BMW secured its first-ever Hyperpole position for the 24 Hours of Le Mans following a post-session disqualification of the Team Jota Cadillac. While Jack Aitken initially clocked the fastest lap for the No. 38 Cadillac, race officials stripped the team of the result due to a breach of pit exit protocols, handing the top spot to the BMW M Hybrid V8 driven by Dries Vanthoor. The decision, confirmed by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), reshuffled the grid just as the initial podium ceremony concluded.
How did the Cadillac disqualification change the Le Mans grid?
The Cadillac V-Series.R #38, piloted by Jack Aitken, Sébastien Bourdais, and Earl Bamber, was relegated to the back of the Hypercar pack after officials ruled the team failed to respect the mandatory pit exit order. According to the ACO, the infraction occurred during the 15-minute Hyperpole session. This technical penalty promoted the BMW #15 of Dries Vanthoor, Kevin Magnussen, and Raffaele Marciello to pole position. Will Stevens, driving the Jota-run Cadillac #12, moved into second place, finishing 0.5 seconds behind the new leader, with the Alpine #35 of Antonio Félix Da Costa rounding out the front row.
The margin between the top two cars was razor-thin. Jack Aitken’s original pole-winning lap was 3’22″559, just 0.005 seconds faster than the BMW’s time.
Who dominated the LMP2 and LMGT3 categories?
In the LMP2 class, Esteban Masson secured the fastest time of 3’32″855 for Forestier Racing by Panis, despite a subsequent grid penalty for impeding a McLaren in Thursday’s qualifying. Job Van Uitert of Idec Sport followed in second, 0.387 seconds behind. Meanwhile, the LMGT3 class saw a high-stakes Italian duel. Mattia Drudi, driving the Heart of Racing Aston Martin, claimed the top spot with a 3’52″433 lap, beating Alessio Rovera’s Ferrari #21 by nearly a full second (0.979s). The Lexus-ASP entries driven by José Maria Lopez and Jack Hawksworth secured the second row in the category.
What are the implications for future WEC qualifying trends?
The reliance on stringent pit exit regulations highlights the FIA World Endurance Championship’s increasing focus on operational discipline. Teams are now forced to balance raw pace with extreme procedural precision. Unlike previous years where outright speed was the sole factor, the modern Le Mans grid is now shaped by administrative oversight. As noted by race observers, the disqualification of the Cadillac #38 serves as a precedent for how strictly the ACO will police the pit lane throughout the 24-hour race, where traffic management and pit lane safety are critical to avoiding time-consuming penalties.
Watch the tire strategy in the opening laps. Filipe Albuquerque’s decision to run Michelin medium tires while the rest of the field opted for softs indicates that Cadillac-Wayne Taylor is prioritizing race-pace longevity over a singular qualifying sprint.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why was the Cadillac #38 disqualified from pole?
The team failed to adhere to the pit exit order mandated by the race director, leading to a post-session penalty that moved them to the back of the field. - Who is starting on pole for the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
The BMW M Hybrid V8 #15, driven by Dries Vanthoor, Kevin Magnussen, and Raffaele Marciello, was promoted to pole position. - How did the Alpine #35 perform?
The Alpine #35, driven by Antonio Félix Da Costa, qualified third after a strong showing in the final session, finishing one second off the leading pace.
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