Toyota Lock Out Front Row At 6 Hours Of São Paolo

Toyota Gazoo Racing have achieved a front row Hypercar lockout on the grid for the 6 Hours of São Paolo. Kamui Kobayashi in the #7 Toyota secured pole in the 5th round of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), with the sister #8 car in second, just 0.122 seconds slower around the legendary Interlagos circuit, officially the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

In LMGT3, it was the Iron Dames who came out on top, with Sarah Bovy at the helm of her Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 Evo2 putting on another dominant qualifying display. Championship leaders Manthey PureRxcing came in second, followed by the two United Autosports McLarens locking out the second row.

The #7 driver line-up (L-R) of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries. Credit: Javier Jimenez / DPPI

Hypercar

Toyota were not the dominant force in the first qualifying session at Interlagos, which determines which 10 cars will head through to the top 10 Hyperpole shootout. That honour went to the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport car, a team who have been strong in qualifying since the start of the season. The top ten were separated by less than half a second, setting up an enticing Hyperpole session.

With two minutes to go in the session, Toyota had asserted their dominance. They secured those top two grid positions, with #7 scoring the Japanese team’s first pole position of the season with a fastest time of 1:23.140. The very rapid #5 Porsche came third, just 0.069 seconds behind the second Toyota, alongside the #2 Cadillac Racing car with Alex Lynn at the wheel. The American team have shown real development and race strength in recent rounds, so could be one to watch in the race on Sunday.

The thunderous #2 Cadillac could be one to watch, starting on 4th for Sunday’s race. Credit: Julien Delfosse / DPPI

The third row is home to two titans of the 2024 season. The #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport car, currently leading the championship and winners in Qatar, starts in fifth alongside the winners of the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans, the #50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P. Hertz Team JOTA lock out the fourth row in their Porsche 963s, with the #12 car edging out their sister #38 car by 0.062 seconds, but with both of them around half a second off the fastest time set by Toyota. The final Hyperpole positions went to the #51 Ferrari and the #20 BMW M Team WRT cars, roughly one second behind Kobayashi.

LMGT3

A very happy Sarah Bovy after securing pole for the Iron Dames. Credit: Javier Jimenez / DPPI

The biggest surprise not to make it into LMGT3 Hyperpole was that of Team WRT‘s #46 car. The Belgian team, which includes Valentino Rossi in its driver line-up, will have to make do with 12th in class on the grid, with work to do to secure a points finish.

It was Sarah Bovy for the Iron Dames who took the honours in LMGT3, with the Belgian driver securing the all-female driver line-up’s second pole position of the season with a time of 1:34.413. Manthey PureRxcing secured second with a time 0.391 seconds off the pace of the Iron Dames. Joshua Caygill led teammate James Cottingham by 0.051 seconds as the two locked out the second row for United Autosports.

The #31 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 is just two points behind the Porsches tied at the top of the championship. Credit: Fabrizio Boldoni / DPPI

The Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 that won Le Mans and is currently tied at the top of the LMGT3 standings, qualified fifth, with the #31 Team WRT car for company on the third row. The #31 car is only two points behind the two Porsches, setting up a fantastic battle for championship glory, of which the 6 Hours of São Paolo could be a vital part.

The #55 Vista AF Corse Ferrari shares the fourth row of the LMGT3 grid with the #81 TF Sport Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R, with the #27 Heart Of Racing car starting 9th. Thomas Flohr in the #54 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 span early on in the Hyperpole session at turn 4, bringing out the red flag and meaning that the Italian car will start in 10th.

The huge crowds enjoyed an autograph session in the pit lane before qualifying. Credit: Javier Jimenez / DPPI

The 6 Hours of São Paolo gets underway at 15:30 GMT on Sunday 14 July.