After assisting in the scrutineering process last Saturday, our awaited chance to witness the cars in action finally arrived on Thursday night. Le Mans was already immersed in the excitement of the 24 hours event for over a week, bustling with the multitude of people the city was hosting. Plus the diverse array of events taking place both in the Museum and on the track. Text: Luca W. © Images: 24hlemans ©

Free Practice 3

Just prior to the Hyperpole, teams took to the Circuit de la Sarthe once again for the third practice session before the big day.

The third free practice session (FP3) is one of the most important sessions for teams participating in the 24-hour Le Mans race. This crucial session allows them to meticulously fine-tune their cars and make necessary preparations for the upcoming qualifying round.

Only focused on hypercars for this session, we closely observed the various teams, particularly at the Motul chicane. Much like last year, the Toyotas appeared to have a softer rear suspension tuning, effortlessly navigating the curbs. On the other hand, both Porsches and Ferraris seemed to exhibit less stability and struggled with overall stability during re-acceleration through “slow curves”.

Interestingly, despite the challenges faced by some teams, the #50 and #51 Ferraris set the fastest lap times, leaving Kamui Kobayashi’s #7 Toyota trailing by a whole second. However, it is essential to note that practice times should be considered with caution, taking into account fuel loads and tire wear. Keep in mind that race day can always bring unexpected challenges.

2023 Le Mans 24h Hyperpole

The Hyperpole system, an innovative and unique feature of the FIA World Endurance Championship, offers an exciting opportunity for fans and drivers alike. The top 8 cars from each category in the Qualifications are selected to compete in the Hyperpole, where they battle it out for the coveted top spot. To simplify, it is akin to Qualifying 3 in the Formula One Championship, but without refueling or tire changes.

The Hyperpole, lasting for 30 minutes, initially witnessed a dominant performance from both Ferraris 499P, securing a commanding lead of 3 seconds over their main rival, Toyota. In the same time, Ferrari driver Alessandro Pier Giudi beats the hypercar lap time record in hyperpole, previously held by Toyota driver Kamui Kobaiashi.

Nielsen Racing initially took the lead in the LMP2 category, but their reign was short-lived as IDEC Sport outperformed the British team on the following lap. In the LMGTE-Am class, Corvette Racing showcased absolute dominance, leaving no chance for their opponents.

The final 5 minutes were marred by a notable incident when Sébastien Bourdais’ #3 Cadillac V-Series.R caught fire due to a high-pressure fuel line failure.

2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, Sébastien Bourdais' Cadillac V-Series.R catching fire, during Hyperpole
#3 Cadillac Racing catching fire

The burning car from the Sarthe driver left race control with little choice but to wave the red flag, thereby halting the Hyperpole. Consequently, with 5 minutes remaining, all the teams were left with a single lap to give it their all.

Finally, the interruption did not alter the order, as Ferrari simply nailed it, and the battle for the pole in LMP2 and LMGTE-Am was more disputed.

As witnesses to this historic moment, we could not be more astonished by Ferrari’s remarkable performance, exactly 50 years after their last appearance on the Circuit de la Sarthe.

2023 24 Hours of Le Mans - Antonio Fuoco #50 Ferrari 499P on pole position
2023 #50 Ferrari 499P getting the hyperpole

It was also an incredible coincidence and a fitting tribute for Porsche to seize the Hyperpole on its 75th birthday. June 8, 1948, marked a historic moment when the Porsche No 1 emerged from the Porsche factory, basking in sunlight for the first time. On the same date in 2023, Porsche could have celebrated its birthday by claiming the top spot in the Hyperpole.

