Eriksson claims first GP3 pole

Jimmy Eriksson grabbed pole position in GP3 at Silverstone on Saturday morning in wet conditions, ending points leader Alex Lynn's streak of 2014 poles.

Koiranen GP driver Eriksson set the top time with a couple of minutes remaining, toppling Lynn from the head of the times by 0.316sec.

Lynn had stayed in pits for the middle part of the session, and seemed to have timed it right when he came out on fresh set of wets to set 2m05.638s. Eriksson had other ideas, however, and recovered from an early spin to take his first pole in the category, the four points he gained for doing so closing the gap on Lynn in the championship to nine.

Marvin Kirchhofer will start third for ART, but was more than a second away from pole position. Britons Dino Zamparelli (ART), Jann Mardenborough (Arden) and Emil Bernstorff (Carlin) were next up, with Status duo Richie Stanaway and Nick Yelloly, who had both taken turns at the top of the times during the middle of the session, in seventh and eighth respectively.

The session was interrupted soon after it started following a huge shunt on the Hangar Straight, as series debutant Mitch Gilbert rode over the rear of fellow rookie Sebastian.

Gilbert's car somersaulted, tearing off its front-right wheel before coming to rest right-side-up at the approach to Stowe. The Australian got out of his car, but was holding his right hand gingerly and had a muddy left shoulder.

Balthasar drove his car back to the pits, sans rear wing and with heavy suspension damage.