Kevin Estre, driver for Porsche Penske Motorsport, secured the team’s 19th pole position at Le Mans. During the Hyperpole session, Estre had to overtake Oliver Jarvis in the #22 United Autosports Oreca 07-Gibson in the first part of Indianapolis to avoid losing a lap. Estre mentioned that Jarvis initially resisted, causing some difficulty, but he eventually managed to pass him. The first part of Indianapolis is a crucial section of the circuit as it sets up the Indianapolis corner, a famous left-hand banked turn named after the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Estre acknowledged that overtaking Jarvis in the first part of Indianapolis was essential for his qualifying lap and to secure the pole position. He believed that if he hadn’t made the pass, he would have lost time and potentially the pole position. Despite the challenges faced during the overtake, Estre was satisfied with his performance.
Although Estre was confident in his lap, he wasn’t sure how it compared to the competition until he crossed the finish line. Given the high level of talent and quality cars in the championship, Estre couldn’t be certain if his lap would be enough. However, when his engineer informed him that he had secured the pole position, Estre immediately slowed down and saved fuel, knowing that his performance was impressive.
Although Estre had enough time to complete two fast laps after a red flag caused by Dries Vanthoor’s accident, his Porsche was low on fuel. As a result, Estre had to significantly reduce his speed during the in-lap to the pits to ensure he had enough fuel to complete the lap. Despite the fuel concerns, Estre managed to secure the pole position for the team.
