Robert Kubica takes his first Hypercar pole at the WEC Lone Star Le Mans
Qualifying at the Circuit of the Americas (CoTA) delivered slippery conditions, culminating in a memorable session where Robert Kubica claimed his first Hypercar pole, while Ferrari secured a front-row presence. Wet or nearly wet conditions added drama, with tire choices proving crucial—Toyota and Cadillac, in particular, struggled. Despite the challenging track, Kubica and Ferrari emerged at the top in the Hypercar category, setting the stage for an exciting race.
Hypercar Hyperpole – Kubica takes the lead as rain interrupts final laps
The Hyperpole session was heavily influenced by evolving track conditions. The asphalt gradually improved until just two minutes before the end, when rain returned in sector three, affecting drivers attempting to improve their times. The Ferrari 499P cars looked dominant from the start. Antonio Giovinazzi initially posted a 2:02.000 on his first flying lap, later improving to 1:57.751 on his second attempt. However, Kubica surpassed him with a 1:57.655, securing his first pole of the season.
Jean-Éric Vergne put the Peugeot #93 in third place, eight-tenths off the leaders, ahead of the Porsche #6 driven by Estre and Ferrari #50 piloted by Nielsen. The Porsche #99 Proton of Nico Varrone ended sixth, followed by the Alpine #35 of Milesi, Toyota #8, and BMW #15 driven by Vanthoor. Vanthoor had a strong chance for pole with two minutes remaining but was forced to slow in the wet third sector. Later, his M Hybrid V8 spun in sector one, though he avoided the barriers.
Aston Martin #009 driven by Riberas finished tenth, 6.3 seconds behind the pole, highlighting the difficulty of stringing together a competitive lap in tricky conditions.
Hypercar qualifying – Proton surprises, Cadillac falters
Rain worsened for the main Hypercar qualifying session, forcing teams to push their slick tires in increasingly slippery conditions. Ferrari and Porsche adapted best, with Nielsen, Estre, Kubica, Andlauer, Giovinazzi, and Varrone taking turns at the top. A final improvement in the last minutes saw Nico Varrone claim an impressive 1:58.155, putting the Porsche #99 Proton in first, ahead of Kubica’s Ferrari #83, Estre’s Porsche #6, and the two official Ferraris. BMW #15, Alpine #35, Aston Martin #009, Peugeot #93, and Toyota #8 completed the top ten.
Porsche #5 of Andlauer, Peugeot #94 of Vandoorne, and Alpine #35 were eliminated, alongside BMW #20 and Aston Martin #007 driven by Tincknell. Cadillac and Toyota #7 struggled badly: after failing on slicks, they tried the wet tires but were three seconds slower than everyone else, with Bamber’s #38 16th, Lynn’s #12 17th, and Kobayashi finishing last.
LMGT3 Hyperpole – Ford surprises with front-row start
In continuing rain, the Ford Mustang #88 driven by Gianmarco Levorato secured an unexpected LMGT3 pole in his home country, narrowly ahead of teammate Ben Tuck in #77 by just 0.016 seconds. McLaren #95 of Gelael was six-tenths behind in third, followed by BMW #46 WRT and Corvette #33. Levorato briefly lost the lead to Tuck before reclaiming it with a 1:07.845.
LMGT3 qualifying – BMW M4s lead, top contenders struggle
On a partially wet track still suitable for slicks, the LMGT3 session saw constant changes at the top. The two BMW M4 cars led, with #31 of Yasser Shahin fastest in 2:12.241, over a second quicker than Ahmad Al Harthy. The top ten included two Lexus entries, Aston Martin #27, McLarens #59 and #95, Corvette #33, Mercedes #60, and Ford #77 Proton. Lexus #87 was later penalized for crossing the finish line twice and excluded from Hyperpole.
Championship leaders faced a tough session. Porsche #92 Manthey of Hardwick could only manage 24th, three positions ahead of Ferrari #21 AF Corse of Heriau, underlining the unpredictable and challenging nature of CoTA qualifying.
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