Audi On Pole, Clinch Front Row

Audi takes frst Le Mans pole since 2006. Photo RjEPhotos

Frenchman Benoit Tréluyer set pole position for the 24 Hours of Le Mans piloting the #2 Audi Sport Team Joest. It is Audi’s first pole at Le Mans since 2006. Tréluyer benefited from a clear lap to best the #1 Audi Sport Team Joest of Timo Bernhard/Romain Dumas/Mike Rockenfeller. The Team Peugeot Total of Simon Pagenaud/Sebastian Bourdais/Pedro Lamy will start third. The Audis and Peugeots traded fast times but as often the case at Le Mans, traffic hampered flying laps for both teams.  

The final session wasn’t without incident either. Aston Martin woes continued when the #007 went off on oil in the gravel at Mulsanne. The Aston Martin limped back to the pits with a punctured tire and will start 22nd overall. The #58 Ferrari wasn’t as lucky. It went off in the same oil and into the tire barrier which brought out the red flag. When the session resumed times didn’t improve until Tréluyer got a clear lap to capture pole in 3’25.738. As the session wound down Audi #3 piloted by Tom Kristensen was on a flyer but went off at Tertre Rouge.  The Audi Sport North America entry will start fifth behind the two Peugeots and ahead of the Peugeot Sport Total of Alex Wurz.

Neel Jani in the Rebellion Racing Lola Toyota edged the Pescarlo Team Pescarlo Judd for fastest of the petrol powered cars.  In LMP2 the #26 Signatech Oreca-Nissan continued to outpace the field. The rebuilt Strakka Racing HPD that crashed heavily at Dunlop Bridge on Wednesday was second in LMP2

Photo RjEPhotos

BMW continued to set the tone for GTE-Pro. The #56 BMW Motorsport M3 of Andy Priaulx/Dirk Muller/Joey Hand was fastest.  American Joey Hand is going for the Triple Crown of endurance racing. Hand won at Daytona and Sebring this year.  The AF Corse Ferrari 458 of Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander split the BMW’s.  In GTE-Am the AF Corse Ferrari 430 took pole followed by the Felbermayr-Proton and Flying Lizard Porsche 911 RSR (997).

Grid Results

Related posts

One Thought to “Audi On Pole, Clinch Front Row

  1. I must admit that I’m completely stunned that the Audi R18s were able to secure the front row! After Spa, I thought surely that qualifying would be dominated by the Pugs. I know, we’re supposed to be impartial and all that but hang it all I want Audi to finish 1-2, too!!! …not a fan of the Pugs.

Comments are closed.