LM24 quali practice: Kobayashi sets pace for Toyota with AF Corse Ferrari 1-2 in LMGTE Pro
The No.7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid Hypercar driven by Jose Maria Lopez, Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway topped the qualifying practice times in the one hour session at Le Mans this evening.
It was Kobayashi who clinched the quickest time and stopped the clocks at 3m26.279s, some three seconds quicker than the car's best free practice effort earlier today.
Ferrari fought back in the LMGTE Pro category with the No.52 488 Evo machine driven by Daniel Serra setting a best lap.
Antonio Felix da Costa fought back from an accident in free practice to head LMP2, while the No.88 Dempsey Proton Porsche 911 topped the LMGTE Am category.
Below are the main headlines from each category.
Hypercar
• Kamui Kobayashi sets super quick time of 3m26.279s in No.7 Toyota GR010-Hybrid Hypercar to keep Toyota Gazoo Racing ahead at the top of the times
• Alpine ELF Matmut place second once again with Matthieu Vaxiviere 0.8116s off Lopez’s best effort with best of 3m27.095s
• The No.8 Toyota driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Kazuki Nakajima is third but 1.3s away from sister car
• Glickenhaus Racing fourth and fifth as the No.708 leads the No.709 machine in Hypercar class.
𝗛𝗬𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗔𝗥 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗔𝗣 - @pechito37 sets scintillating time of 3m26.279s in No.7 @TGR_WEC GR010-Hybrid Hypercar to keep Toyota Gazoo Racing ahead at the top of the times.#WEC #LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/KbMExas6ok
— WEC (@FIAWEC) August 18, 2021
LMGTE Pro
• AF Corse Ferrari leads LMGTE Pro as Daniel Serra again sets best lap on 3m46.011s in No.52 car
• Late time from No.51 AF Corse Ferrari driven by Come Ledogar, James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi takes second for 1-2 lockout for Prancing Horse
• Kevin Estre places third for Porsche as he laps 0.6s off Serra’s pace in No.92 Porsche GT Team 911 RSR
• Corvette fourth as Nick Tandy laps No. 64 car in best time of 3m47.074s
LMP2
• Antonio Felix da Costa bounces back from an accident in free practice to head LMP2 class for JOTA
• Portuguese ace laps in 3m29.144s in No.38 JOTA Oreca-Gibson
• Nyck de Vries takes No.26 G-Drive Aurus-Gibson to second as Dutch driver stops clock on 3m29.246s
• No.41 WRT entry is third as Louis Deletraz peaks with a 3m29.441s
• Panis Racing takes fourth as Will Stevens sets a best of 3m29.508s lap
• Paul-Loup Chatin crashes No.48 IDEC Sport car at Porsche Curves damaging back of Oreca-Gibson
First bumps all around as #38 makes it through to Hyperpole thanks to an almighty lap of 3:28.807 with @afelixdacosta at the wheel #JOTA #JOTASport #LeMans #LeMans24 #WEC #LMP2 pic.twitter.com/GgObyQ7Tep
— Jota Sport (@JotaSport) August 18, 2021
LMGTE Am
• No.88 Dempsey Proton Racing Porsche driven by Julien Andlauer sets a 3m 48.620s best to head LMGTE Am class
• No.56 Team Project 1 Porsche driven by Matteo Cairoli had topped the category but his lap of 3m48.905s was deleted for track limit infraction
• Ben Barker again impresses for GR Racing as he claims second with a 3m49.100s to take a Porsche 1-2
• Cetilar Racing bounce back from practice crash to take third as Antonio Fuoco sets time of 3m49.102s just 0.002s off the GR Porsche
Tomorrow’s all-important Hyperpole will commence at 21h00 local time.
