Jakobsen scores Peugeot's first WEC pole at Spa

WECHyperCar

May 8

Malthe Jakobsen, with the 9X8 #94, gives Peugeot its first pole position since its return to the Hypercar category on the starting grid of the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

Jakobsen and peugeot first pole in WEC

What a qualifying session for Malthe Jakobsen and Team Peugeot TotalEnergies! It was a true emotional rollercoaster through the Ardennes.

In the first qualifying session, the Danish driver spun at the top of Raidillon on his out lap, caught out by cold tyres. Fortunately, the PEUGEOT 9X8 #94 remained on track, but Malthe had to return to the pits to change all four tyres. Meanwhile, Stoffel Vandoorne set two provisional third-fastest times at the wheel of the PEUGEOT 9X8 #93. Back on track, after two laps to bring his tyres up to temperature, Malthe Jakobsen set the second-fastest time in 2:01.023 on his only flying lap.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Spa-Francorchamps 2026. #94 Peugeot 9X8

Fitted with new medium compound tyres, the two Team Peugeot TotalEnergies drivers returned to the track for the 12-minute Hyperpole session. After carefully bringing their tyres up to temperature, Malthe and Stoffel completed their first flying laps. With a time of 2:00.653, Malthe Jakobsen immediately moved to the top of the provisional standings, while Stoffel Vandoorne set the sixth-fastest time with a 2:01.198.

Malthe Jakobsen (PEUGEOT 9X8 #94): “I’m proud to have secured PEUGEOT’s first pole position in FIA WEC, and it’s also my first in the championship. It didn’t start well with my spin at the top of Raidillon. I had to come back into the pits and it was tight to make it into the top 10, but I made it. In Hyperpole, it was just pure enjoyment driving the PEUGEOT 9X8 in low fuel mode on new tyres.”

Front row start for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA

Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA will start from the front row of the grid for the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Spa-Francorchamps.

The #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R, driven by Will Stevens, posted the second quickest time in Hyperpole, just 0.043 seconds off pole position. Ahead of qualifying, the #.12 car had topped the timesheets for FP3.

The #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R advanced to the Hyperpole session after recording the 6th fastest time (02:01:239) in the initial qualifying session. Throughout Hyperpole, Stevens continued to improve on this time, with his final lap a 2:00.693. The #12 car driven by Will Stevens, Norman Nato and Louis Deletraz, will line up in second position on the grid for the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa.

Will Stevens #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R : “So P2 in qualifying. It’s my first qualifying for a while, so it’s nice to be very competitive. It’s always good when you are disappointed to be second! I lost a little bit of time in Turn 8, so we felt we had it in the car today to be on Pole for sure. Overall a very solid week so far, now it’s full focus on the race and let’s hope for a good one.”

Alpine Endurance Team in second row

Both Alpine Endurance Team will start from second row as Charles Milesi, who led the opening stage of qualifying with the A424 #35, was 0.078 second slower in P3 heading sister #36 of Jules Gounon.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Spa-Francorchamps 2026. Left: Alpine A424 #35; right: sister #36

Jack Aitken fifth

The #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R driven by Jack Aitken also had a strong qualifying session and progressed to Hyperpole. Aitken closed the session with a lap time of 2:00.940, the fifth quickest of Hyperpole. Jack Aitken, Sebastian Bourdais and Earl Bamber will share driving duties in the #38 car for tomorrow’s race.

Jack Aitken #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R: “We’ve finished P5 in qualifying with the sister car in P2, so it’s a really good start for the team. We’ve now got 6 hours to work our way up and the car looks good. It’s always fun to qualify in Spa.” Source: Cadillac Racing

Aston Martin sixth and seven

Marco Sorensen drove a 2:01.013 with Aston Martin Valkyrie #009, 0.039 second faster than teammate Harry Thincknell aboard sister #007.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Spa-Francorchamps 2026. Left: Aston Martin Valkyrie #009; right: Aston Martin Valkyrie #007

Ferrari #50 eighth

Fuoco set the best time for the Maranello manufacturer, completing a lap in 2’01”181, good enough for fourth position, +0.373 behind the leaders: the Italian driver therefore secured access to the Hyperpole.

In the decisive 12 minutes reserved for the ten fastest crews Antonio Fuoco, who shares the number 50 car with Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, stopped the clocks at 2’01”117 to secure eighth place on the starting grid, with a gap of +0.464 from pole position.

Ferrari 499P #50 — 📷 © Luc Warnotte at Spa-Francorchamps 2026. #50 Ferrari 499P

Antonio Fuoco #50: “It was not an easy qualifying session, however we did the maximum and I am satisfied both with the lap I completed in the first timed session this afternoon and the subsequent one in Hyperpole. At Spa races are often unpredictable, so we will have to do our best to seize the opportunities that present themselves during the six hours.” Source: Ferrari

Local drivers in fifth row

Stoffel Vandoorne and Dries Vanthoor, both Belgian, will start from fifth row as Stoffel Vandoorne did set a 2:01.198 with #93 Peugeot Totalenergies 9X8H, 0.119 ahead of Dries Vanthoor with #15 BMW M V8 Hybrid.

Stoffel Vandoorne (PEUGEOT 9X8 #93): “A very strong qualifying session for the team, with both cars in Hyperpole and pole position for the #94. We did a good job today. Personally, I felt comfortable in the first qualifying session, but I wasn’t able to raise my pace in Hyperpole.” Source: Peugeot Sport

Dries Vanthoor (#15 BMW M V8 Hybrid): “It was obviously a bit of a disappointing qualifying. My Hyperpole lap wasn’t amazing, but I think I only left out about one and a half to two tenths at most. We’re still far away, and that’s not ideal - especially when you look at the package we have here this weekend, we should be much closer. The gap is just too big. Even if you take out one or one and a half tenths, it’s not going to make our life much better. We’re lacking too much, so we need to go right back to the drawing board and keep working." Source: BMW M Team WRT

6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps Schedule

The 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps kicks off on Saturday 9 May, at 2 p.m. (local time).