Kobayashi smashes Le Mans lap record in Q2

The second practice session for the 24 Hours of Le Mans might have been shortened by 50 minutes, but that didn’t stop track records from tumbling in the LMP1, LMP2 and LMGTE Am categories.

The second practice session for the 24 Hours of Le Mans might have been shortened by 50 minutes, but that didn’t stop track records from tumbling in the LMP1, LMP2 and LMGTE Am categories.

Kamui Kobayashi of Toyota Gazoo Racing produced a stunning lap in the No.7 TS050 HYBRID to set a new qualifying lap record of 3:14.791.  This smashed the old record from the current track configuration by 2.096s!

In LMP2 Vitaly Petrov took the No.25 CEFC Manor TRS Racing ORECA 07 Gibson to a new record of 3:25.549, while the records in LMGTE Am were also broken time after time.  Former WEC G-Drive Racing driver Will Stevens put in a lap of 3:53.981 at the end of the session in the ELMS’s JMW Motorsport Ferrari to set a new record by some margin.

LMGTE Pro was the only class in this second of three qualifying sessions not to break any records, but the fact that there was 1.19 seconds between all 12 competitors indicates that an incredible battle is in store.

The third and final qualifying session will be at 22h00 and finish at midnight.