It was Downton's Klaas van Snelheid who took pole position for tomorrow's Mexican V-Prix as the Dutchman looks to snatch the title from Enrique Ruiz at the death. Coming into the weekend, emotions had been high with the impending departure of Porsche Mathershaw and the Highwind team looming, however, things quickly got serious and incredibly tense as the light went green for the final Qualifying session of the season.
In the early runs, it was nip and tuck between the Downton teammates with Matteo Zetticci on provisional pole ahead of Klaas, while Ruiz initially struggled to match their pace after a slight mistake at the final corner cost him time. However, as the session drew to a close, the three drivers could barely be split as Klaas took pole by just eight thousandths of a second from Zetticci with a lap that sees the Downton driver in the best possible position to take the fight to Ruiz in tomorrow's race. Ruiz, though, was quietly content with third after his early struggles and knows he only needs to finish sixth to take his third World Championship. Lining up alongside the Brazilian, incredibly, will be Phoenix stand-in driver James Thompson. The part time racing driver, part time welder had the session of his life - lapping seven hundredths of a second slower than the double World Champion and just over one and a half tenths off pole. Simon had a quiet day in his final qualifying session before he retires from the sport and will line up fifth ahead of his former teammate Allar Kangur. Puccio Giodano lines up seventh for Ocelot just ahead Thierry Xylander who bids farewell to the Highwind team with another outstanding effort from the Belgian. Karl Beckenbauer - who North Star had to bring in at the last minute due to an unfortunate incident with a taco van - had a great Qualifying session and will line up ninth; out-qualifying teammate Kidd by two tenths of a second in the German's first taste of action since last season. Giani Ledesma was another driver who shocked the paddock - and himself - by putting his Scuderia Meteor in fifteenth for their final race before the team morphs into Lamborghini for next season. The Italian's lap time was backed up by teammate Felix Beyer, who put in a lap good enough for nineteenth place. Hunter Ryan and Daniel Zientek were both left disappointed with their efforts as they line up fourteen places behind their respective teammates, doing nothing to help the rumours surrounding Ryan's future in the series. At the back, Jules Barclay won the Westwood-Lopez Qualifying battle but the Canadian and teammate Kinnumen never really looked in danger of being out-qualified by the Lopez pair; with Meyer and Alvarez two tenths and four tenths back from the Fin. Full session classification below:
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