GP3 Silverstone: Koiranen's Jimmy Eriksson claims first series pole

Koiranen GP driver Eriksson set the top time with a couple of minutes remaining, toppling Lynn from the head of the timesheets by 0.316s.

Lynn had stayed in pits for the middle part of the session, and seemed to have timed it right when he came out on fresh set of wets to set 2m05.638s.

Eriksson had other ideas, however, and recovered from an early spin to take his first pole in the category, the four points he gained for doing so closing the gap on Lynn in the championship to nine.

Marvin Kirchhofer will start third for ART, but was more than a second away from pole position. Britons Dino Zamparelli (ART), Jann Mardenborough (Arden) and Emil Bernstorff (Carlin) were next up, with Status duo Richie Stanaway and Nick Yelloly, who had both taken turns at the top of the times during the middle of the session, in seventh and eighth respectively.

The session was interrupted soon after it started following a huge shunt on the Hangar Straight, as series debutant Mitch Gilbert rode over the rear of fellow rookie Sebastian.

Gilbert's car somersaulted, tearing off its front-right wheel before coming to rest right-side-up at the approach to Stowe. The Australian got out of his car, but was holding his right hand gingerly and had a muddy left shoulder.

Balthasar drove his car back to the pits, sans rear wing and with heavy suspension damage.

Pos  Driver               Team       Time/Gap
 1.  Jimmy Eriksson       Koiranen  2m05.322s
 2.  Alex Lynn            Carlin      +0.316s
 3.  Marvin Kirchhofer    ART         +1.063s
 4.  Dino Zamparelli      ART         +1.070s
 5.  Jann Mardenborough   Arden       +1.108s
 6.  Emil Bernstorff      Carlin      +1.347s
 7.  Richie Stanaway      Status      +1.382s
 8.  Nick Yelloly         Status      +1.483s
 9.  Riccardo Agostini    Hilmer      +1.880s
10.  Alfonso Celis        Status      +1.969s
11.  Robert Visoiu        Arden       +1.971s
12.  Patrick Kujala       Manor       +2.095s
13.  Pal Varhaug          Jenzer      +2.168s
14.  Alex Fontana         ART         +2.263s
15.  Matheo Tuscher       Jenzer      +2.279s
16.  Dean Stoneman        Manor       +2.291s
17.  Roman de Beer        Trident     +2.431s
18.  Luis Sa Silva        Carlin      +2.481s
19.  Nelson Mason         Hilmer      +2.911s
20.  Patric Niederhauser  Arden       +2.980s
21.  Ryan Cullen          Manor       +4.248s
22.  Adderly Fong         Jenzer      +4.325s
23.  Santiago Urrutia     Koiranen    +4.646s
24.  Victor Carbone       Trident     +6.058s
25.  Carmen Jorda         Koiranen    +8.636s
26.  Sebastian Balthasar  Hilmer
27.  Mitchell Gilbert     Trident