Giovesi takes Marrakech Auto GP pole

Kevin Giovesi and series newcomer Eurotech enjoyed a perfect start to their Auto GP campaign by securing pole position for Saturday's opening race of the season on the street course at Marrakech, Morocco. The Italian was 0.157sec faster than Auto GP debutant Markus Pommer to claim a long-expected first pole.

Pommer set the fastest time in the first segment of Auto GP's revised split qualifying format. Free practice pacesetter Sergio Campana final lap, started moments before the checkered flag, hauled the Italian from sixth to third. Campana will be joined on the second row of Saturday's race by his Zele Racing team-mate Tamas Pal Kiss.

Campos GP2 driver Kimiya Sato starts fifth, ahead of Virtuosi UK's trio of entries. Series returnee Andrea Roda led Slovakian European F3 Open Copa champion Richard Gonda and MRF graduate Sam Dejonghe.

Auto GP has changed its qualifying system for 2014. Last year's single half-hour qualifying session has been replaced by a knock-out format.

Originally on Autosport.com