Sergio Canamasas takes maiden Formula Renault 3.5 pole at the Hungaroring

Canamasas failed to score a point in 2010, but brimming with confidence following a maiden podium in race one yesterday, the Spaniard recorded a late flier to knock Vergne off top spot with a time of 1m32.826s. No other driver was under the 1m33s mark.

"We started this weekend quite well running with a high downforce set-up on Friday, so we knew we could be up there," said Canamasas. "Today we ratified that. I have to congratulate the team for making the car so good, as I was able to feel the car responding really well on my lap.

"Yesterday we saw we could be on the podium, so now we'll try to be on top. I am starting on the clean side, but Daniil Move was quick from the outside of the front row yesterday. The track was a bit dirty then after rain, so we'll see what happens."

Race one victor Vergne will join Canamasas on the front row. The Frenchman was just 0.042s ahead of IndyCar hopeful Adam Carroll, who is making his debut appearance in the category with P1 Motorsport.

"The problem this weekend is not so much about setting a fast lap, it is not knowing the car from top to bottom in race conditions," said Carroll, who has been drafted into the Norfolk team in place of the injured Walter Grubmuller.

"These are the things that take time to learn, you know, when the circuit has just rubbered in, what do you do? I have high expectations, I came fourth yesterday but I felt really frustrated because I was not 100 per cent. The times yesterday were so frigging close, 21 cars within a second and one tenth would have put me four of five places up. It will be only my second start today, yesterday I was quite safe and conservative and got a lot of wheelspin."

Second in race one, Fortec's Alexander Rossi is again in with a chance of a strong points haul after qualifying fourth.

Brendon Hartley, who was third on the road in race one, again showed well in fifth place for Gravity-Charouz. The presence of Arthur Pic (Tech 1 Racing) on the third row of the grid was perhaps more of a surprise, the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup graduate enjoying one of his most impressive qualifying efforts in the series to date.

With his BVM Target team-mate on pole, 2009 Italian Formula 3 champion Daniel Zampieri was a frustrated seventh and complained of being held up by traffic, one of the culprits the Italian pointed a finger at being recent Hispania Formula 1 signing Daniel Ricciardo (ISR).

The Perth racer had a tough session and languished in 13th, four places behind Carlin's championship leader Robert Wickens. The Canadian has struggled all weekend with new-tyre performance, despite being competitive in race conditions.

The session was extremely closely contested, with small gains bringing wild changes of positions. Pons Racing's Oliver Webb, who was fifth for the much of the session, was bumped down to last. Second in the points standings entering the weekend, Kevin Korjus could only manage 23rd on the grid for this afternoon's race, ahead of double 2011 pole winner Cesar Ramos (Fortec) and Nurburging podium finisher Fairuz Fauzy, the latter suspecting an engine problem.

Pos  Driver             Team             Time       Gap
 1.  Sergio Canamasas   BVM Target       1m32.826s
 2.  Jean-Eric Vergne   Carlin           1m33.037s  + 0.211s
 3.  Adam Carroll       P1               1m33.079s  + 0.253s
 4.  Alexander Rossi    Fortec           1m33.238s  + 0.412s
 5.  Brendon Hartley    Gravity-Charouz  1m33.283s  + 0.457s
 6.  Arthur Pic         Tech 1           1m33.447s  + 0.621s
 7.  Daniel Zampieri    BVM Target       1m33.456s  + 0.630s
 8.  Albert Costa       Epic             1m33.585s  + 0.759s
 9.  Robert Wickens     Carlin           1m33.592s  + 0.766s
10.  Mikhail Aleshin    KMP              1m33.660s  + 0.834s
11.  Nelson Panciatici  KMP              1m33.807s  + 0.981s
12.  Jake Rosenzweig    Mofaz            1m33.831s  + 1.005s
13.  Daniel Ricciardo   ISR              1m33.854s  + 1.028s
14.  Marcos Martinez    Pons             1m33.889s  + 1.063s
15.  Jan Charouz        Gravity-Charouz  1m33.931s  + 1.105s
16.  Sten Pentus        Epic             1m33.987s  + 1.161s
17.  Daniil Move        P1               1m34.008s  + 1.182s
18.  Nathanael Berthon  ISR              1m34.020s  + 1.194s
19.  Andre Negrao       Draco            1m34.037s  + 1.211s
20.  Daniel McKenzie    Comtec           1m34.076s  + 1.250s
21.  Stephane Richelmi  Draco            1m34.158s  + 1.332s
22.  Daniel de Jong     Comtec           1m34.206s  + 1.380s
23.  Kevin Korjus       Tech 1           1m34.216s  + 1.390s
24.  Cesar Ramos        Fortec           1m34.220s  + 1.394s
25.  Fairuz Fauzy       Mofaz            1m34.241s  + 1.415s
26.  Oliver Webb        Pons             1m34.269s  + 1.443s