Oliver Rowland will start the opening GP2 feature race from seventh place following qualifying around the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.
The Racing Steps Foundation-backed driver was looking to bounce back from a disappointing weekend at the previous round in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The qualifying session began in bright, sunny skies with drivers fitting Super Soft Pirelli tyres following a torrential downpour during the earlier Formula 1 free practice session.
Rowland made the most of his early running, setting the fifth quickest time with his third lap in his MP Motorsport-run Dallara machine, half a second off Prema’s Pierre Gasly who topped the early running order.
The session took its traditional downturn in action during its mid-point, with drivers waiting for a final sprint in the closing minutes.
Renault Sport Academy driver Rowland improved on his personal best time in the final laps as those around attempted to relegate the Briton in the order.
Rowland’s quickest lap, a 1m 14.316s, was good enough for sixth place before Trident’s Luca Ghiotto vaulted up the order into fourth place, demoting Rowland to seventh and the fourth row of the grid alongside fellow Brit Alex Lynn (DAMS).
ART Grand Prix racer Sergei Sirotkin will start Saturday’s feature race from pole position ahead of Prema’s Antonio Giovinazzi who trailed Sirotkin by a mere 0.006s.