Silverstone GP2: Ericsson claims pole in rain-hit qualifying
Marcus Ericsson scored his second pole of the season for DAMS at Silverstone on Friday afternoon, setting the quickest lap of the half-hour session just before a rain shower curtailed any further improvements
The threat of rain meant that all 26 cars went straight out at the green light on a virtually-dry track using the Pirelli medium-compound tyres.
A flurry of fast times soon followed, with Felipe Nasr and Sam Bird the early pacesetters before Ericsson produced his 1m40.716s.
That would remain as the pole time, with rain spots finally arriving as cars headed pitwards for their second set of tyres.
When they re-emerged, the conditions were markedly worse and remained so until the end of the qualifying period.
Bird's Russian Time machine will start alongside Ericsson on the front row, his best time 0.371s slower than the Swede. Nasr will start third, with points leader Stefano Coletti alongside.
Coletti had a scare this morning, when he was slowest in free practice, but clearly regained his mojo in qualifying with fourth position.
Ericsson's team-mate Stephane Richelmi was fifth fastest, ahead of last year's Silverstone pacesetter Fabio Leimer.
Rio Haryanto and Mitch Evans were next up, ahead of Tom Dillmann and James Calado.
Those who failed to get a quick time in before the rain included Robin Frijns (who was quickest early on but will start 16th), Johnny Cecotto Jr (who spun on his out lap and will start 18th), Alexander Rossi (19th) and Jolyon Palmer (20th).
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Marcus Ericsson DAMS 1m40.716s 2. Sam Bird Russian Time 1m41.087s +0.371s 3. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1m41.144s +0.428s 4. Stefano Coletti Rapax 1m41.219s +0.503s 5. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1m41.411s +0.695s 6. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1m41.442s +0.726s 7. Rio Haryanto Addax 1m41.537s +0.821s 8. Mitch Evans Arden 1m41.563s +0.847s 9. Tom Dillmann Russian Time 1m41.633s +0.917s 10. James Calado ART 1m41.662s +0.946s 11. Julian Leal Racing Engineering 1m41.765s +1.049s 12. Fabrizio Crestani Lazarus 1m41.771s +1.055s 13. Nathanael Berthon Trident 1m41.812s +1.096s 14. Sergio Canamasas Caterham 1m41.881s +1.165s 15. Kevin Ceccon Trident 1m41.890s +1.174s 16. Robin Frijns Hilmer 1m41.970s +1.254s 17. Jon Lancaster Hilmer 1m41.978s +1.262s 18. Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden 1m42.013s +1.297s 19. Alexander Rossi Caterham 1m42.020s +1.304s 20. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 1m42.207s +1.491s 21. Simon Trummer Rapax 1m42.213s +1.497s 22. Rene Binder Lazarus 1m42.376s +1.660s 23. Jake Rosenzweig Addax 1m42.402s +1.686s 24. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP 1m42.658s +1.942s 25. Daniel Abt ART 1m42.687s +1.971s 26. Daniel de Jong MP 1m42.862s +2.146s
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