James delivered his strongest performance of the season in today’s Qualifying session at the Hungaroring, securing P11 and a coveted front row start for tomorrow’s Sprint Race.

In a fiercely competitive session where the top 27 drivers were separated by less than a second, every lap counted. James kept calm under pressure and nailed his second run in the closing minutes, setting a time that placed him just outside the top ten and second among the reverse grid qualifiers.

It was a tightly packed field from the start, with times constantly shuffling as track conditions evolved. As drivers returned to the pits for fresh tyres, James and his team held firm with their run plan, aiming to capitalise on a clearer window in the final stages.

That strategy paid off. As the likes of Câmara, Boya and Taponen battled for pole—eventually going P1, P2 and P3 respectively—James edged into P11, just behind Wharton and ahead of Inthraphuvasak. With the reverse grid rule in play, it means James will launch from P2 in tomorrow’s Sprint, giving him a golden opportunity to fight for points.

The team will now focus on fine-tuning the car overnight, ensuring it’s dialled in for what promises to be a fast and physical race on Saturday morning.