Liam Lawson on tentative Monaco pole as breathtaking crash ends Formula 2 qualifying
Liam Lawson qualified on provisional pole for the Formula 2 weekend in Monaco pending the outcome of a stewards investigation.
Liam Lawson qualifies on provision pole for Formula 2 in Monaco. (Fox Sports)
With qualifying split into two groups around the tight circuit, Lawson set the fastest time in the dying stages of the first group despite yellow flags at the start/finish line.
"It's definitely pretty cool," said Lawson.
"The lap itself was really nice."
"After yesterday, the car felt really good, so the pace was there."
"We just needed to put it together."
"I'm just excited now to have a good start on Sunday and hopefully put us back in a good position."
Felipe Drugovich had set the fastest time on the initial runs and clipped the barrier on his final attempt, with his stranded MP Motorsport car just metres away from the finish line.
Lawson and Ayumu Iwasa both bested Drugovich's time despite the crashed car, leaving the stewards to decide if Lawson's pole will hold.
"I didn't see the car until we went round.." said Lawson, cautiously optimistically that his time would stand.
"I wasn't aware that he was there until it was too late."
In the second group it was Frenchman Theo Pourchaire who set the fastest time to put him on the front row alongside Lawson for the feature race.
The session was brought to an end when Jake Hughes had a dramatic airborne collision in the swimming pool section, leaving the car under his own power.
Should the results stand, Hughes will start the reverse-grid sprint race on pole before Lawson leads away the feature race on Sunday.
Fellow Kiwi Marcus Armstrong qualified ninth, putting him on the front row for the sprint outing.
Aussie Jack Doohan qualified seventh, putting him on the second row for the sprint, with Calan Williams in fifteenth.
2022 FIA Formula 2 Championship - Monaco Qualifying Group A
Liam Lawson (NZ)
Ayumu Iwasa
Felipe Drugovich
Jack Doohan (AUS)
Marcus Armstrong (NZ)
Dennis Hauger
Ralph Boschung
Calan Williams
Frederik Vesti
Amaury Cordeel
Cem Bolukbasi
2022 FIA Formula 2 Championship - Monaco Qualifying Group B
Theo Pourchaire
Juri Vips
Enzo Fittipaldi
Jehan Daruvala
Jake Hughes
Roy Nissany
Logan Sargeant
Clement Novalak
Marino Sato
Olli Caldwell
Richard Verschoor - DNF
2022 FIA Formula 2 Championship - Monaco Qualifying Combined
Liam Lawson (NZ)
Theo Pourchaire
Ayumu Iwasa
Juri Vips
Felipe Drugovich
Enzo Fittipaldi
Jack Doohan (AUS)
Jehan Daruvala
Marcus Armstrong (NZ)
Jake Hughes
Dennis Hauger
Roy Nissany
Ralph Boschung
Logan Sargeant
Calan Williams (AUS)
Clement Novalak
Frederik Vesti
Marino Sato
Amaury Cordeel
Olli Caldwell
Cem Bolukbasi
Richard Verschoor - DNF