Friday, August 31 2012

Jolyon Palmer showed superb car control during today's (Friday) tricky wet GP2 qualifying session at Spa to secure fifth position for tomorrow's Feature Race.
 
Conditions remained unchanged following this morning's practice session with drivers yet again faced with a sodden Belgium circuit. The rain did begin to ease though as the green lights were shown with Jolyon running P11 in the early stages. He moved up to P9 shortly after as the track began to show signs of improvement before heading to the pits at the halfway mark.
 
Jolyon re-emerged with 11 minutes left on the clock and immediately shot into provisional third with a dry racing line now beginning to form. The 21-year-old continued to push on his final two laps to claim fifth for the closely fought session, which saw the top six lapping inside a second.

Speaking afterwards Jolyon said: "It was a wet and drying track and the times kept coming down. I managed a decent lap towards the end and finished P5. I'm happy with this as in those conditions anything can happen so to end fifth with a good chance of a podium tomorrow is pleasing. The weather looks better for tomorrow so I'm hoping to move forward and fight right at the front."
 
At the front, Carlin's Rio Haryanto secured pole with Lotus drivers James Calado and Esteban Gutierrez in second and third ahead of Jolyon's iSport team-mate Marcus Ericcson.
 
Tomorrow's Feature Race gets underway at 14:40 (UK time) with full coverage on Jolyon's official website.

GP2 Spa, qualifying results:
 
1. R Haryanto, Carlin, 2:17.535s
2. J Calado, Lotus GP, +0.108s
3. E Gutierrez, Lotus GP, +0.201s
4. M Ericsson, iSport, +0.523s
5. J Palmer, iSport, +0.833s
6. D Valsecchi, DAMS, +0.862s
7. S Canamasas, GP Lazarus. +1.047s
8. F Leimer, Racing, +1.068s
9. F Nasr, DAMS, +1.266s
10. G VD Garde, Caterham, +1.395s