Ferrari lock-out historic front row at Le Mans
The two Ferrari AF Corse Hypercars have locked out the front row for the centennial 24 Hours of Le Mans, marking a historic return to the race that helped shape the legend of the Italian manufacturer.
With five minutes to run in the 30 minute session, the number #3 Cadillac driven by Sebastien Bourdais caught fire due to a high pressure fuel hose bursting, red flagging the Hyperpole session with Antonio Fuoco’s #50 Ferrari on top by 0.773s.
It’s the first time that the manufacturer has entered Le Mans since Ferrari left the endurance scene fifty years ago, and the poetic symbolism of the #50 taking pole was rather apt.
“It feels amazing, in front of all these people. Ferrari’s back after 50 years and we scored a pole position,” Fuoco said. ”It was a really good lap, a really tough qualifying.”
Ferrari’s Antonio Fuoco helped make history for the Italian manufacturer, capturing pole at Le Mans after a 50 year hiatus. Images: LAT
Likewise, Ferrari’s endurance and AF Corse boss said the team will enjoy the moment.
“We are delighted with this result, fifty years after our previous appearance in the top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Tonight after the Hyperpole, we are enjoying a fantastic moment, the fruit of exceptional work.”
The #51 499P entry put down a 3’23.755, led by Pier Guidi, and when the clock was stopped the #3 Cadillac was in P3, but its time was scrapped due to the V-Series LMDh car having caused the red flag.
Toyota’s #8 GR010 was elevated into P3, but Kiwi racer Brendan Hartley just wasn’t within reach throughout the session, finishing +1.469s off the pace, with the #75 Penske Porsche also moving onto the second row +1.549s in arrears.
The 2023 Le Mans class pole getters from the Hypercar, LMP2, and GTE Am categories. Image: LAT
The second Toyota was being piloted by Kamui Kobayashi, who fell +1.951s short of a record equalling fifth Le Mans pole, whilst Cadillac’s Earl Bamber will start his attempt at winning a third Le Mans from P6 in the #2 Cadillac.
As a result of the Bourdais driven Cadillac having caused the red flag, the #5 Porsche 963 was Elevated into P7, with Bourdais’s second best time relegating him to the back of the fourth row.
Toyota’s bid to find the necessary lap time before the start of Saturday’s race looks unlikely following its added 37 kg from the BOP, and it could do no better in the following night practice, with the #7 placing in P6as the highest of the pair.
Kiwi endurance racer Brendon Hartley manages to get the #8 Toyota onto the second row. Images: LAT
Ferrari topped the Practice 4 with its #50 again, whilst a surprise P2 went to the non-hybrid #709 Glickenhaus Racing 007LMH, with the JOTA customer Porsche also showing improvement with a P3.
The on track activity for the 24 Hours of Le Mans grid will have to wait until Saturday, with a 15 minute warm up session prior to the race start at 4pm local time (12 am AEST), which runs through until 4pm Sunday.
24 Hours of Le Mans starting Grid
Hypercar
- #50 FERRARI AF CORSE Antonio Fuoco 3:22.982
- #51 FERRARI AF CORSE Alessandro Pier Guidi +0.773
- #7 TOYOTA GAZOO RACING Kamui Kobayashi +1.285
- #8 TOYOTA GAZOO RACING Brendon Hartley +1.469
- #75 PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT Felipe Nasr +1.549
- #2 CADILLAC RACING Earl Bamber +2.188
- #5 PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT Frédéric Makowiecki +2.194
- #3 CADILLAC RACING Sébastien Bourdais +2.539
- #6 PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT Kévin Estre 3:26.900
- #93 PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES Mikkel Jensen 3:27.260
- #94 PEUGEOT TOTALENERGIES Loïc Duval 3:27.850
- #311 ACTION EXPRESS RACING Luis Felipe Derani 3:27.960
- #708 GLICKENHAUS RACING Romain Dumas 3:28.497
- #709 GLICKENHAUS RACING Esteban Gutierrez 3:29.082
- #4 FLOYD VANWALL RACING TEAM Tom Dillman 3:29.745
#38 HERTZ TEAM JOTA Will Stevens NO TIME SET (61 overall)
LMP2
- #48 IDEC SPORT Paul Loup Chatin 3:32.923
- #28 JOTA Pietro Fittipaldi 3:33.035
- #41 TEAM WRT Louis Deletraz 3:33.240
- #47 COOL RACING Reshad De Gerus 3:33.580
- #63 PREMA RACING Mirko Bortolotti 3:33.983
- #14 NIELSEN RACING Ben Hanley 3:34.021
- #9 PREMA RACING Bent Viscaal 3:34.658
- #10 VECTOR SPORT Gabriel Aubry 3:35.091
- #923 RACING TEAM TURKEY Dries Vanthoor 3:35.176
- #23 UNITED AUTOSPORTS Tom Blomqvist 3:35.519
- #45 ALGARVE PRO RACING James Allen 3:35.578
- #22 UNITED AUTOSPORTS Filipe Albuquerque 3:35.587
- #39 GRAFF RACING Giedo van der Garde 3:35.652
- #65 PANIS RACING Job van Uitert 3:35.691
- #34 INTER EUROPOL COMPETITION Albert Costa 3:35.755
- #31 TEAM WRT Robin Frijns 3:35.853
- #43 DKR ENGINEERING Maxime Martin 3:35.951
- #37 COOL RACING Malthe Jakobsen 3:36.271
- #80 AF CORSE Ben Barnicoat 3:36.483
- #30 DUQUEINE TEAM Neel Jani 3:37.213
- #35 ALPINE ELF TEAM André Negrao 3:37.498
- #32 INTER EUROPOL COMPETITION Anders Fjordbach 3:39.303
- #36 ALPINE ELF TEAM Matthieu Vaxiviere 3:59.171 (59 overall)
#60 TOWER MOTORSPORTS Steven Thomas NO TIME SET (60 overall)
38 overall: #24 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS Mike Rockenfeller Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 3:47.976 [Innovative Cars, Garage 56]
LMGTE Am
- #33 CORVETTE RACING Ben Keating 3:52.376
- #25 ORT BY TF Ahmad Al Harthy 3:53.905
- #54 AF CORSE Thomas Flohr 3:54.582
- #21 AF CORSE Julien Piguet 3:54.744
- #83 RICHARD MILLE AF CORSE Luis Perez Companc 3:55.033
- #57 KESSEL RACING Takeshi Kimura 3:55.637
- #55 GMB MOTORSPORT Jens Reno Møller 3:57.240
- #74 KESSEL RACING Yorikatsu Tsujiko 3:59.648
- #60 IRON LYNX Alessio Picariello 3:53.374
- #98 NORTHWEST AMR Alex Riberas 3:53.406
- #77 DEMPSEY – PROTON RACING Julien Andlauer 3:53.481
- #86 GR RACING Benjamin Barker 3:53.531
- #100 WALKENHORST MOTORSPORT Jeffrey Segal 3:53.590
- #85 IRON DAMES Michelle Gatting 3:53.603
- #72 TF SPORT Valentin Hasse-Clot 3:53.703
- #56 PROJECT 1 – AO Matteo Cairoli 3:53.947
- #66 JMW MOTORSPORT Louis Prette 3:54.093
- #911 PROTON COMPETITION Martin Rump 3:54.129
- #16 PROTON COMPETITION Jan Heylen 3:54.137
- #88 PROTON COMPETITION Harry Tincknell 3:58.486
- #777 D’STATION RACING Satoshi Hoshino NO TIME SET
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