Le Mans 24h: Toyota dominates first qualifying session
Toyota has upped the pace in Thursday’s first qualifying session for the Le Mans 24 Hours, as the leading cars in each class qualified for Friday’s grid-deciding Hyperpole.
Toyota came out of the gates flying in Thursday’s 45-minute qualifying session, which decided on the six cars from each of the four classes advancing to the Hyperpole session, while setting the grid for the remaining positions.
Kamui Kobayashi set a time of 3m17.089s in the #7 Toyota TS050 Hybrid, one tenth clear of teammate Kazuki Nakajima in the #8 sister car. Rebellion’s #1 car was 4.5 seconds behind courtesy of Bruno Senna’s 3m21.598s lap. With only five cars entered in the category, all entrants will proceed to tomorrow’s Hyperpole.
In LMP2 Will Stevens led early doors with a 3m27.097 in the #37 Jackie Chan DC Racing Oreca, narrowly beating Paul di Resta’s time in the #22 United Autosports Oreca.
Stevens was then topped by Nyck de Vries' effort in the #29 Racing Team Nederland Oreca, the Dutchman setting a 3m26.648s.
Jean-Eric Vergne secured a Hyperpole spot for the #26 G-Drive Oreca, joined by Alex Brundle’s #32 United Autosports entry and the #33 High Class Racing Oreca driven by Toyota protegé Kenta Yamashita.
Formula E champion Antonio Felix da Costa narrowly missed out in seventh in the #38 JOTA Sport entry and will start the race from that position.
In GTE Pro the Aston Martins demonstrated their raw speed by dominating the session. Marco Sorensen put the #95 Aston Martin Vantage on top with a 3m50.872, half a tenth quicker than Alex Lynn in the #97 sister car.
Alessandro Pier Guidi took third in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari, a full second behind the Aston duo, followed by Davide Rigon in the remaining AF Corse Ferrari of Davide Rigon.
Porsche pair Gianmaria Bruni and Michael Christensen secured fifth and sixth, knocking out the customer Ferraris of WeatherTech Racing and Risi Competizione.
Augusto Farfus topped GTE Am in the #98 Aston, following by Charlie Eastwood in the TF Sport Aston, Ben Barker in the #88 Gulf Racing Porsche and Come Ledogar in the #81 Luzich Ferrari. The #77 Dempsey Proton Porsche and the #98 Project 1 Porsche will join them in Friday’s Hyperpole.
Qualifying results:
Pos. | # | Drivers | Car | Class | Time | Gap | Interval |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 7 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Toyota TS050 Hybrid | LMP1 | 3'17.089 | ||
2 | 8 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Toyota TS050 Hybrid | LMP1 | 3'17.336 | 0.247 | 0.247 |
3 | 1 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Rebellion R13 | LMP1 | 3'21.598 | 4.509 | 4.262 |
4 | 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ENSO CLM P1/01 | LMP1 | 3'24.468 | 7.379 | 2.870 |
5 | 3 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Rebellion R13 | LMP1 | 3'24.632 | 7.543 | 0.164 |
6 | 29 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'26.648 | 9.559 | 2.016 |
7 | 37 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'27.097 | 10.008 | 0.449 |
8 | 22 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'27.148 | 10.059 | 0.051 |
9 | 26 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Aurus 01 | LMP2 | 3'27.366 | 10.277 | 0.218 |
10 | 32 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'27.598 | 10.509 | 0.232 |
11 | 33 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'27.611 | 10.522 | 0.013 |
12 | 38 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'27.728 | 10.639 | 0.117 |
13 | 16 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Aurus 01 | LMP2 | 3'27.767 | 10.678 | 0.039 |
14 | 31 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'27.791 | 10.702 | 0.024 |
15 | 36 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Alpine A470 | LMP2 | 3'27.794 | 10.705 | 0.003 |
16 | 27 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'27.913 | 10.824 | 0.119 |
17 | 42 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'28.509 | 11.420 | 0.596 |
18 | 39 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'28.574 | 11.485 | 0.065 |
19 | 30 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'29.091 | 12.002 | 0.517 |
20 | 25 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'29.402 | 12.313 | 0.311 |
