Kobayashi delivers first Le Mans Hypercar pole to Toyota

40

Former F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi delivered to Toyota it's first Hypercar pole at Le Mans on Thursday night, the Japanese charger leading the team's sister car in the Hyperpole shootout.

The #7 Toyota clocked in with a time of 3m23.900s that edged teammate Brendon Hartley's best effort by just 0.295s.

The duo was followed by the #36 Alpine A480 which was 1.674s adrift and the pair of Glickenhaus 007 LMH Hypercars.

Comparing endurance racing's new top category with its LMP1 predecessor, Toyota's best time was over 8 seconds slower than last year's Hyperpole, also achieved by Kobayashi at the wheel of the Japanese manufacturer's TS050 Hybrid charger.

"To get the first Hypercar pole position is great," said Kobayash who is sharing the #7 Toyota with Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez.

"We came here with our new GR010 HYBRID for the first time and we have been constantly making adjustments to improve it.

"The team did a fantastic job to prepare a car which can achieve that lap time.

"I could have gone even quicker but I had a track limits penalty which was a pity. To be fastest on one lap isn’t enough; we have focused on preparing our car to be successful in the race.”

"We’ve had a few pole positions here on our car over the last years and not won the race so we know this is no guarantee. The 24 hours are long and we always need a bit of luck."

The 89th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours will kick off on Saturday afternoon at 4:00pm local time, or 3:00pm BST.

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.