'We have no words' – Ferrari takes first Le Mans pole for 50 years

100 years of Le Mans

Antonio Fuoco claimed a historic Le Mans pole for Ferrari with a brilliant lap to see off the Toyota challenge

Ferrari fuco 2023 LE MANS

Fuoco put in a brilliant Le Mans pole lap

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Antonio Fuoco made history for Ferrari by putting the Italian marque on overall pole at Le Mans for the first time in 50 years, as the Scuderia locked out the front row.

In the half hour Hyperpole shootout, favourites Toyota struggled to hold a light to Ferrari, finding itself 1.4sec off the pace of Fuoco’s 3min 22.982sec.

“We have no words actually,” said the latter’s No50 team-mate Miguel Molina. “Because for all these people, it’s less than one year that the car runs for the first time in Fiorano.

“I think this pole position is very well deserved for all the people that are working in this project.”

2 Ferrari fuoco 2023 LE MANS

Ferrari negotiated an eventful Hyperpole session to claim pole

DPPI

The Scuderia last started first at La Sarthe in 1973, when Arturo Merzario and Carlos Pace took pole at the Scuderia’s previous top-class Le Mans entry, 50 years ago in the 312PB.

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The Fuoco’s No51 Ferrari team-mate Alessandro Pier Guidi set a time 0.9sec slower than the lead Ferrari, with Brendon Hartley’s No8 Toyota lining up third.

The Kiwi’s Japanese team-mate Kamui Kobayashi had his fastest lap deleted, meaning he’ll start fifth, with the No75 Porsche Penske of Felipe Nasr fourth-quickest.

Earl Bamber put the No2 Cadillac sixth, while his No3 Ganassi team-mate Sébastien Bourdais saw his chances go up in smoke – literally – when his his machine caught fire, forcing him to stop at the first chicane.

The two Cadillacs sandwiched the No5 Porsche Penske of Frederic Makowiecki who will begin the race seventh.

Paul Loup Chatin took a brilliant LMP2 pole for IDEC Sport, seeing off the pre-session favourite of Jota Sport’s Pietro Fittipaldi, while Ben Keating put his Chevrolet Corvette first in GTE-Am.