21 | 21 | ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'29.741 | 12.652 | 0.339 |
22 | 47 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Dallara P217 | LMP2 | 3'29.880 | 12.791 | 0.139 |
23 | 35 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ligier JSP 217 | LMP2 | 3'30.497 | 13.408 | 0.617 |
24 | 24 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'30.897 | 13.808 | 0.400 |
25 | 50 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | 3'31.020 | 13.931 | 0.123 |
26 | 34 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ligier JSP 217 | LMP2 | 3'31.393 | 14.304 | 0.373 |
27 | 11 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ligier JSP 217 | LMP2 | 3'33.747 | 16.658 | 2.354 |
28 | 95 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Aston Martin Vantage AMR | LMGTE PRO | 3'50.872 | 33.783 | 17.125 |
29 | 97 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Aston Martin Vantage AMR | LMGTE PRO | 3'50.925 | 33.836 | 0.053 |
30 | 51 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE PRO | 3'51.244 | 34.155 | 0.319 |
31 | 71 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE PRO | 3'51.988 | 34.899 | 0.744 |
32 | 91 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Porsche 911 RSR - 19 | LMGTE PRO | 3'52.036 | 34.947 | 0.048 |
33 | 92 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Porsche 911 RSR - 19 | LMGTE PRO | 3'52.142 | 35.053 | 0.106 |
34 | 63 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE PRO | 3'52.508 | 35.419 | 0.366 |
35 | 82 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE PRO | 3'52.749 | 35.660 | 0.241 |
36 | 98 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Aston Martin Vantage AMR | LMGTE AM | 3'52.778 | 35.689 | 0.029 |
37 | 90 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Aston Martin Vantage AMR | LMGTE AM | 3'52.961 | 35.872 | 0.183 |
38 | 86 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Porsche 911 RSR | LMGTE AM | 3'52.970 | 35.881 | 0.009 |
39 | 61 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 3'53.292 | 36.203 | 0.322 |
40 | 77 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Porsche 911 RSR | LMGTE AM | 3'53.334 | 36.245 | 0.042 |
41 | 56 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Porsche 911 RSR | LMGTE AM | 3'53.598 | 36.509 | 0.264 |
42 | 83 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 3'53.621 | 36.532 | 0.023 |
43 | 99 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Porsche 911 RSR | LMGTE AM | 3'53.670 | 36.581 | 0.049 |
44 | 57 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Porsche 911 RSR | LMGTE AM | 3'53.838 | 36.749 | 0.168 |
45 | 54 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 3'54.144 | 37.055 | 0.306 |
46 | 88 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Porsche 911 RSR | LMGTE AM | 3'54.281 | 37.192 | 0.137 |
47 | 70 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 3'54.628 | 37.539 | 0.347 |
48 | 72 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 3'55.308 | 38.219 | 0.680 |
49 | 55 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 3'55.772 | 38.683 | 0.464 |
50 | 75 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 3'56.141 | 39.052 | 0.369 |
51 | 66 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 3'56.383 | 39.294 | 0.242 |
52 | 78 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Porsche 911 RSR | LMGTE AM | 3'56.475 | 39.386 | 0.092 |
53 | 85 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 3'56.833 | 39.744 | 0.358 |
54 | 60 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 3'57.876 | 40.787 | 1.043 |
55 | 62 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 4'00.084 | 42.995 | 2.208 |
56 | 89 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Porsche 911 RSR | LMGTE AM | 4'00.691 | 43.602 | 0.607 |
57 | 52 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ferrari 488 GTE EVO | LMGTE AM | 4'01.217 | 44.128 | 0.526 |
58 | 17 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | no time | ||
59 | 28 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Oreca 07 | LMP2 | no time |

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About this article
Series | Le Mans |
Event | 24 Hours of Le Mans |
Sub-event | Q1 |
Teams | Toyota Gazoo Racing WEC |
Author | Filip Cleeren |
Le Mans 24h: Toyota dominates first qualifying session
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