The #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro (Fässler/Lotterer/Tréluyer) has lived up to its number and secured pole position at Le Mans. In doing so Audi has created history by becoming the first hybrid powered car to start the endurance classic from P1. Andre Lotterer posted a time of 3:23.787 early in the final session, which was enough to win pole position.
It will be an all-Audi front row after the diesel powered #3 Audi R18 ultra (Dumas/Duval/Gene) qualified in P2. Toyota has shown it will be very competitive by splitting the four Audis as well; the #8 TS030 Hybrid (Davidson/Buemi/Sarrazin) will start from P3.
If reliability goes well for the two major teams we could be in for a super race. Final qualifying has only just finished and we’ll update you when official statements from Audi and Toyota come through.
For the record, with a lap time of 3:42.612, the Nissan DeltaWing has qualified in P29. When the car was first announced Nissan were claiming the DeltaWing would post lap times in between the leading LMP1 cars and the LMP2 category. A total of 15 LMP2 cars will start the race ahead of the DeltaWing.
24 Hours of Le Mans 2012 – Qualifying (top 6)
| Pos. | Car | Drivers | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro | Fassler/Lotterer/Treluyer | 3:23.787 |
| 2 | #3 Audi R18 ultra | Dumas/Duval/Gene | 3:24.078 |
| 3 | #8 Toyota TS030 Hybrid | Davidson/Buemi/Sarrazin | 3:24.842 |
| 4 | #2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro | Capello/Kristensen/McNish | 3:25.433 |
| 5 | #7 Toyota TS030 Hybrid | Wurz/Lapierre/Nakajima | 3:25.488 |
| 6 | #4 Audi R18 ultra | Bonanomi/Jarvis/Rockenfeller | 3:26.420 |
[Source: Autosport]
2 replies on “Audi R18 e-tron quattro secures pole at Le Mans”
[…] Audi R18 e-tron quattro has just entered the history books as the first hybrid powered car to claim pole position for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. By carrying the term “quattro” in its title we know this […]
[…] is pretty chuffed that its R18 e-tron quattro has found itself on pole position for the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hour race. It’s no surprise then that there’s lots of exuberant […]