Toyota Gazoo Racing On Pole for 2017 24 Hours Of Le Mans (16.06.17)

Photo: Roger Jenkins

In some of the best qualifying conditions seen at le Circuit de la Sarthe for many years, lap records tumbled and Kamui Kobayashi put the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing TS050-Hybrid on pole for the 2017 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Kobayashi put in a 3:14.791 in the second qualifying session to set the new lap-record and take pole position. Lining up alongside Kobayashi will be the sister #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing TS050-Hybrid after Kazuki Nakajima lapped in 3:17.128 in the final qualifying session.

Third on the grid will be the #1 Porsche LMP Team 919 Hybrid after Neel Jani lapped in 3:17.259.

ORECAs dominated the LMP2 field in qualifying. The class grid will be headed by the #26 G-Drive Racing ORECA 07 after Alex Lynn put in a 3:25.352 in the final qualifying session. Second on the LMP2 grid will be the #25 CEFC Manor TRS Racing ORECA 07 after Vitaly Petrov lapped in 3:25.549 ion the second session. ‘Mighty #38’ Jackie Chan DC Racing will complete the top three in the LMP2 field after Ho-Pin Tung put in a 3:25.911.

Photo: Roger Jenkins

In a hotly contested LM GTE Pro field it was Aston Martin who came out on top after Darren Turner put in a 3:50.837 in the #97 Aston Martin Racing Vantage to take pole position. Second quickest in the LM GTE Pro field was the #51 AF Corse Ferrari F488 GTE after James Calado lapped in 3:51.028 in the third session.

Rounding out the top three in the LM GTE Pro field was the #95 Aston Martin Racing entry with Richie Stanaway at the wheel.

Aston Martin did not have it all its own way in the LM GTE field after Fernando Rees put the #50 Larbre Competition Chevrolet Corvette C7.R on pole in LM GTE Am with a 3:52.843.

Tomorrow is a rest day from track action with warm-up for the 24 Hours cars early on Saturday morning.