With the 15 remaining Hypercars set to take part in Hyperpole this Thursday evening, opinions remain divided on the true significance of grid position at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
There were 21 Hypercars in qualifying yesterday afternoon, but only 15 will take to the track Thursday night for the first of two Hyperpole sessions, following a format shakeup introduced for this year. Now split into two phases (H1 and H2), the first session selects the top 10 cars, which then compete in H2 for the best grid positions.
Yet despite the mounting pressure as Hyperpole approaches, and the excitement to see who will claim pole for Le Mans 2025, starting at the front for a 24-hour race is far from a top priority for many teams. The fortunes of last year's polesitter give an indication why.
In 2024, Kevin Estre's factory Penske Porsche 963 secured the top spot in Hyperpole, but would only lead a total of 18 laps and eventually finished fourth. Meanwhile, the #7 Toyota had its times annulled after Kamui Kobayashi triggered a red flag during Hyperpole and started from the back of the Hypercar field, in 23rd position yet still recovered to finish second.
“Honestly, for me, there isn’t really any excitement for qualifying,” said Porsche driver Mathieu Jaminet. “That’s not what matters most.
“Qualifying in a 24‑hour race… we saw last year, we got pole and we weren’t even leading after the first lap. To me, it doesn’t matter.
“But it is always nice to drive at Le Mans on new tyres and low fuel. Sure, starting at the front is simpler: it’s nice to stay with the lead pack and find the rhythm. But if you have the pace in the race, you’ll move forward quickly, so it doesn’t have a huge impact.
“That said, the first few hours are definitely easier when you start in the top five - but you still need the pace to stay there. What really defines things is who has the pace in the last three or four hours.”
This view is shared by Estre, whose car was disqualified from qualifying for failing to meet the minimum weight and will therefore start at the back of the Hypercar grid on Saturday.
“We’re not going to do 35 qualifying simulations, we need to focus on the race car,” he explained.
“Last year, it was an amazing moment. You get an extra championship point, it lifts the whole team, and as a driver, pole at Le Mans is incredible. But it only lasted half a lap…
“We know its importance, but you can’t fixate on it. We’re not going to jeopardise our race prep.”
Alpine likewise remains focused on the ultimate goal, committing fully to Sunday’s performance.
“For the public, qualifying is nice. We tend to say things are well‑made and it encourages [teams to go for it], but one must not lose sight of the real issue,” said team boss Philippe Sinault. “The real issue is the race.
“We’ll play the game, but our objective is not pole. Our priority is to prepare the race car.
“We’ll make a small update for qualifying to make it a bit more aggressive. But if we can have the cars in the top third of the grid, that’s good to avoid traffic and not fall behind from the start.”
On the other hand, some drivers still see strategic value in qualifying. For Jota Cadillac driver Norman Nato, qualifying is essential in such a tight and competitive field: the higher you start, the fewer chances there are of getting caught up in first-lap incidents.
“It’s so tight that you can’t afford to mess up,” the Frenchman opined.
“We have to try to start up front—because starts are more and more hectic, almost like sprints now.
“There are drivers taking a lot of risks at the start. It’s important to start at the front so you minimise the chance of being in the middle of the pack, where it’s hottest.
“Starting in around the top six, you’re a bit more protected. Around the top 10, it’s very chaotic. And if you’re behind… well, you have more to lose than to gain.
“You’re always happy to start at the front if you can, because of the chaos at the start. Over 24 hours, that’s not the priority. But you’re still happy to start at least in the top six.
“The aim is still to do qualifying at 100%. So yes, yes it’s important.”
