Le Mans 24 Hours: Porsche Secures Dramatic Pole in Red Flag-Interrupted Hyperpole Session

Kevin Estre secured pole position for Porsche at the Le Mans 24 Hours with a last-minute lap of 3m24.634s in the #6 Porsche Penske 963 during Thursday’s Hyperpole qualifying.

By Divyam Dubey | on June 14, 2024 Follow us on Autox Google News

In a thrilling conclusion to Hyperpole qualifying at Circuit de la Sarthe, Porsche driver Kevin Estre clinched a spectacular pole position for the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans with a last-minute lap. The session was initially delayed due to an accident and subsequent track repairs. Earlier challenges included the #12 Hertz Team Jota entry, featuring former F1 driver Will Stevens, undergoing a full monocoque replacement after a crash in a prior practice session. Despite these setbacks, the top eight qualifiers from each class advanced to Hyperpole to compete for the coveted starting positions for this weekend's endurance race. Estre's late-session heroics secured the top grid spot for Porsche. Following closely behind are the two Ganassi-entered Cadillacs and the factory Ferraris, with Alessandro Pier Guidi in the #51 car narrowly edging out his teammate Antonio Fuoco in the #52.

Also Read: Le Mans 24 Hours: Here’s When, Where and How to Watch the Prestigious Endurance Race in India

Pos Team Car Number Time
1 PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT 6 3:24.634
2 CADILLAC RACING 2 3:24.782
3 CADILLAC RACING 1 3:24.816
4 FERRARI AF CORSE 51 3:25.156
5 FERRARI AF CORSE 50 3:25.598
6 ALPINE ENDURANCE TEAM 35 3:25.713
7 BMW M TEAM WRT 15 No Time

Le Mans 24 Hours: LMP2 Class Result

Louis Deletraz secured a commanding pole position for the #14 AO by TF ORECA-GIBSON 07 (Pro-Am subclass) during LMP2 Hyperpole qualifying with a blistering lap time of 3:33.217. Deletraz outpaced Job van Uitert in the #28 IDEC Sport entry by a substantial six-tenths of a second, while Mathias Beche in the #65 Panis Racing Oreca claimed third place. Despite a mid-session stoppage caused by a Hypercar collision, Deletraz maintained his lead in LMP2. On his final run, he extracted even more performance from his car, solidifying his position at the front of the field.

Le Mans 2024 LMP2 Hyperpole

Pos Team Car Number Time
1 AO BY TF 14 3:33.217
2 IDEC SPORT 28 3:33.827
3 PANIS RACING 65 3:34.053
4 UNITED AUTOSPORTS USA 23 3:34.221
5 UNITED AUTOSPORTS 22 3:34.270
6 COOL RACING 37 3:34.773
7 DKR ENGINEERING 33 3:34.330

Malthe Jakobsen, who had been the fastest qualifier on Wednesday in the #37 Cool Racing entry, was unable to replicate his earlier performance during Hyperpole and will start from sixth on the grid.

Also Read: Le Mans 24 Hours: 5 Most Successful Manufacturers to Race at the Iconic Event

Le Mans 24 Hours: LMGT3 Class Result

Despite an off-track excursion at the final chicane, Inception Racing's Brendon Iribe secured pole position in the LMGT3 class for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Driving the #70 McLaren 720S GT3, Iribe recovered to set a fantastic lap time, finishing with an impressive eight-tenths of a second lead over the field. 

Le Mans 2024 LMGT3 McLaren Hyperpole

Pos Team Car Number Time
1 INCEPTION RACING 70 3:58.120
2 MANTHEY PURERXCING 92 3:58.928
3 JMW MOTORSPORT 66 3:58.938
4 PROTON COMPETITION 77 3:59.443
5 HEART OF RACING TEAM 27 3:59.655
6 D’STATION RACING 777 4:02.787
7 TF SPORT 82 4:03.681

Championship leader Aliaksandr Malykhin in the #92 Manthey PureRxcing Porsche 911 GT3 claimed second place, while Giacomo Petrobelli in the #66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari secured a close third. Notably, this result places two non-WEC regulars on the LMGT3.

Tags: Le Mans 24 Hours Le Mans Hyperpole

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