Senna-the-rebel puts it on pole in Shanghai!

©WEC

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©WEC

Rebellion Racing trounced the mighty Toyota squad in qualifying for the 4 Hours of Shanghai thanks to the combined efforts of Bruno Senna and Gustavo Menezes.

The achievement was the Swiss outfit's first outright pole in the World Endurance Championship and the first time Toyota has failed to secure the top spot in qualifying since the 2017 Bahrain 6 Hours, Porsche's final LMP1 pole.

Senna set the fastest overall time in the #1 Rebellion R13-Gibson, while non hybrid cars filled the first three grid positions, a feat obviously helped by the latest round of success ballast updates for the LMP1 class which weighed on the Toyota TS050 by about 2.7 seconds per lap.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.