Motor racing-Ferrari take first pole in 50 years as Le Mans turns 100
The brand of Ferrari is seen within the headquarters as CEO Benedetto Vigna unveils the corporate’s new long run technique, in Maranello, Italy, June 15, 2022. Image taken June 15, 2022. (REUTERS)
Ferrari swept the entrance row in qualifying for the centenary version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans sportscar race on Thursday, with the quantity 50 automotive taking the Italian marque’s first pole on the Sarthe circuit in 50 years.
Italian Antonio Fuoco was on the wheel of the 499P automotive he shares with Spaniard Miguel Molina and Denmark’s Nicklas Nielsen as Ferrari ended champions Toyota’s run of six successive Le Mans poles.
“It feels superb, in entrance of all these folks. Ferrari’s again after 50 years and we scored a pole place,” Fuoco advised Eurosport tv after the 30 minute hyperpole session.
“It was a very good lap, a very powerful qualifying.”
The sister quantity 51 automotive, shared by Italian Alessandro Pier Guidi, Britain’s James Calado and ex-Method One racer Antonio Giovinazzi, certified 0.773 slower than the pole lap of three minutes 22.982 seconds.
The quantity eight hybrid Toyota of defending champions Sebastien Buemi of Switzerland, New Zealander Brendon Hartley and Japan’s Ryo Hirakawa certified third.
The Porsche 963 shared by France’s Mathieu Jaminet, Brazilian Felipe Nasr and Britain’s former winner Nick Tandy certified fourth.
The quantity seven Toyota of Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi, Britain’s Mike Conway and Argentina’s Jose Maria Lopez will line up fifth and forward of the Cadillac pushed by New Zealand’s two occasions winner Earl Bamber and Britons Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook.
The qualifying session was red-flagged with 5 minutes and 15 seconds nonetheless on the clock when the quantity three Cadillac pushed by Le Mans-born Sebastien Bourdais stopped on the first chicane after catching hearth.
Bourdais had set the third quickest time however it was deleted for inflicting the purple flag and the automotive certified eighth.
Kobayashi additionally misplaced his finest lap, permitting Nasr to take fourth.
The final Ferrari pole at Le Mans was set by Italian Arturo Merzario in 1973, the final time the Italian marque entered as a manufacturing unit outfit within the prime class.
Le Mans is celebrating the a hundredth anniversary of the primary 24 Hours held in 1923.
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