GP2: Nato survives investigation to keep pole

Norman Nato has kept his pole position for the GP2 Series round at Silverstone after an investigation over whether he finished his best lap under a red flag.

The Frenchman's Racing Engineering car crossed the line to set its quickest lap just as the red lights came on because Oliver Rowland had parked in The Loop with a flat battery.

Following a stewards' investigation, the Racing Engineering driver will get to start from his first GP2 pole earned in a qualifying session.

"I didn't see any red flag," said Nato, who is third in the points and is celebrating his 24th birthday today. "On the last corner I didn't see any marshal showing a red flag. I had my eyes on the dashboard [on the run to the line] to see my time and, after I crossed the line, when I went into Turn 1, my engineer told me on the radio."

Pierre Gasly, who would have moved up to take pole in the event of Nato's lap being taken away, said that the same red flag scuppered his best attempt to claim the top spot.

When the session restarted, Gasly improved but ended up just over two tenths off pole.

"I had improved in the first sector and was also improving in the second sector – the few corners we made of it – but then I got the red flag," he said. "After that the tires were a bit more used. It was tricky – I was fighting a bit more with the car."

Originally on Autosport.com