Porsche’s works RSRs lock out the front row in GTE-Pro at Le Mans.
Porsche’s 2018 Le Mans campaign will get off to the best possible start tomorrow with double pole in GTE Pro and triple pole in GTE AM!
At the wheel of the #91 vehicle, Gianmaria Bruni had already set the quickest time during the first qualifying session on Wednesday, which no team could beat in the final qualifying day. Bruni lapped the 13.626-kilometre circuit in 3:47.504 minutes, a new lap record for a GT vehicle, putting the car on pole for the 24-hour race.
The #92 Porsche 911 RSR driven by Michael Christensen, who also posted his fastest lap in the first qualifying, takes up the race from the second grid spot. The Dane shares the cockpit with Frenchman Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium.
Patrick Pilet was able to improve in the 510-hp nine-eleven (#93) in the final qualifying, setting the sixth fastest time with his teammates Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Earl Bamber (New Zealand). Bad luck struck Sven Müller in the fourth Porsche 911 RSR (#94). The youngster from Germany, who also tackles the GTE-Pro class, slid from the track in the Indianapolis 1 turn. The vehicle could no longer continue in the qualifying session, however it will be ready to take up the race from eighth on the grid on Saturday.
In the GTE-Am class, three Porsche 911 RSR conquered the first three grid positions. Porsche Young Professional Matteo Cairoli (Italy), Khaled Al Qubaisi (United Arab Emirates) and Giorgio Roda (Italy) secured pole position with their #88 911 fielded by Dempsey-Proton Racing. Directly behind them, the Porsche 911 RSR (#86) run by the Gulf Racing team and the #77 vehicle of Dempsey-Proton Racing head off into the long-distance classic at 3pm on Saturday from positions two and three respectively.
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsports and GT Cars said: “All our vehicles are performing well and have been very reliable. The qualifying results are great with the fastest time in the GTE-Pro class and positions one, two and three in the GTE-Am class. As race preparation this is good because it has a calming effect and shows where we stand.
“Gianmaria Bruni’s fastest lap was simply magic. Everything came together perfectly: no mistake, little traffic and slipstream. You see from the times how close the competition is and how tough things are out there. Unfortunately this also led to some trips off the track. The #94 was badly damaged, but the car will be back on its wheels in time for the race. 24 hours is a long time, so it’s certainly important to avoid making mistakes.”