Stanek Dominates Yas Marina Qualifying, Secures Pole Ahead of Crawford
Roman Stanek showcased an impressive performance at Yas Marina, claiming his second Aramco Pole Position Award of the season. His time of 1:36.836 secured the top spot ahead of Jak Crawford of DAMS Lucas Oil, who finished just 0.087 seconds behind. Leonardo Fornaroli from Invicta Racing rounded out the top three, positioning the team strongly for the challenging weekend ahead, with the Teams’ Title at stake.
Qualifying Highlights
The session began with Sebastián Montoya setting an early benchmark for PREMA Racing, clocking in at 1:37.972. Following that, Crawford, continuing his momentum from Free Practice, emerged as the fastest driver, surpassing Montoya’s time by 0.339 seconds.
- Top Times:
- 1. Roman Stanek: 1:36.836
- 2. Jak Crawford: 1:36.923
- 3. Leonardo Fornaroli: (exact time not specified)
Joshua Duerksen, the winner of last year’s Feature Race, also demonstrated strong form, coming within 0.091 seconds of Crawford’s leading time. The competitive nature of the session was evident as drivers struggled to secure the top positions.
Rapid Changes in Positions
After initial laps, Duerksen found himself in provisional pole with a time of 1:37.464. Montoya and Fornaroli also showed strong performances, maintaining tight competition throughout. Oliver Goethe temporarily gained the fastest lap with a time of 1:37.086, but both he and Dino Beganovic had their times affected by track limit violations.
As the final laps unfolded, Stanek emerged as the frontrunner after delivering an outstanding final lap. Following his lap, Crawford quickly moved into second place, just shy of Stanek’s record. Fornaroli then climbed to third, managing to secure a solid position for Invicta Racing.
Final Standings and Upcoming Race
- Final Qualifying Results:
- 1. Roman Stanek
- 2. Jak Crawford
- 3. Leonardo Fornaroli
- 4. Dino Beganovic
- 5. Sebastián Montoya
- 6. Oliver Goethe
- 7. Victor Martins
- 8. Joshua Duerksen
- 9. Nikola Tsolov
- 10. Arvid Lindblad
The Sprint Race is scheduled to commence at 16:15 local time on Saturday. Drivers are eager to conclude the 2025 campaign with strong performances on the challenging Yas Marina circuit.
