24 Hours of Le Mans: Hyperpole - part 1

HyperCarWEC

Jun 9

Two Ferrari will start first row the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time since 1973, when Arturo Merzario and Carlos Pace posted the fastest time in the 312 PB ahead of Jacky Ickx and Brian Redman also in a 312PB. Antonio Fuoco was the fastest of Hyperpole with Ferrari 499P #50. Pier Guidi with sister #51 was second.

Table 1: Hyperpole Hypercar classification

Ferrari crushes the competition

Close to 1.5 seconds separates the pole Ferrari from the first Toyota GR010. Antonio Fuoco did set the benchmark of the Hyperpole session before a red flag interrupted the session. The margin with the opponents was such that the two Ferrari didn’t run the additional 5 minutes after red flag.

The Ferrari 499P #50 with Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen sharing the cockpit will start the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from pole.

📷 © Luc Warnotte during Hyperpole at Le Mans. Antonio Fuoco with Ferrari 499P #50.

Antonio Fuoco: « It’s something special to take pole position in a race that marks Ferrari’s return to the top endurance class of the most famous race. I think the entire team has done something fantastic in enabling our two Hypercars to take the front row. Now we’re enjoying this moment. We all deserve it, but we know we have a long and challenging race ahead of us. We’ll have to stay very focused and give our all. » Source: Ferrari

Antonio Fuoco was 0.773 sec. ahead of Alessandro Pier Guidi, who will set off from second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans together with James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi.

📷 © Luc Warnotte during session 3 at Le Mans. Ferrari 499P #51.

Alessandro Pier Guidi: « As a team, I don’t think there was a better way to return to Le Mans. Securing a red front row repays us all for the hard work we’ve put in over the past year without a break and always focused on our goals. My first attempt went very well, but I hit some traffic on my second one, and the lap wasn’t ideal for trying to improve the time. »

Toyota and Porsche in second row

After pitting for new tyres the Toyota GR010 HYBRIDs left the pit lane for their final flying laps with 10 minutes remaining. Both drivers hopes of challenging for pole position were dashed when Cadillac #3 stopped at Daytona chicane, causing a red flag before their laps could be completed.
Competition resumed after an 11-minute delay and the GR010 HYBRIDs started their last lap with just seconds remaining. Despite tyres which were no longer at their best, Brendon Hartley did set the third-fastest lap in the #8 Toyota.

📷 © Luc Warnotte during Hyperpole at Le Mans. Brendon Hartley in #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid.

Brendon Hartley (Toyota #8): “I am pretty happy to secure third in the end. The front row was not possible because Ferrari were too quick; congratulations to them for their pole. On my first run the car didn’t feel great and our lap times were a long way off. On my next run I had an amazing lap until the red flag, which was a bit frustrating, then I just kept it clean for my last run. It wasn’t the best lap but it was enough for third. I gave it my best shot, and pole would have been nice but starting in third is all we need. Everyone knows the race is a different matter, so we have to keep that in mind. We have been the reference this year in terms of execution and team work, so we have to show that again. We need to pull together, use all our experience and put our full focus on taking top spot on Sunday. I am ready for the fight.” Source: Toyota Gazoo Racing

Felipe Nasr waited 18 minutes before making his attempt which his #75 Porsche 963 but was halted in his attempt when the session was red-flagged. With barely more than five minutes remaining on the clock, the hyperpole was restarted. Felipe Nasr went out on the track a second time to set a time of 3:24.531 minutes which planted him and his teammates Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet on the fourth grid spot.

📷 © Luc Warnotte during Hyperpole at Le Mans. Felipe Nasr ending his flying lap with #75 Porsche 963 after red flag.

Felipe Nasr (Porsche 963 #75): “That was really intense. We only had enough fuel on board for exactly two flying laps. When the red flag came out on my first run, we first had to work out whether we’d have enough fuel for another attempt. There was a lot of discussion behind the scenes, but in the end, the guys did an awesome job and made it possible for me to turn a second timed lap. I then drove my heart out and pushed to the absolute limit. I’m very pleased with the fourth grid spot and I’m happy for the team.” Source: Porsche

Toyota 7 fifth, Cadillac sixth in third row.

Kamui Kobayashi was initially classified third but lost that lap due to a track limits violation, dropping to fifth.

📷 © Luc Warnotte during Hyperpole at Le Mans. Kobayashi with #7 Toyota ahead of the two Ferrari but not in pace.

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, Toyota #7): “We gave everything today, but we didn’t have a realistic chance of pole position. Congratulations to Ferrari. They set a very fast lap time and we could not match it. I pushed as hard as I could because pole position at Le Mans is something very special. I pushed a bit too hard and it didn’t go well because I lost my lap for track limits, although if you are not on pole, then being third or fifth doesn’t matter much because it is a long race. It can all be a different story in the race. It will not be easy and we don’t have the fastest car, as we saw today over one lap, but to win over 24 hours you need everything; team spirit, the right strategy, no mistakes. We will do out best and see where we are on Sunday afternoon.” Source: Toyota Gazoo Racing

Earl Bamber recorded a best lap of 3 minutes, 25.170 seconds in the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R (sharing with Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook) to qualify sixth.

📷 © Luc Warnotte during Free session 1 at Le Mans. #2 Cadillac V-Series.R.

Earl Bamber: "I think we had a good car. We didn't really show where we could be. I think we could have been in the top three or four and were on a good lap when the red flag came out and lost it. We have a car with good race pace, and with everything we've talked about all week -- quick, consistent pit stops and the reliability that this car has shown throughout this season -- we'll be in contention for the victory.” Source: Cadillac Racing.

Porsche and Cadillac share last Hyperpole row.

Porsche Penske Motorsport had nominated Frédéric Makowiecki to drive the #5 Porsche 963. Makowiecki only stepped in after a good 15 minutes to increase the chance of a clear run. At the end of his single flying lap, the #5 Porsche got caught behind a rival, lost critical fractions of seconds and clocked a time of 3:25.176 minutes.

📷 © Luc Warnotte during Hyperpole at Le Mans. Concentration of Frédéric Makowiecki in his #5 Porsche 963.

Frédéric Makowiecki (Porsche 963 #5): “The red flag threw a spanner in the works for me, as did the fact that I was held up by a slower vehicle at the end of my flying lap. But it doesn’t matter, qualifying for a 24-hour race isn’t that critical. It’s more important that we have a good car over the whole race distance.” Source: Porsche

Sebastien Bourdais had laid down a scintillating 3:24.674 lap with just over 6 minutes remaining to take the provisional P3 spot. However, on the next lap, the #3 Cadillac V-Series.R encountered a burst high pressure fuel hose that started a brief fire. Bourdais guided the Hypercar to a safe area of the racetrack and he exited the car without assistance, but the incident caused a red flag. His fastest lap was deleted by race stewards. The #3 Cadillac V-Series.R was credited with the lap of 3:25.521 set in the 18th minute and he qualified eighth.

📷 © Luc Warnotte during Hyperpole at Le Mans. Sebastien Bourdais setting his flying lap with #3 Cadillac V-Series.R

Sebastien Bourdais: "It was a solid effort (on the fastest lap). The car was really good. The first attempt the car really got hampered by traffic. The second one was just the perfect storm. I got out, not a bit of traffic, good prep lap, perfectly hot tires. Managed to do Lap 1 on the pique of the tire and I got an amazing first sector and it was a really solid lap. Then I started losing some time and it went away.” Source: Cadillac Racing.

For LMP2 and LMGTE AM class go to part2