Pic takes pole on Monaco debut

The 18-year-old rookie, who is racing for the first time at the principality, made use of two laps on slick tyres in a scramble for clear track at the end of a drying qualifying session for the B group.

Fairuz Fauzy also produced the goods on his return to the championship and will start third on the grid for Fortec. Giedo van der Garde was quickest in the A group session, run in the wet, and was 10 seconds slower than Pic but will head the drivers on the left side of the grid.

Pic's team-mate Julien Jousse had to be content with a place alongside Fauzy on the second row, after being denied a shot at van der Garde's time when the session was abandoned with seven minutes remaining after Daniil Move crashed at Tabac.

A dry line was beginning to emerge as the B group took to the circuit. With 12 minutes of the session left, and Guillaume Moreau fastest on a 1m42.116s, Prema driver Miguel Molina made the decision be the guinea pig to try slicks.

The Catalan was circumspect on his out lap but spun with a timid application of the power on the exit of the Loews hairpin. Once on his way, Molina's first lap at speed was a 1m36.67s, signalling to the field that slicks were compulsory in order to stand any chance of fighting for pole-position.

"I had two laps on slicks, but I couldn't do a time on the first because Molina had a problem at Sainte Devote," said Pic. "On the next lap I had no traffic and the car was perfect. I just have to get through the race without making any mistakes.

"Whether it is wet or dry tomorrow I will be comfortable, after starting on pole in Monaco I won't be satisfied with finishing second or third."

Group A

Pos Driver                  Team           Time         Gap
 1. Giedo van der Garde     P1             1:44.490
 2. Julien Jousse           Tech 1         1:44.903  +0.413
 3. Bertrand Baguette       Draco          1:45.217  +0.727
 4. James Walker            Fortec         1:45.869  +1.379
 5. Maximo Cortes           Pons           1:45.983  +1.493
 6. Claudio Cantelli        Ultimate       1:46.452  +1.962
 7. Marco Bonanomi          Comtec         1:46.558  +2.068
 8. Marcos Martinez         Pons           1:46.625  +2.135
 9. Mario Romancini         Epsilon        1:47.208  +2.718
10. Marco Barba             Draco          1:47.497  +3.007
11. Pasquale di Sabatino    Comtec         1:48.003  +3.513
12. Pablo Sanchez           Interwetten    1:49.322  +4.832
13. Daniil Move             KTR            1:51.103  +6.613

Group B

Pos Driver                  Team           Time         Gap
 1. Charles Pic             Tech 1         1:34.641
 2. Fairuz Fauzy            Fortec         1:35.954  +1.313
 3. Mikhail Aleshin         Carlin         1:36.117  +1.476
 4. Fabio Carbone           Ultimate       1:37.013  +2.372
 5. Guillaume Moreau        KTR            1:37.169  +2.528
 6. Miguel Molina           Prema          1:38.475  +3.834
 7. Borja Garcia            RC             1:39.520  +4.879
 8. Alvaro Barba            Prema          1:41.187  +6.546
 9. Salvador Duran          Interwetten    1:41.810  +7.169
10. Pippa Mann              P1             1:41.814  +7.173
11. Robert Wickens          Carlin         1:42.729  +8.088
12. Aleix Alcaraz           RC             1:42.825  +8.184
13. Alex Marsoin            Epsilon        1:46.665  +12.024