Aston Martin Vantage and Ferrari 296 in front row
Same front row as last year in LMGT3 as an Aston Martin Vantage LMHT3 and a Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo will start from the front row of the LMGT3 class in the 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Aston Martin Vantage on pole
After Zacharie Robichon topped the times in Hyperpole 1, his co-driver Mattia Drudi did put Heart of Racing Team’s #27 Aston Martin Vantage on pole for the second successive year With a 3:52.343, Drudi was almost a full second clear of his rivals.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2026. Heart of Racing Team’s #27 Aston Martin Vantage
Mattia Drudi #27 Aston Martin Vantage: “It feels really great – it’s nice to be on pole again here after last year,” the 27-year-old acknowledged. “The car is quick and behaving really well, and both Ian [James] and Zach [Robichon] did a good job in their sessions, too. We’re feeling really confident. Of course, the race is a different story, but it’s always a good starting point to be on pole.”
“It’s super-special,” echoed Robichon. “We knew if we could get through to the Hyperpole 2 shootout, every time Mattia is in the car, we have a chance of pole and he proved that again.” Source: FIA WEC
Ferrari 296 #21 in front row
VISTA AF Corse’s Alessio Rovera replicated his 2025 result by securing second, 0.979 shy of Drudi’s fastest lap. François Hériau had secured a place in Hyperpole during Wednesday’s qualifying session, and Simon Mann had recorded the eighth-fastest time in Hyperpole 1.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2026. Ferrari 296 #21
Alessio Rovera 296 LMGT3 Evo #21: “It was a pleasant surprise because our free practice pace hadn’t suggested we’d achieve this result. Driving the car was really enjoyable – the balance was excellent. We still lack a bit of speed, especially in the second sector. I tried to stay close to the cars ahead to benefit from the slipstream, but I got too near and ruined that part of the lap. In the end, I don’t think I could have done any more, so I’m really pleased. I want to thank the team for the fantastic car. We still have a long way to go, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed and keep pushing. Starting from pole position would have made a real difference, but the gap was simply too large. Last year we also started second and finished second in the race, so hopefully this time we can go one step further.” Source: Ferrari
Lexus RCF locks second row
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2026.
Both WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 in third row
Both WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 will start from third row as Sean Gelael (#32) and Parker Thompson (#69) put the two BMW M4 GT3 EVOs into the fifth and sixth starting positions.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2026. #32 WRT BMW M4 LMGT3
Sean Gelael (Team WRT, #32 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, 5th place LMGT3): “It‘s probably one of the best positions to start the big 24-hour race from. Third row, the slip stream in front of us – that’s good! We are happy, and we are where we want to be for the start of the race.”
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2026. #69 WRT BMW M4 LMGT3
Parker Thompson (Team WRT, #69 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, 6th place LMGT3): “Overall a very nice job by both sides of the garage at Team WRT. Starting P5 and P6 is a great result for the team and a fantastic place to start the race from. We are out of the areas of chaos at the back. Great job by everybody!” Source: BMW
Related News
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2026. Cadillac fastest but BMW in pole!
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans 2025. Three Cadillacs in top five of qualifying
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans Test Day 2026. All Hypercar manufacturers within one second.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Le Mans Test Day 2026. Aston Martin Valkyrie tops Le Mans Test Day
