Audi team takes pole position at Le Mans for the first time since 2006, after the R18 driven by Lotterer, Fassler and Treluyer set the best performance.
After Peugeot secured the best performance in qualifying three years in-a-row (with its french ace Stéphane Sarrazin), the french team gives up the pole position to main rival. Audi secures a 1-2 with the best R18 just ahead of sister car driven by Rockenfeller, Bernhard and Dumas, last year’s winners.
As often, trafic was the main key in qualifying session, and the one who set the best lap time was the one who has been slown down the less, which was quite complicated during a night session, with 56 cars on track. Both Peugeot 908 stand in the second row, with the #9 driven by Bourdais, Lamy and Pagenaud ahead of #8 of Montagny, Sarrazin and Minassian. As expected, the « old » team ORECA’s Peugeot 908 HDI took 7th spot on the grid behind the three Audi and the three Peugeot work cars.
The new Aston Martin AMR One suffered less technical issues than the previous days, but both british protoypes were again dramatically out of the pace, as they even struggled to beat the small LMP2 prototypes. In LMP2, the quickest time was set by the team Signatech’s ORECA-Nissan driven by Ayari, Mailleux and Ordonez.
It was already a great fight in GTE Pro between the BMW M3, the Ferrari F458 and the Corvette C6Z. For the moment, BMW took the advantage, as Muller, Farfus and Werner set the best performance of the category. The Porsche 997 RSR seemed a little further back, but the german car will bet on their riability on the 24-hour race. Finally, the AF Corse Ferrari F430 was quickest in GTE Am category.
Le Mans 24 Hours - qualifying:
1 - Lotterer-Fassler-Treluyer (Audi R18) - Audi - 3'25"738 (1st LMP1)
2 - Rockenfeller-Bernhard-Dumas (Audi R18) - Audi - 3'25"799
3 - Bourdais-Lamy-Pagenaud (Peugeot 908) - Peugeot - 3'26"010
4 - Montagny-Sarrazin-Minassian (Peugeot 908) - Peugeot - 3'26"156
5 - Kristensen-McNish-Capello (Audi R18) - Audi - 3'26"165
6 - Gené-Wurz-Davidson (Peugeot 908) - Peugeot - 3'26"272
7 - Panis-Lapierre-Duval (Peugeot 908) - Oreca - 3'30"084
8 - Jani-Prost-Bleekemolen (Lola-Toyota) - Rebellion - 3'32"883
9 - Collard-Tinseau-Jousse (Pescarolo-Judd) - Pescarolo - 3'33"066
10 - Belicchi-Boullion-Smith (Lola-Toyota) - Rebellion - 3'34"573
(…)
14 - Ayari-Mailleux-Ordonez (Oreca-Nissan) - Signatech - 3'41"458 (1st LMP2)
(…)
29 - J. Muller-Farfus-Werner (BMW M3 GT) - BMW - 3'57"592 (1st GTE Pro)
(…)
42 - Cioci-Perazzini-Breslin (Ferrari F430) – AF Corse - 4'01"282 (1st GTE Am)
etc.
After Peugeot secured the best performance in qualifying three years in-a-row (with its french ace Stéphane Sarrazin), the french team gives up the pole position to main rival. Audi secures a 1-2 with the best R18 just ahead of sister car driven by Rockenfeller, Bernhard and Dumas, last year’s winners.
As often, trafic was the main key in qualifying session, and the one who set the best lap time was the one who has been slown down the less, which was quite complicated during a night session, with 56 cars on track. Both Peugeot 908 stand in the second row, with the #9 driven by Bourdais, Lamy and Pagenaud ahead of #8 of Montagny, Sarrazin and Minassian. As expected, the « old » team ORECA’s Peugeot 908 HDI took 7th spot on the grid behind the three Audi and the three Peugeot work cars.
The new Aston Martin AMR One suffered less technical issues than the previous days, but both british protoypes were again dramatically out of the pace, as they even struggled to beat the small LMP2 prototypes. In LMP2, the quickest time was set by the team Signatech’s ORECA-Nissan driven by Ayari, Mailleux and Ordonez.
It was already a great fight in GTE Pro between the BMW M3, the Ferrari F458 and the Corvette C6Z. For the moment, BMW took the advantage, as Muller, Farfus and Werner set the best performance of the category. The Porsche 997 RSR seemed a little further back, but the german car will bet on their riability on the 24-hour race. Finally, the AF Corse Ferrari F430 was quickest in GTE Am category.
Le Mans 24 Hours - qualifying:
1 - Lotterer-Fassler-Treluyer (Audi R18) - Audi - 3'25"738 (1st LMP1)
2 - Rockenfeller-Bernhard-Dumas (Audi R18) - Audi - 3'25"799
3 - Bourdais-Lamy-Pagenaud (Peugeot 908) - Peugeot - 3'26"010
4 - Montagny-Sarrazin-Minassian (Peugeot 908) - Peugeot - 3'26"156
5 - Kristensen-McNish-Capello (Audi R18) - Audi - 3'26"165
6 - Gené-Wurz-Davidson (Peugeot 908) - Peugeot - 3'26"272
7 - Panis-Lapierre-Duval (Peugeot 908) - Oreca - 3'30"084
8 - Jani-Prost-Bleekemolen (Lola-Toyota) - Rebellion - 3'32"883
9 - Collard-Tinseau-Jousse (Pescarolo-Judd) - Pescarolo - 3'33"066
10 - Belicchi-Boullion-Smith (Lola-Toyota) - Rebellion - 3'34"573
(…)
14 - Ayari-Mailleux-Ordonez (Oreca-Nissan) - Signatech - 3'41"458 (1st LMP2)
(…)
29 - J. Muller-Farfus-Werner (BMW M3 GT) - BMW - 3'57"592 (1st GTE Pro)
(…)
42 - Cioci-Perazzini-Breslin (Ferrari F430) – AF Corse - 4'01"282 (1st GTE Am)
etc.