24h Le Mans
The first Hyperpole of this year's FIA World Endurance Championship is a done deal. Porsche Penske Motorsport's #5 Porsche 963 shared by Matt Campbell/Michael Christensen/Frédéric Makowiecki is set to start from the top spot at the Qatar 1812 km on Saturday.
For the 2024 FIA WEC season, a new format will allow Hypercar and LMGT3 competitors to hit the track for two qualifying sessions each. Both categories will take part in one 12-minute session followed by a 10-minute Hyperpole for the top 10 in order to determine the pole in each category. In previous seasons, only one 15-minute session was permitted with the Hyperpole reserved solely for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Qatar 1812 km Hyperpole has confirmed that with a staggering 19 Hypercars competing, starting grid position will be a major factor this season.
Porsche Penske Motorsport's #5 Porsche 963 driven by Matt Campbell clocked the fastest time (1:39.154) of the qualifying session, trailed by the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid (+0.4 seconds). The other teams advancing to the Hyperpole were: Hertz Team JOTA (#12 and #38 Porsche 963s), Team Peugeot TotalEnergies (#93 and #94 Peugeot 9X8s), Ferrari AF Corse (#50 and #51 Ferrari 499Ps) and Cadillac Racing (#2 Cadillac V-Series.R). The #8 Toyota, AF Corse's #83 Ferrari 499P, the two Alpine A424s and BMW M Hybrid V8s failed to make the cut.
For the Hyperpole, all Hypercar competitors were instructed by Michelin (the only supplier in the category) to use hard tyres. The drivers first completed two warm-up laps before heading into two more at full throttle. Hertz Team JOTA's #12 Porsche 963 driven by Callum Ilott clocked the first time to beat (1:39.685) ahead of the #7 Toyota and #50 Ferrari. Nyck de Vries in the #7 Toyota then proceeded to secure provisional pole position in 1:39.511. In the end, Porsche Penske Motorsport's #5 Porsche 963 driven by Matt Campbell scored the official pole with a time of 1:39.347. The top 8 all qualified within the same second. Tomorrow's 10-hour race is shaping up to be an unprecedented and spectacular show!
1. #5 Porsche 963 – Porsche Penske Motorsport – 1:39.347
2. #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid – TOYOTA GAZOO Racing – 1:39.511
3. #12 Porsche 963 – Hertz Team JOTA – 1:39.622
4. #50 Ferrari 499P – Ferrari AF Corse – 1:39.976
5. #6 Porsche 963 – Porsche Penske Motorsport – 1:39.981
6. #93 Peugeot 9X8 – Team Peugeot TotalEnergies – 1:40.067
7. #2 Cadillac V-Series.R – Cadillac Racing – 1:40.103
8. #51 Ferrari 499P – Ferrari AF Corse – 1:40.224
9. #38 Porsche 963 – Hertz Team JOTA – 1:40.362
10. #94 Peugeot 9X8 – Team Peugeot TotalEnergies – 1:40.504
The amateur drivers in each crew took the wheel for the first LMGT3 qualifying session per the regulations. Heart of Racing's #27 Aston Martin, Manthey PureRxcing's #92 Porsche, D’Station Racing's #777 Aston Martin, TF Sport's #81 Corvette, Vista AF Corse's #54 and #55 Ferraris, United Autosports' #59 and #95 McLarens, Iron Dames' #85 Lamborghini and Team WRT's #46 BMW all qualified for their Hyperpole.
In that LMGT3 Hyperpole, Tom van Rompuy in TF Sport's #81 Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R initially secured the top time (1:54.883) ahead of the #27 Aston Martin, #59 McLaren and #85 Lamborghini, shaking up the order set during the free practices. The Belgian driver then improved his time (1:54.372), beating the #92 Porsche and #54 Ferrari by 0.8 seconds, and giving the British team the first pole position in the history of the LMGT3 category!
1. #81 Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R – TF Sport – 1:54.372
2. #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 – Manthey PureRxcing – 1:55.179
3. #54 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 – Vista AF Corse – 1:55.182
4. #777 Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 – D’Station Racing – 1:55.184
5. #27 Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 – Heart of Racing – 1:55.320
6. #85 Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2 – Iron Dames – 1:55.340
7. #59 McLaren 720 LMGT3 Evo – United Autosports – 1:55.524
8. #95 McLaren 720 LMGT3 Evo – United Autosports – 1:55.836
9. #46 BMW M4 LMGT3 – Team WRT – 1:56.028
10. #55 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 – Vista AF Corse – 1:56.596
The start of the Qatar 1812 km will be given on Saturday 2 March at 11:00 local time (8:00 GMT).
