otted ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁track , ▁bringing ▁with ▁it ▁high ▁wind s ▁and ▁more ▁sp ots ▁of ▁rain . ▁According ▁to ▁C ART ▁rules , ▁both ▁qual ifying ▁groups ▁were ▁guaranteed ▁at ▁least ▁twenty ▁minutes ▁of ▁green - flag ▁running , ▁and ▁so ▁when ▁the ▁session ▁res umed ▁the ▁drivers ▁would ▁be ▁given ▁five - and - a - half ▁minutes ▁to ▁finish ▁qual ifying . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁session ▁was ▁stopped , ▁D ario ▁Fran ch itt i ▁was ▁leading ▁the ▁group ▁with ▁a ▁ 5 9 . 8 0 3 , ▁which ▁put ▁him ▁ 1 4 th ▁behind ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁first ▁group ▁run ners . ▁When ▁the ▁green ▁flag ▁finally ▁came ▁back ▁out ▁almost ▁thirty ▁minutes ▁later , ▁the ▁track ▁had ▁multiple ▁areas ▁of ▁standing ▁water , ▁meaning ▁that ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁drivers ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁group ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁put ▁in ▁a ▁better ▁time , ▁much ▁less ▁comp ete ▁with ▁the ▁drivers ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁group . ▁ ▁The ▁b izar re ▁events ▁in ▁qual ifying ▁had ▁allowed ▁G ugel min ▁to ▁take ▁his ▁first ▁pole ▁position ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁Mar l bor o ▁ 5 0 0 ▁and ▁the ▁fourth ▁of ▁his ▁career . ▁In ▁post - qual ifying ▁comments , ▁G ugel min ▁remarked ▁that ▁his ▁lap ▁time ▁would ▁have ▁held ▁up ▁even ▁if ▁the ▁second ▁group ▁hadn ' t ▁experienced ▁rain , ▁but ▁he ▁also ▁l ament ed ▁that ▁the ▁current ▁system ▁of ▁two - session ▁qual ifying