Zendeli on pole for F3 finale at Mugello, points leader Piastri 16th
Lirim Zendeli claimed the final pole position of the 2020 FIA Formula 3 season at Mugello, while championship leader Oscar Piastri will start the first race from 16th position
Trident's Zendeli earned his second FIA F3 pole of the year after setting a 1m35.328s on his second and final qualifying run.
Logan Sargeant, who sits eight points adrift of his team-mate Piastri in the championship, was just 0.034s slower than Zendeli.
Sargeant branded his Prema-run machine 'undriveable' over his team radio and claimed he'd "never had so much oversteer".
The American driver will drop three positions to fifth place on the grid after picking up a grid penalty for a causing a collision with his Prema team-mate Frederik Vesti last weekend at Monza.
This will promote practice pacesetter Jake Hughes - fastest after the first qualifying runs - to the front row of the grid for HWA Racelab.
26-year-old Hughes set the fastest sector two time on his final qualifying lap but ran slightly wide in the final corner and couldn't improve.
Vesti will line-up in third place ahead of Hughes' team-mate Enzo Fittipaldi, whose fourth place on the grid marks the Ferrari junior's best qualifying result in the series.
Sargeant will start from fifth on the grid ahead of ART Grand Prix duo Sebastian Fernandez and Theo Pourchaire - the latter of which is one of the four other drivers in mathematical contention for the title alongside Piastri and Sargeant.
Another title contender, David Beckmann qualified in eighth place ahead of Red Bull junior Dennis Hauger (Hitech GP) and ART's Alexander Smolyar.
Renault junior Piastri was 11th fastest but has to serve a five-place grid penalty for forcing Beckmann off the road at Monza meaning he'll start the race from a lowly 16th place.
Consequently, the third HWA-run car of Red Bull junior Jack Doohan will now start from 11th place ahead of Red Bull stablemate Liam Lawson, whose slim title hopes further faded with a trip through the gravel during his final qualifying run.
2019 Macau Grand Prix winner Richard Verschoor lines up 13th on the grid ahead of Alex Peroni, Matteo Nannini and Piastri.
F3 Mugello qualifying results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lirim Zendeli | Trident | 1m35.328s | - |
| 2 | Logan Sargeant | Prema Racing | 1m35.362s | 0.034s |
| 3 | Jake Hughes | HWA | 1m35.453s | 0.125s |
| 4 | Frederik Vesti | Prema Racing | 1m35.548s | 0.220s |
| 5 | Enzo Fittipaldi | HWA | 1m35.561s | 0.233s |
| 6 | Sebastian Fernandez | ART Grand Prix | 1m35.594s | 0.266s |
| 7 | Theo Pourchaire | ART Grand Prix | 1m35.631s | 0.303s |
| 8 | David Beckmann | Trident | 1m35.646s | 0.318s |
| 9 | Dennis Hauger | Hitech GP | 1m35.682s | 0.354s |
| 10 | Alexander Smolyar | ART Grand Prix | 1m35.693s | 0.365s |
| 11 | Oscar Piastri | Prema Racing | 1m35.699s | 0.371s |
| 12 | Jack Doohan | HWA | 1m35.941s | 0.613s |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Hitech GP | 1m35.999s | 0.671s |
| 14 | Richard Verschoor | MP Motorsport | 1m36.043s | 0.715s |
| 15 | Alex Peroni | Campos Racing | 1m36.094s | 0.766s |
| 16 | Matteo Nannini | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m36.135s | 0.807s |
| 17 | David Schumacher | Carlin | 1m36.166s | 0.838s |
| 18 | Olli Caldwell | Trident | 1m36.176s | 0.848s |
| 19 | Bent Viscaal | MP Motorsport | 1m36.231s | 0.903s |
| 20 | Michael Belov | Charouz | 1m36.319s | 0.991s |
| 21 | Federico Malvestiti | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m36.364s | 1.036s |
| 22 | Lukas Dunner | MP Motorsport | 1m36.477s | 1.149s |
| 23 | Clement Novalak | Carlin | 1m36.537s | 1.209s |
| 24 | Sophia Florsch | Campos Racing | 1m36.606s | 1.278s |
| 25 | Calan Williams | Jenzer Motorsport | 1m36.853s | 1.525s |
| 26 | Roman Stanek | Charouz | 1m36.879s | 1.551s |
| 27 | Cameron Das | Carlin | 1m37.571s | 2.243s |
| 28 | Alessio Deledda | Campos Racing | 1m37.575s | 2.247s |
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