Alex Lynn achieved the first pole position for Cadillac in the World Endurance Championship during the qualifying session for the 6 Hours of Fuji. Lynn, who shares the #2 prototype with Earl Bamber, set a time of 1:28.901, beating Toyota by just 0.041 seconds in the final moments of the session.
A battle between manufacturers at Toyota's home
The qualifying session was highly competitive, with seven of the eight manufacturers in the Hypercar category participating. Toyota, the local team, seemed to have pole secured with Kamui Kobayashi and Ryo Hirakawa leading the charge. Hirakawa, in his first WEC qualifying attempt, set a time of 1:28.942, placing the team on the front row. However, Lynn's final lap was enough to snatch the pole. Kobayashi, who has secured pole at Fuji in previous years, will start from fourth after being overtaken by BMW's Dries Vanthoor.
Mixed performance for other teams
BMW M Team WRT managed to slot their car between the two Toyotas, securing third place on the starting grid, while Porsche Penske Motorsport and Alpine Endurance Team completed the top six. Ferrari, one of the most competitive teams, managed to secure seventh place with Antonio Fuoco in the 499P Hypercar. Daniil Kvyat, in Lamborghini's Iron Lynx, secured a spot in the top ten.
Ferrari leads in the LMGT3 category
In the LMGT3 category, François Heriau took pole position for Ferrari in the #55 Vista AF Corse, beating Tom Van Rompuy by 0.178 seconds. Belgian driver Sarah Bovy placed the Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan in third, while Hiroshi Koizumi in the TF Sport Corvette finished fourth. The big surprise in this category was the underperformance of the Manthey Porsches, which failed to qualify in the top ten.
A decisive Sunday at Fuji
The 6 Hours of Fuji race will begin on Sunday at 11:00 local time, with Cadillac starting from pole in what promises to be a tightly contested event. Toyota will seek redemption at home and aim to score important points in their championship battle, while teams like BMW and Porsche will look to seize any opportunity that arises.
My interest in motorsports has been a constant in my life, a passion that has led me to work in a variety of important events in this field. Among them are the World Rally Championship, Formula E, NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Mexico and dirt track competitions.
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