Jak Crawford takes F2 pole after crashes interrupt Baku qualifying
American Jak Crawford survived a chaotic F2 qualifying session to take pole position in Baku.
BAKU, Azerbaijan – Jak Crawford held on through an interrupted FIA Formula 2 qualifying session on the streets of Baku to take pole position.
The American returned to pole for the second time this season after claiming his first earlier in the year at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Crawford's lap of 1:54.791 was enough to clinch P1 ahead of Leonardo Fornaroli and Gabriele Minì after a series of red flags interrupted the 30-minute session.
"It was a chaotic one, lots of stress," said the DAMS Lucas Oil Driver.
"You know you never want to get a pole exactly this way. I mean, I don't really care how I get a pole, but this way put a lot of pressure on the last two laps... and it in the end, I didn't have to, it all mattered on the first run.
"So yeah, happy, happy to survive the chaos, because I almost ran into Victor Martins when he crashed, because I was literally the next car behind him.
"I kept my nose clean, got a good lap in after the first red flag, and it was good enough for pole."
Amaury Cordeel was the first to find the barriers around the tight city circuit, with Victor Martins hitting the wall when the session resumed and Crawford narrowly avoiding the stranded Frenchman.
Following an extensive delay it was a sprint to the line with four minutes on the clock, but a dramatic crash between Roman Stanek and John Bennett at turn one brought an end to the session and left Crawford unchallenged at the top of the time sheets.
With a number of drivers under investigation for causing red flags, the reverse-grid order is still provisional ahead of the sprint race, which is underway at 8.15pm on Saturday (AEST).
