Ferrari has topped this morning’s first qualifying at Le Mans, with the top eight Hypercars progressing to the Hyperpole session coming from four different teams. Teams featuring all three Kiwis competing this year have progressed.
Less than one second separated the entire top eight, setting the scene for a thrilling 24 Hours of Le Mans once the race goes green this weekend.
The #50 Ferrari set the quickest time, with Antonio Fuoco piloting the 499P to a 3min 25.213 second lap, two-tenths faster than their #51 teammates, which was qualified by Alessandro Pier Guidi.
Kamui Kobayashi set the third fastest time to be the first of the Toyotas, pipping New Zealander Brendon Hartley, who went fourth quickest.
Porsche set the fifth and sixth fastest times, Frederic Makowiecki going faster in the #5 than Felipe Nasr in the #70, both cars within 0.6 seconds of the leading Ferrari.
Chip Ganassi Racing rounds out the top eight cars to progress, with Sebastien Bourdais qualifying the #3 Cadillac, which is being shared with Scott Dixon, to seventh, while Earl Bamber took the #2 Cadillac to eighth.
The #6 Porsche 963 was the first Hypercar not to make the cut and will start ninth on the grid, missing out on the top eight by nearly a full second.
Both Peugeots also failed to progress, meaning the #93 starts from 10th and the #94 starts 11th, ahead of the Action Express Cadillac on 12th.
The two Glickenhaus 007s and sole Vanwall Vandervell 680 round out the top 15, while Jota’s Porsche 963 will start from the rear after failing to set a time due to hybrid-related issues.
With the grids now decided for positions 9 through 16 in each class, tonight’s Hyperpole, beginning at 8.00 pm NZ time, will determine who starts in front come race time.
Header Image: FIA WEC
