Needing to win Sunday afternoon’s Regione Sardegna Grand Prix of Italy to confirm a second Drivers’ Championship title with one round to spare, Team Sweden’s Jonas Andersson will start the Olbia-based race from pole position after the results of the two sprint races were combined on Saturday afternoon.

The Swede’s fastest lap of 36.022sec in sprint race one was sufficient to beat young Italian sprint race two winner Alberto Comparato to the prime spot on the start pontoon by 0.405 seconds. Andersson’s fellow countryman and title rival Erik Stark of the Victory Team pushed the championship leader all the way in qualifying and the first of the races and will start the Grand Prix from third place, with the China CTIC Team’s Peter Morin and Ferdinand Zandbergen of the Sharjah Team rounding off the top five.

Team Abu Dhabi are at risk of losing out on the defence of their UIM F1H2O Teams’ Championship after Rashed Al-Qemzi and Thani Al-Qamzi qualified their DACs in seventh and ninth, with Mad Croc Gillman Racing’s Filip Roms set to start the race in sixth and his team-mate Grant Trask splitting the Abu Dhabi duo in eighth.
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The Strømøy Racing F1H2O Team duo of Bartek Marszalek and Marit Stromoy line up in 10th and 11th, with Kalle Viippo, Brent Dillard and Ahmed Al-Fahim rounding off the guaranteed race starters.

Sunday morning’s repêcharge will determine the remaining two places on the start pontoon for the Regione Sardegna Grand Prix of Italy.

The F1 Atlantic Team’s Ben Jelf and Duarte Benavente, Maverick Racing’s Alexandre Bourgeot and Cédric Deguisne, a troubled double World Champion Sami Seliö and Brock Cohen of the Comparato F1 Team will tussle for the two available positions.

2023 Regione Sardegna Grand Prix of Italy – BRM Pole Position result:

1. Jonas Andersson (SWE) Team Sweden 36.022sec
2. Alberto Comparato (ITA) Comparato F1 36.427sec
3. Erik Stark (SWE) Victory Team 36.157sec
4. Peter Morin (FRA) China CTIC Team 36.885sec
5. Ferdinand Zandbergen (NLD) Sharjah Team 36.862sec
6. Filip Roms (FIN) Mad Croc Gillman Racing 37.844sec
7. Rashed Al-Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 36.991sec
8. Grant Trask (AUS) Mad Croc Gillman Racing 37.230sec
9. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 37.258sec
10. Bartek Marszalek (POL) Stromoy Racing F1H2O Team 37.941sec
11. Marit Strømøy (NOR) Strømøy Racing F1H2O Team 38.273sec
12. Kalle Viippo (FIN) Team Sweden 39.711sec
13. Brent Dillard (USA) China CTIC Team 37.709sec
14. Ahmad Al-Fahim (UAE) Victory Team 38.033sec

Repecharge entries – Sunday
Ben Jelf (GBR) F1 Atlantic Team
Duarte Benavente (POR) F1 Atlantic Team
Sami Selio (FIN) Sharjah Team
Cedric Deguisne (FRA) Maverick Racing
Alexandre Bourgeot (FRA) Maverick Racing
Brock Cohen (AUS) Comparato F1