Dries Vanthoor etched his name into Le Mans history by recording a 3:22.564‑second lap, the fastest Hypercar time ever achieved.
He admitted a minor error in the final chicane cut him roughly 0.1 s, but otherwise the run was “good” and “as close to limit as possible.”
The driver said he aimed to stay on the edge everywhere, “trying to go everywhere at the limit and not make mistakes,” so he “did not go above or below the limit.”
When queried on risk margins, Vanthoor explained that “it depends on the area” and that in Porsche‑corner scenarios he even “was sometimes over the limit” but kept situations in check.
Pole‑position materialised late, once a penalty was confirmed against Jack Aitken for an early pit‑lane entry; Vanthoor remarked that the team was “happy with pole” despite the delayed ceremony.
He expressed disappointment that the celebration was missed, noting it was “a bit sad” that the team couldn’t enjoy the moment on the grid.
For the race, the trio “want to win the race” and see the pole as a “great extra”; they must “stay out of trouble” and finish strong.
Rivals highlighted include:
- Cadillac
- Toyota
- Ferrari
Vanthoor identified BMW’s biggest advantage as a “consistent race car” that “improves in heat,” with a forecast of up to 29 °C benefiting tyre management.
He confirmed the team believes tyre performance will be acceptable under the anticipated temperatures.
Regarding top speeds, Vanthoor said BMW’s figures “are around the same level,” acknowledging that slipstream effects can skew numbers and that “real top‑speed” clarity arrives in the first hour.
With a razor‑thin margin, the BMW M Team WRT maintains confidence that consistency and heat resilience will convert pole into a podium finish.
"