Jolyon Palmer will start tomorrow's GP2 Feature Race from a superb sixth place after a career-best performance during today's (Thursday) closely fought Monaco qualifying session.

Drivers were split into two groups for the first ever time in the series in order to avoid a repeat of 2011's frantic session, with each 13 car group receiving 14 minutes to set their best time.

Starting in the first group, Jolyon looked quick from the off running sixth and showing great pace on the supersoft Pirelli tyres. The 21-year-old Brit then went even quicker in his next run to move up to third, 0.6s behind pace man Giedo Van Der Garde.

On his next lap he set the overall fastest time in the first sector and showing great commitment throughout the tight and twisty street circuit. In the closing stages, he had time for one final run and set a personal best time in the second and third sectors to lie just two tenths of a second off the top spot.

He was then pipped by a last lap surge from Carlin's Max Chilton who went top for the group leaving Palmer in third and securing a third-row start for tomorrow's race under the new qualifying system.

It was then up to the second qualifying group to determine whether Jolyon would start fifth or sixth. A final quick lap from Johnny Cecotto Jnr in group two meant he secured pole for the race meaning Jolyon would start sixth, still beating his previous best grid slot of seventh at the opening round in Malaysia.

Speaking afterwards Jolyon said: "We had a good session, P3 in our group and P6 overall. The times were very close and I'm sure I had the car to be on pole. Hopefully for tomorrow I can get my head down and pick up a good haul of points."

Meanwhile, team-mate Marcus Ericsson will line-up alongside Cecotto with Chilton in third. Tomorrow's 42-lap Feature Race gets underway at 10:30 (local time) with full coverage on www.jolyonpalmer.com and Sky's F1 channel.

GP2 Monaco, qualifying results:

1. J Cecotto, Addax, 1m21.195s
2. M Chilton, Carlin, 1m21.320s
3. M Ericsson, iSport, 1m21.249s
4. G VD Garde, Caterham, 1m21.475s
5. L Razia, Arden, 1m21.858s
6. J Palmer, iSport, 1m21.530s
7. D Valsecchi, DAMS, 1m21.912s
8. J Kral, Addax, 1m21.776s
9. F Leimer, Racing, 1m22.053s
10. E Gutierrez, Lotus GP, 1m21.796s