Tsunoda secures F2 pole in chaotic Sakhir qualifying, Schumacher only 18th

Carlin’s Yuki Tsunoda will line up in Saturday’s Sakhir Formula 2 feature race from pole position to keep his faint hopes of winning the title alive.

The young Japanese driver maintained the momentum he showed in practice to take his fourth pole position of the season.

Tsunoda’s led the way after the opening runs and stayed on top as drivers struggled to improve on their second set of soft tyres as traffic and red flags interrupted the session.

The session was red-flagged with four minutes to go after Luca Ghiotto lost his Hitech through Turn 2, beaching his car in the process.

Once the session restarted, none of the title contenders managed to improve their fortunes with championship leader Mick Schumacher well down the field in P18.

Schumacher was blocked by the ART Grand Prix driver of Marcus Armstrong and then collided with the Trident of Roy Nissany into Turn 10, which resulted in the second red flag period of the session and a premature end to qualifying.

Callum Ilott endured one of the worst qualifying sessions of the year but will start from ninth.

14 points separate Schumacher and Ilott going into the season finale in Sakhir with Nikita Mazepin and Yuki Tsunoda the outsiders.

Mazepin - who will drive alongside Schumacher at the Haas F1 team in 2021 - will start on the front row alongside Tsunoda.

Jehan Daruvala made it two Carlins in the top three as he edged out Robert Shwartzman in fourth, who’s no longer in mathematical contention for the title.

The Russian was one of the few drivers to improve on his second set of tyres, improving from tenth to fourth.

Felipe Drugovich beat Christian Lundgaard for fifth, while Artem Markelov was inside the top ten in seventh.

Dan Ticktum will line up eighth ahead of Illot and Louis Deletraz.