> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.the-race.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Porsche denies Cadillac in Le Mans qualifying thriller - URL: https://www.the-race.com/wec-le-mans/porsche-cadillac-le-mans-24-hours-qualifying-hyperpole/ - Published: 2024-06-13T19:37:14.000Z - Updated: 2025-01-14T11:01:37.000Z - Description: The Penske-run factory Porsche team denied Cadillac a first-ever Le Mans 24 Hours pole in a thoroughly entertaining all-LMDh scrap in a Thursday Hyperpole session - Author: Valentin Khorounzhiy - Tags: WEC/Le Mans, Endurance The Penske-run factory Porsche team denied Cadillac a first-ever Le Mans 24 Hours pole in a thoroughly entertaining all-LMDh scrap headlining the Thursday Hyperpole session. The 35-year-old Kevin Estre, qualifying the World Endurance Championship-leading #6 Porsche Penske entry, pulled out a 3m24.634s at the very last moment to grab the German brand's first Le Mans pole since 2016. The Porsche 963 is widely regarded as a leading contender for Le Mans victory this year, but only one 963 was running in the Hyperpole session - Estre making the cut by two tenths in the initial qualifying earlier this week, in which he very nearly shunted with an LMP2 car. > That was a bit close for comfort 😰 > > Porsche Penske #6 avoids crashing into Iron Lynx #63 but goes off track in a cloud of smoke![#WEC](https://twitter.com/hashtag/WEC?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) [#LeMans24](https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeMans24?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) [pic.twitter.com/qJgFJZI6eT](https://t.co/qJgFJZI6eT?ref=the-race.com) > > — FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) [June 12, 2024](https://twitter.com/FIAWEC/status/1800950890985148733?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) And Estre was only fifth, over 1.6s down on provisional pole held by #3 Cadillac driver Sebastien Bourdais, when the red flag came out for a crash for BMW's Dries Vanthoor at Indianapolis corner. > #15 BMW Motorsport goes off at Indianapolis. > > Session is red flagged with just 7:41 to go.[#WEC](https://twitter.com/hashtag/WEC?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) [#LeMans24](https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeMans24?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) [pic.twitter.com/DlsLoDh3IC](https://t.co/DlsLoDh3IC?ref=the-race.com) > > — FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) [June 13, 2024](https://twitter.com/FIAWEC/status/1801328693551280522?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) Bourdais didn't head out for another run, and looked in a strong position to hang on to pole as both Ferrari cars came up short in their efforts. ![Cadillac #3, Le Mans 24 Hours](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dd/af/ddafbd99-2ccd-468c-b622-4b3cccf80b49/content/images/2024/06/XPB_1285336_HiRes.jpg) But the other Cadillac - the #2 in Alex Lynn's hands - pipped him by three hundredths after the chequered flag, only for Estre to go another tenth and a half clear moments later. Because of a grid penalty for the #2 after the previous WEC round at Spa (where its driver Earl Bamber [was deemed at fault](https://twitter.com/FIAWEC/status/1789327287030001856?ref=the-race.com) for colliding with a BMW GT3 car), the #6 Porsche and the #3 Cadillac will share the front row for the 24-hour race, followed by the two Ferraris (the leading cars designed to Hypercar rules rather than LMDh rules) and the #35 Alpine. Only seven top-class cars ran in Hyperpole instead of the intended eight (and thus 23 out of 24 overall) as Jota's customer Porsche 963s was damaged in a heavy crash in practice after having already made Hyperpole - and could not be repaired in time to actually take part. Long-time Le Mans dominator Toyota also had one of its cars set a time good enough for Hyperpole but not take part - as Kamui Kobayashi's effort in that initial session was erased for him having caused a red flag. > 🔴RED FLAG🔴 > > The [@TGR\_WEC](https://twitter.com/TGR%5FWEC?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) #7 goes off and... puts an end to the session.[#LeMans24](https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeMans24?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) [#WEC](https://twitter.com/hashtag/WEC?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) [pic.twitter.com/ZLiwj2oCJh](https://t.co/ZLiwj2oCJh?ref=the-race.com) > > — 24 Hours of Le Mans (@24hoursoflemans) [June 12, 2024](https://twitter.com/24hoursoflemans/status/1800951451361083432?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) The fastest laps in LMP2 and LMGT3 were set by reigning WEC LMP2 champion Louis Deletraz and former Oculus VR company CEO Brendan Iribe (for LMGT3, only Bronze-category drivers are allowed to run in Hyperpole). Hyperpole had been delayed by over half an hour for a crash in a Road to Le Mans support race, one involving ex-grand prix motorcycle racer Louis Rossi - whose sole Moto3 win came at Le Mans.