Fittipaldi leads Lotus 1-2 in qualifying for second race at Aragon
Pietro Fittipaldi took his eighth pole position of the season, leading team-mate Rene Binder in a Lotus one-two for the second Formula V8 3.5 race at Aragon.
Fittipaldi set the early benchmark of 1m41.695s and stayed ahead of the time-swapping battles between RP Motorsport's Roy Nissany and Binder, with the top three covered by just 0.246 seconds.
Only Teo Martin's Nelson Mason was out on track during the mid-session break, to make up for lost ground for missing Saturday's running.
In the final frantic four minutes remaining of qualifying, just 0.383s separated a close battle for third to ninth position on the grid.
Binder briefly set the pole position of 1m41.678s, but Fittipaldi swiftly demoted his title rival with an unbeatable 1m40.765s.
Yu Kanamaru in the other RP car went third, before Force India Formula 1 reserve driver Alfonso Celis Jr took over the position only to lose it to Konstantin Tereschenko in the Teo Martin machine - who went just 0.026s faster on his final lap.
Behind that trio was Saturday's race winner Egor Orudzhev less than a tenth behind fifth place Fortec driver, Diego Menchaca, Orudzhev's SMP Racing/AVF team-mate Matevos Isaakyan slotted into eighth position.
The top 10 was rounded out by title challenger Nissany, who had his fastest lap time removed for exceeding track limits at Turn 9.
QUALIFYING TWO RESULT:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pietro Fittipaldi | Lotus | 1m40.765s | - |
| 2 | Rene Binder | Lotus | 1m40.914s | 0.149s |
| 3 | Konstantin Tereschenko | Teo Martin Motorsport | 1m41.275s | 0.510s |
| 4 | Alfonso Celis | Fortec Motorsports | 1m41.301s | 0.536s |
| 5 | Yu Kanamaru | RP Motorsport | 1m41.362s | 0.597s |
| 6 | Egor Orudzhev | SMP Racing by AVF | 1m41.438s | 0.673s |
| 7 | Diego Menchaca | Fortec Motorsports | 1m41.538s | 0.773s |
| 8 | Matevos Isaakyan | SMP Racing by AVF | 1m41.569s | 0.804s |
| 9 | Nelson Mason | Teo Martin Motorsport | 1m41.658s | 0.893s |
| 10 | Roy Nissany | RP Motorsport | 1m42.009s | 1.244s |
| 11 | Damiano Fioravanti | RP Motorsport | 1m42.242s | 1.477s |
| 12 | Giuseppe Cipriani | Il Barone Rampante | 1m43.267s | 2.502s |
Aragon Formula V8 3.5: Orudzhev gets first 2017 win in AVF one-two
Aragon Formula V8 3.5: Pietro Fittipaldi boosts title bid with win
Why physical fitness is an understimated challenge for IndyCar rookies
The lack of in-car physical fitness is an “underestimated” hurdle for an IndyCar Series rookie, according to Dale Coyne Racing's Indy Lights graduate Sting Ray Robb.
Bubba Wallace ‘got dumped’ by Austin Dillon in NASCAR Clash
Bubba Wallace says Austin Dillon “dumped” him out of second place in NASCAR’s chaotic Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday night.
Albon warns Williams has "long road ahead" to recover in F1
Alex Albon admits that his Williams Formula 1 team has a “long road ahead” as it tries to progress up the field this year.
Toyota won’t put more pressure on Katsuta at WRC Rally Sweden
Toyota World Rally Championship boss Jari-Matti Latvala says the team won’t "put more pressure" on Takamoto Katsuta to deliver in his first drive for the factory team this weekend.
How the post-Renault 3.5 series is shaping up
When Renault ended its support of its 3.5 Formula, there were fears about the category's future. But as PETER MILLS explains, the rebadged FV8 3.5 series has retained an appeal to drivers
An era ended in 2015 as Renault withdrew its backing of Formula Renault 3.5. GLENN FREEMAN and PETER MILLS pick the 10 best drivers from the World Series by Renault years
The top 10 FR3.5 drivers of 2015
The 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 season will be notable for being the last with the French company's backing but also produced a worthy champion in Oliver Rowland. PETER MILLS evaluates this year's crop of drivers
Since 2005 the World Series by Renault package has launched a host of young stars on the path to Formula 1. But there's much more to the events, both on and off the track
The top 10 FR3.5 drivers of 2014
The field was perhaps not as strong as in the previous season, but Carlos Sainz Jr emerged as a worthy Formula Renault 3.5 champion. GLENN FREEMAN rates the top 2014 drivers
The top 10 FR3.5 drivers of 2013
There were some standout performances in the Formula Renault 3.5 title race this year, but one racer stood above all the others. GLENN FREEMAN looks back and picks out his top 10 drivers
The 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 grid guide
Last year's field was extraordinary and hard to match, but the Formula Renault 3.5 grid will still have plenty of talent this season. Glenn Freeman runs through the field ahead of this weekend's season opener
Vandoorne: future McLaren F1 star?
Landing the Fortec seat that took rising star Robin Frijns to the 2012 FR3.5 title was already a good sign for Stoffel Vandoorne. Then McLaren took him under its wing. Peter Mills tells Vandoorne's story so far
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.