Le Mans: Cadillac Locks Out Front Row in Hyperpole Shootout

In a dramatic two-part Hyperpole session on Thursday evening, like in Qualifying, Alex Lynn delivered a standout performance in the #12 Cadillac V-Series.R, posting a time of 3m23.166s to clinch his second FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) pole and Cadillac’s first outright Le Mans pole position.

“I can’t tell you how much I wanted this,” Lynn said over team radio on his cool-down lap. “I’ve thought about it for a long time. One-tenth last year hurt a lot. You guys gave me all the tools today. We have bigger things to do this weekend, but project pole position has come through!”

After stepping out of the car, the Briton added: “Every time you have the opportunity to drive this kind of car around Le Mans with low fuel and new tyres, it’s an honour – and I’m truly honoured to be able to put in a performance like that in front everyone and deliver for Cadillac in the way they deserve. This is a magical circuit and this is a special feeling. I can’t describe it. We will enjoy this tonight, have a good sleep and re-set.”

Lynn's pole margin of 0.167s over the sister #38 Cadillac — driven by Earl Bamber — confirmed a dominant result for the Detroit brand. Cadillac became the first American manufacturer to take overall pole at Le Mans since Ford in 1967, while Lynn is the first British driver on pole since Johnny Herbert in 2004.

Earl Bamber’s lap ensured both Cadillacs would start side-by-side on the front row, a feat achieved by only four other manufacturers in the event’s history.

Behind the Cadillacs, Mathieu Jaminet secured third in Porsche Penske Motorsport’s #5 963, bringing a timely boost to the defending champions after a challenging season. The Frenchman had topped much of the second session, having also made it through Q1 amid setbacks for the Porsche camp — including a disqualification for the #6 car and a wheel failure on Julien Andlauer’s #99, which detached while leading H1.

BMW also featured strongly in Hyperpole, with Dries Vanthoor posting a late flyer to take fourth for the #15 WRT-run M Hybrid V8. Nick Tandy was fifth in the #4 Porsche, followed by Sheldon van der Linde in the second BMW Hypercar.

Ferrari, dominant in WEC so far this year and winner of the past two Le Mans editions, endured a surprisingly subdued session. Antonio Fuoco could only manage seventh in the #50 499P, while the #51 of Alessandro Pier Guidi and the #83 AF Corse entry driven by Yifei Ye failed to make the Hyperpole cut.

The 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours gets underway on Saturday, with Cadillac aiming to convert its front-row dominance into a first overall victory at La Sarthe.

After Hyperpole, AF Corse’s #83 Ferrari 499P set the pace in Free Practice 4 session at the Circuit de la Sarthe, ending the final track action before the start of the 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a commanding time of 3:25.523.

In a short, 60-minute session run in full darkness, the Pro-Am-entered Ferrari driven by Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, and Robert Shwartzman was nearly a full second clear of its nearest rivals. The #83 ended the session 0.933s ahead of the factory #50 Ferrari and the #311 Action Express-run Cadillac Racing entry.

Despite failing to advance beyond the first stage of Hyperpole earlier in the evening, the #83 again showed strong race pace in free practice, marking its third appearance among the top five in session times this week. The car continues to build a compelling case for contention in the fight for overall honours, despite its customer team status.

Behind the top three, the #38 Cadillac V-Series.R slotted into fourth, just ahead of the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963. The pole-sitting #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA — fastest in the earlier Hyperpole shootout with Alex Lynn — completed the top six in what appeared to be a conservative outing.

The session marked the last opportunity for teams to finalise car balance, double-check systems, and give all drivers, particularly those who didn’t take part in Hyperpole, time behind the wheel in full race-night conditions.

With all 62 entries now set for the main event, attention turns to the 24-hour classic itself, which gets underway on Saturday afternoon.