The first day’s racing at Spa-Francorchamps consisted of two free practice and two qualifying sessions. While Felix Rosenqvist (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) set the quickest time in the first free session, Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing), Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam) and Antonio Fuoco (Prema Powerteam) and topped the time sheets in the second one with Dutchman setting the fastest lap from the Frenchman and the Italian.

Thus, the scene was set for the first qualifying session on a dry track. Once again the three magic rookies monopolised attention as Ocon racked up his eighth pole position of the year from Verstappen and Fuoco.

The second round of qualifying, which designated the grid positions for races 2 and 3, sprang a few surprises helped by the rain. The track began to dry out towards the end of the session and the positions at the top of the time sheets kept changing. Gustavo Menezes (Van Amersfoort Racing) created an upset by snatching pole at the flag in front of his team-mate Verstappen. Ocon was third quickest followed by John Bryant-Mesner (Fortec Motorsports), Felix Serralles (Team West Tech F3) and Alex Toril (ThreeBond with T-Sport).

Thanks to his second-fastest time Ocon clinched pole for race 3. It is his ninth pole of the year and he will head a grid that has a few new names at the sharp end with Bryant-Mesner second in front of Serralles, Felipe Guimares (Double R Racing), Max Verstappen, Gustavo Menezes and Tatiana Calderon (Jo Zeller Racing)!

Two races are programmed for Saturday and one on Sunday.