For the third FIA Formula 2 event in a row Invicta Racing drivers Kush Maini and Gabriel Bortoleto qualified in the top 10, this time both making the top eight at the round at Silverstone.
Conditions were mixed and unpredictable during Friday’s running at the British circuit, and this was reflected in the timings come the end of the qualifying session.
Free Practice was affected by rain and, while some drivers opted to try out slicks towards the end of the session, the times remained unrepresentative throughout. However the teams all gathered useful data for the rest of the weekend, where the weather remains unpredictable.
The rain lingered as the 30-minute qualifying session approached, with the previous on-track session affected by it. However, it remained dry enough for the F2 drivers to complete the running on slicks.
Both Gabriel and Kush were towards the sharp end of the timesheets throughout the session. Drivers were able to complete a few quick laps on a set of tyres, and each one opted to stop halfway through for a second set of Softs.
The Invicta Racing pair sat in the top 10 at the halfway point, and both drivers were able to improve on their second set. Kush continued to improve right through until his final lap to put in a time of 1 minute 39.856 seconds, which was enough for eighth, while Gabriel’s best effort of 1m39.801 placed him sixth in the session.
Gabriel will therefore line up from fifth and Kush from third for Saturday’s Sprint Race, held at 13:15 BST (UTC+1).
FREE PRACTICE:
- Gabriel Bortoleto: P14, 2:00.867
- Kush Maini: P16, 2:01.447
- Gabriel Bortoleto: P06, 1:39.801
- Kush Maini: P08: 1:39.856
GABRIEL BORTOLETO: “It was a decent day, and it was tricky to judge throughout with the variable conditions. Finishing in the top six is a solid result considering the challenges out there. We are stringing together some consistently strong qualifying results, which is allowing us to be in the mix at every weekend at the moment, so a huge thanks to the team for the car they are giving us.”
KUSH MAINI: “Another top 10 in qualifying is a good result. Naturally we want more, but it feels like we are close to stringing it all together. Silverstone provides plenty of opportunities for overtaking and the weather can change very quickly, so being where we are will hopefully allow us to try and capitalise on any chances which comes our way in the two races this weekend.”
