Road to Le Mans Qualifying Overview: Grid Established Amidst Red Flags
The qualifying sessions for this week’s Road to Le Mans races were heavily disrupted, leading to grid positions being determined by Free Practice results due to five red flags across the sessions.
Grid Positions:
- Race 1: The #85 R-Ace GP Duqueine D09 – Toyota of Hugo Schwarze and Hadrian David will start on pole.
- Race 2: The #16 Team Virage Ligier JS P325 – Toyota will lead, driven by Sacha Lehmann and Theo Micouris.
Qualifying Insights:
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Qualifying 1 was halted shortly after it began due to incidents involving multiple cars, including the #84 ANS Motorsport Ligier JS P325 – Toyota, which crashed at the Porsche Curves, and the #58 GG Classic Ligier, which stopped at Arnage. The session ended without any valid lap times.
- Qualifying 2 faced additional interruptions, including another incident involving the #31 CD Sport Ligier and the #85 R-Ace GP Duqueine D09, causing officials to cancel the session with only a handful of cars setting times.
Class-specific Highlights:
- In the LMP3 Pro/Am, the #71 Rinaldi Racing Ligier secures pole, with the sister #66 entry following behind. The #84 ANS Motorsport Ligier was excluded from contention due to its role in a red flag.
- AF Corse achieved a front-row lockout in GT3, with the #51 Ferrari 296 GT3 ahead of the #52.
Notable Absentees:
- The championship-leading #87 CLX Motorsport Ligier failed to set a valid lap time in FP2, placing them at the back of the LMP3 grid.
Race Schedule:
- Race 1 is set to commence today at 18:25 CEST.
For teams and drivers, preparation continues as they look to maximize their performance in the upcoming races, given the unpredictable nature of the qualifying sessions.
Images courtesy of Le Mans Cup and Team Virage.
