Tom Blomqvist’s 1m09.703‑second lap secured a front‑row sweep for Acura Meyer Shank Racing at the Motul Petit Le Mans.
Front Row Sweep
Blomqvist’s electric flying lap not only took pole but also pushed Nick Yelloly, in the sister #93 car, to second place with a margin of 0.222 seconds. Sheldon van der Linde rounded the front row on third. Championship leader Jack Aitken qualified fourth, having fresh tires and only a second‑hand run to edge the field. Laurens Vanthoor’s No. 6 Porsche 963 fell to fifth after a practice‑session incident with Kevin Estre, while Laurin Heinrich qualified seventh.
With Aitken’s pole, the only obstacle to a calendar‑win is a start on Saturday; any post‑qualifying inspection issues could alter the outcome.
GTP Tension Tightens
The GTP session began with Laurin Heinrich setting a 1m10.656‑second lap, quickening to 1m10.521 on the next sweep. Jack Aitken mirrored the pace with a 1m10.965 lap. Blomqvist answered with a 1m10.300 lap, before sinking to 1m10.022, surpassing van der Linde’s 1m10.091 record.
Yelloly produced a 1m09.925 flyer to edge to the top, only for Blomqvist to close with a 1m09.703 lap. Aitken, under fresh rubber, offered a 1m10.273 run to claim fifth, then 1m10.171 to move ahead before the session ended.
LMP2 Class Pole
In the LMP2 division, AO Racing’s PJ Hyet broke 1m13 with a 1m12.944 lap, earning class pole in the #99 ORECA 07. Jeremy Clarke of #43 Inter Europol entered second, 0.223 seconds behind. Misha Goikhberg of Bryan Herta Autosport set third place, while Daniel Goldburg of United Autosports came in fourth.
GTD Pro Holds the Key
Neil Verhagen set a 1m18.268 benchmark in Paul Miller Racing’s #1 BMW M4 GT3 Evo and lowered it to 1m18.194 with three minutes left. Mattia Drudi in Car Blanche’s #?? took second with a 1m18.338 lap, pushing Nicky Catsburg (Corvette Racing) to third by 0.017 seconds. The shift tightened the championship, shrinking Catsburg’s and Tommy Milner’s lead to 42 points over Verhagen.
GTD Session Cut Short by Collision
A red flag came with just over three minutes remaining as Adam Adelson struggled in Turn 10, forcing Brenden Iribe to collide with his Porsche 911 GT3 .R. The incident halted the clock, leaving Philip Ellis of Winward Racing as the fastest prior to the crash, running a 1m18.674 lap in the Mercedes‑AGM GT3. Antonio Fuoco (AF Cuspo USA) finished second, 0.161 seconds behind, while Aaron Telitz completed the top‑three field.
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