Ruben Volt has secured his first pole position since 2023 in a thrilling qualifying session at Misano, narrowly fending off newcomer Jacopo Cimenes by a mere 0.064 seconds.

Volt will lead the field for this evening's first race, with Cimenes alongside him on the front row. Jenson Brickley, who was also a strong contender for pole, will start third after losing time in the final sector, despite setting the fastest lap in the first part of qualifying (Q1).

The initial Q1 session saw a dramatic scramble for drivers to break into the top 12 and advance to Q2. Teddy Clairet initially topped the timesheets, but rapid improvements in the latter half of the session saw Junesung Park, Santiago Concepción, Cimenes, and then Brickley all take turns at the top spot. Brickley was the first to dip under the 1:42 mark.

However, the battle to scrape into the top 12 proved even more intense. Championship favorites Max Hart, Nicola Baldan, Nicolas Taylor, and current points leader Jimmy Clairet all failed to make the cut. Jimmy Clairet, in particular, will start both of the weekend's races from a challenging 15th on the grid.

In Q2, Volt set the initial benchmark with a 1:41.771 on his first run, closely followed by Cimenes' 1:41.835. Brickley's first Q2 lap was deleted due to a track limits violation at Turn 6, prompting him to pit for fresh tires and head out for another attempt. He looked set to challenge Volt for pole but a crucial mistake in the final sector meant he could only manage the third-quickest time.

Both Volt and Cimenes were on improving laps during their final runs after the checkered flag, but both drivers ultimately lost time in the final sector. This meant their initial laps stood, securing Volt his first pole since Monza in 2023 and claimed the Pole Position Award by TR Watches at Misano, while Cimenes will make a highly respectable series debut starting from second.

Teddy Clairet finished tenth fastest in Q2, granting him the advantage of starting from pole position for the reversed grid Race 2 on Sunday.

Race 1 gets underway just before sunset tonight at 20:35 CEST. Live streaming will be available on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@tcrtv