fifth. He was just ahead of Leonardo Fornaroli in sixth for Trident. Martinius Stenshorne, who topped practice was seventh with Laurens Van Hopen eighth in the other ART. 

Alex Dunne was ninth as the highest MP Motorsport car with Sebastian Montoya 10th for Campos. Maria Boya was 11th but will have a reverse grid pole front row while Sami Meguetounif will start from the front of the field on Saturday.

​Gabriele Mini will only start 16th in both races

The entire 30 cars were separated by just 1.3 seconds! 

Sensationally close but Sublime from Mansell in Spain

A fantastic job from all the drivers who gave each other a great fight for pole position but in the end a stunning lap from Mansell leaves him on pole position for Sunday's feature race where the main points are on offer.

It was so closely matched with no one knowing who would be on pole until the very end of the session.

Saturday will be the next time for action in FIA Formula 3 and that will be for the sprint race, where Sami Meguetounif will start from pole position.

2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship: Round 5 - Spain qualifying provisional result

1. Christian Mansell (Australia, ART Grand Prix)
2. Arvid Lindblad (Great Britain, Prema Racing)
3. Nikola Tsolov (Bulgaria, ART Grand Prix)
4. Luke Browning (Great Britain, Hitech Pulse-Eight)
5. Oliver Goethe (Germany, Campos Racing)
6. Leonardo Fornaroli (Italy, Trident)
7. Martinius Stenshorne (Norway, Hitech Pulse-Eight)
8. Laurens Van Hoepen (Netherlands, ART Grand Prix)
9. Alex Dunne (Republic of Ireland, MP Motorsport)
10. Sebastian Montoya (Colombia, Campos racing)
11. Mari Boya (Spain, Campos Racing)
12. Sami Meguetounif (France, Trident)
13. Santiago Ramos (Mexico, Trident)
14. Noel Leon (Mexico, Van Amersfoort Racing)
15. Dino Beganovic (Sweden, Prema Racing)
16. Gabriele Mini (Italy, Prema Racing)
17. Tim Tramnitz (Germany, MP Motorsport)
18. Callum Voisin (Great Britain, Rodin Motorsport)
19. Joseph Loake (Great Britain, Rodin Motorsport)
20. Cian Shields (Great Britain, Hitech Pulse-Eight)
21. Nikita Bedrin (Italy, AIX Racing)
22. Matias Zagazeta (Peru, Jenzer Motorsport)
23. Charlie Wurz (Austria, Jenzer Motorsport)
24. Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (Thailand, AIX Racing)
25. Sophia Floersch (Germany, Van Amersfoort Racing)
26. Max Esterson (United States, Jenzer Motorsport)
27. Kacper Sztuka (Poland, MP Motorsport)
28. Joshua Dufek (Austria, AIX Racing)
29. Tommy Smith (Australia, Van Amersfoort Racing)
30. Piotr Wisnicki (Poland, Rodin Motorsport)