Carbone on Hungaroring pole

The Brazilian was fourth fastest in the A qualifying group, before fending off the challenge of Julien Jousse to top the Super Pole session.

Robert Wickens will start third on the grid for Sunday's feature race, ahead of Prema's pairing of Miguel Molina and Alvaro Barba. Runaway championship leader Giedo van der Garde was sixth fastest.

Jousse and Wickens were quickest in the qualifying groups, which determined the twelve drivers allowed to participate in the grid-deciding Super Pole session.

Tech 1's Jousse was occupying the fastest position five minutes into the A session, when the Frenchman collided with Pippa Mann while trying to pass the P1 Motorsport driver on the inside into Turn One.

After spinning in unison, both drivers were able to continue but Jousse's Tech 1 team were notified that he would be stripped of his fastest time as a consequence of the incident.

With Jousse's running disrupted, Carbone moved into the top-spot. This was the Ultimate-Signature pilot's first meaningful running of the weekend on new tyres, after gearbox failure left the Brazilian stranded on track in practice

Halfway through the session, Carbone lowered his fastest time to 1:32.196, ahead of Jousse, Baguette in third and van der Garde fourth. Carbone was finally knocked off his perch by van der Garde with five minutes remaining.

With his composure gathered, Jousse became the first driver into the 1:31s, and having secured two laps within hundredths of each other, took the honour of being the fastest driver entering the Super-Pole. Van der Garde finished second in group.

Almost half-of the B session was lost when Marco Barba spun on the exit of Turn 11, the penultimate right-hand corner of the circuit.

Barba allowed his Draco machine to roll backwards off the track, where it became beached. The circuit was covered by full yellows as a farcical recovery ensued.

When Barba attempted to drive away while a tow rope was still attached between his car and a pick-up, the officials snapped and the red flags were brought out.

On the restart, Wickens, fresh from his first F3 Euro Series podium finish at the Norisring, emerged quickest from Alex Marsoin, Marco Bonanomi and Charles Pic.

Pic will start the reverse-grid race from pole-position, courtesy of his eighth fastest time in the Super-Pole.

Compatriot Marsoin, enjoying his most competitive showing of the year, lines-up alongside for Epsilon-Euskadi.

Pos  Driver           Team                Time
 1.  Fabio Carbone    Ultimate Signature  1:31.696
 2.  Julien Jousse    Tech 1 Racing       1:31.881 + 0.185
 3.  Robert Wickens   Carlin Motorsport   1:32.180 + 0.484
 4.  Miguel Molina    Prema Powerteam     1:32.197 + 0.501
 5.  Alvaro Barba     Prema Powerteam     1:32.209 + 0.513
 6.  G.van der Garde  P1 Motorsport       1:32.212 + 0.516
 7.  A.Marsoin        Epsilon Euskadi     1:32.238 + 0.542
 8.  Charles Pic      Tech 1 Racing       1:32.368 + 0.672
 9.  Fairuz Fauzy     Fortec Motorsport   1:32.683 + 0.987
10.  Marco Bonanomi   Team Comtec         1:32.700 + 1.004
11.  Marcos Martinez  Pons Racing         1:32.756 + 1.060
12.  Aleix Alcaraz    Pons Racing         1:33.063 + 1.367