The second 20-minute qualifying session for LMP2 and LMP3 at Le Castellet was full of drama as Harry Tincknell and Charlie Robertson took the class pole positions ahead of this afternoon’s 4 Hours of Le Castellet.
The session started with the two AF Racing BR-01s of Nicolas Minassian and Mikhail Aleshin taking it in turns to hold the provisional pole position, with just 0.007 second splitting the two Russian cars after 10 minutes. However Tristan Gommendy in the no46 Thiriet by TDS Racing ORECA 05 pushed Aleshin into second place with a 1m47.641 lap, which was inside the pole position time for the 2014 race at the Circuit Paul Ricard.
However Gommendy was in turn demoted to second place by Harry Tincknell in the no38 JOTA Sport Gibson-Nissan with two quick laps with a best time of 1m46.917. The two BR01s rejoined the fray with Nicolas Minassian joining Tincknell on the front row just before the chequered flag and Aleshin heading Row 2 with Gommendy’s Thiriet ORECA.
In LMP3 it was all smiles at Team LNT as Charlie Robertson took another pole in the team’s no3 Ginetta-Nissan ahead of the no2 car of Michael Simpson. Simpson had held pole early in the session but he had to pull off the track and park the car until the end of the session. His 1m55.636 lap was just 0.2 slower than Robertson’s best so he will start ahead of the no15 SVK by Speed Factory and no5 Villorba Corse Ginettas this afternoon.
The 4 Hours of Le Castellet will start at 13h00 CET
CLICK HERE to see the result from qualifying
CLICK HERE to watch the qualifying press conference video with the four pole position drivers