2023 Le Mans 24h Hyperpole results

Position Team / Drivers N° Car Tyre Laps Best lap Gap Gap prev.
1st
FERRARI AF CORSE
Fuoco A. Molina M. Nielsen N.
#50
Ferrari 499P Michelin 7 3:22.982 – –
2nd
FERRARI AF CORSE
Pier Guidi A. Calado J. Giovinazzi A.
#51
Ferrari 499P Michelin 7 3:23.755 +0.773 +0.773
3rd
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
Buemi S. Hartley B. Hirakawa R.
#8
Toyota GR010 - Hybrid Michelin 8 3:24.451 +1.469 +0.696
4th
PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT
Nasr F.Jaminet M. Tandy N.
#75
Porsche 963 Michelin 4 3:24.531 +1.549 +0.080
5th
TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
Conway M. Kobayashi K. Lopez J.
#7
Toyota GR010 - Hybrid Michelin 8 3:24.933 +1.951 +0.402
6th
CADILLAC RACING
Bamber E. Lynn A. Westbrook R.
#2
Cadillac V-Series.R Michelin 8 3:25.170 +2.188 +0.237
7th
PORSCHE PENSKE MOTORSPORT
Cameron D. Christensen M. Makowiecki F.
#5
Porsche 963 Michelin 3 3:25.176 +2.194 +0.006
8th
CADILLAC RACING
Bourdais S. Van Der Zande R. DIXON S.
#3
Cadillac V-Series.R Michelin 6 3:25.521 +2.539 +0.345
9th
IDEC SPORT
Lafargue P. Chatin P. HÖRR L.
#48
Oreca 07 - Gibson Goodyear 7 3:32.923 +9.941 +7.402
10th
JOTA
Heinemeier Hansson D. Rasmussen O. Fittipaldi P.
#28
Oreca 07 - Gibson Goodyear 8 3:33.035 +10.053 +0.112
11th
TEAM WRT
Andrade R. DELÉTRAZ L. Kubica R.
#41
Oreca 07 - Gibson Goodyear 7 3:33.240 +10.258 +0.205
12th
COOL RACING
DE GÉRUS R. Lomko V. Pagenaud S.
#47
Oreca 07 - Gibson Goodyear 7 3:33.580 +10.598 +0.340
13th
PREMA RACING
Pin D. Kvyat D. Bortolotti M.
#63
Oreca 07 - Gibson Goodyear 8 3:33.983 +11.001 +0.403
14th
NIELSEN RACING
Sales R. Beche M. Hanley B.
#14
Oreca 07 - Gibson Goodyear 6 3:34.021 +11.039 +0.038
15th
PREMA RACING
Viscaal B. Correa J. Ugran F.
#9
Oreca 07 - Gibson Goodyear 8 3:34.658 +11.676 +0.637
16th
VECTOR SPORT
Cullen R. Aubry G. Kaiser M.
#10
Oreca 07 - Gibson Goodyear 8 3:35.091 +12.109 +0.433
17th
CORVETTE RACING
Catsburg N. Keating B. Varrone N.
#33
Chevrolet Corvette C8.R Michelin 9 3:52.376 +29.394 +17.285
18th
ORT BY TF
Al Harthy A. Dinan M. Eastwood C.
#25
Aston Martin VANTAGE AMR Michelin 8 3:53.905 +30.923 +1.529
19th
AF CORSE
Flohr T. Castellacci F. Rigon D.
#54
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo Michelin 8 3:54.582 +31.600 +0.677
20th
AF CORSE
Mann S. Piguet J. De Pauw U.
#21
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo Michelin 5 3:54.744 +31.762 +0.162
21st
RICHARD MILLE AF CORSE
Perez Companc L. Rovera A. Wadoux L.
#83
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo Michelin 8 3:55.033 +32.051 +0.289
22nd
KESSEL RACING
Kimura T. Huffaker S. Serra D.
#57
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo Michelin 8 3:55.637 +32.655 +0.604
23rd
GMB MOTORSPORT
Dahlmann Birch G. SØRENSEN M. MØLLER J.
#55
Aston Martin VANTAGE AMR Michelin 7 3:57.240 +34.258 +1.603
24th
KESSEL RACING
Cozzolino K. Tsujiko Y. Yokomizo N.
#74
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo Michelin 8 3:59.648 +36.666 +2.408