As a result, he will be starting from pole position for the 28th race of the season. In bright sunshine, Spaniard Alex Palou (Hitech Bullfrog GP, 1m32.355s) ended up second behind the Chinese. Mick Schumacher (PREMA Theodore Racing, 1m32.505s), the current FIA Formula 3 European Championship points’ leader, ended up in seventh place, his fiercest rival Daniel Ticktum (Motopark, 1m32.594s) was classified two places behind Schumacher. Marcus Armstrong (PREMA Theodore Racing, 1m32.481s), who also still has chances of clinching the title, was classified sixth at the 4.574 kilometres long Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg.

As qualifying started, title favourites Mick Schumacher, Daniel Ticktum and Marcus Armstrong were still taking their time waiting in the pits. Halfway through the session, Jehan Daruvala (Carlin, 1m32.373s) was on top from Ferdinand Habsburg (Carlin, 1m32.698s) and Alex Palou. Only in the final third of the session, the names of Schumacher, Ticktum and Armstrong appeared on the timing screens for the first time. Soon after that, Schumacher moved up into first place, but had to hand the lead to Zhou immediately afterwards. The German countered once, but eventually had to let his Chinese teammate in front.

Behind Zhou, Palou was classified in second place from Robert Shvartzman (PREMA Theodore Racing, 1m32.370s), who started the final weekend of the season as the leader in the rookie standings. Daruvala ended up fourth from Jüri Vips (Motopark, 1m32.450s), Armstrong and Schumacher. 16-year-old Dane Frederik Vesti (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1m32.581s) shone with eighth place on his debut in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. Thus, he was classified ahead of title candidate Ticktum, who was ninth. Sacha Fenestraz (Carlin, 1m32.598s) rounded out the top ten.

Guanyu Zhou (PREMA Theodore Racing): “I already had a good feeling after free practice. In qualifying, it was considerably warmer, which, of course, had its effect on the track as well. For us as the drivers, it wasn’t easy to handle the tyres perfectly, but apparently I did well. After a second half of the season that hitherto hasn’t been too good, I am happy to be up front again now.”