Ferrari has taken pole position for the 24 Hours of Le Mans

The Ferrari 499P has taken pole position for this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Having topped the standings in the first qualifying session on Wednesday, the #50 of Antonio Fuoco set the fastest lap in the Hyperpole shootout.

Fuoco clocked a 3m 22.982s lap, and Ferrari locked out the front row of the grid on its return to Le Mans with the #51 of Alessandro Pier Guidi setting a time of 3m 23.755s. How very poetic.

Antonello Coletta, Ferrari's endurance and corse clienti boss, said: “We are delighted with this result, fifty years after our previous appearance in the top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Tonight after the Hyperpole, we are enjoying a fantastic moment, the fruit of exceptional work.

"From tomorrow we will think about the race, which will be long, and where several factors, first and foremost reliability, could prove decisive. I want to thank the entire team, from the technicians to the mechanics to the sporting and commercial areas. The immense effort put in by everyone has allowed us to be where we are less than a year after our 499P’s first shakedown”.

The #8 Toyota will start third thanks to Brendon Hartley and a time of 3m 24.451s. The real drama of the 30 minute session though came thanks to ex-Toro Rosso F1 driver Sébastien Bourdais and his Cadillac V-Series.R. With just over five minutes of the Hyperpole shootout remaining, the big V8-engined Caddy caught fire and brought out the red flag.

Here’s hoping for more exciting action when the race kicks off on Saturday…