Credit: Julien Delfosse / DPPI
The Peugeot driver, Stoffel Vandoorne, spoke to the press about the challenges of finding a clean lap at Le Mans. He mentioned that it is one of the most difficult tasks of the race. Typically, the best opportunity to find a clean lap is at the beginning of the session, when the drivers complete their first lap. However, the position in the pit lane also plays a role in this, and currently, Peugeot is positioned at the end of the pit lane. This means that there will likely be many cars ahead of them, making it uncertain whether they will be able to overtake all of them before starting their laps. Despite these complications, Vandoorne believes that there are clear trends that everyone analyzes to determine the best time to go out on the track. In the end, luck also plays a role in successfully navigating the race.
The qualifying will take place on Wednesday, June 12th, at 7pm, local time. A total of 62 cars from three categories will compete to secure a spot in the Hyperpole shootout the following day. To qualify for the shootout, teams need to be among the top eight positions in their respective category. The Hyperpole was introduced for the entire FIA World Endurance Championship in 2024, but has only been implemented in the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2021.
During the qualifying sessions, known as Q1, most cars aim to get out on the track early to find free space for their fast laps. This includes endurance prototypes, GT cars, and, this year, Hypercars, LMP2s, and LMGT3s for the first time. Despite the intention to find free space, many cars end up invading each other’s first fast lap.
The BMW M WRT team is located closest to the pit lane exit, followed by Lamborghini Iron Lynx, which gives them an advantage in terms of being the first team to exit the pit lane among the Hypercar teams. Ferrari is positioned in the front third of the pit lane, while Porsche is in the second section, a little over halfway. Peugeot is at the end, and Toyota remains one of the last teams in the pit lane, as usual.
With tire warmers not being used in this race, Hypercar drivers will have to find free space on the track to achieve competitive lap times. The evolution of the Circuit de la Sarthe track is expected to be stable throughout the one-hour session, with no significant changes.
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