News
Lexus Takes LMGT3 Pole for WEC’s 6 Hours of Monza
Hadrien David secured LMGT3 pole for the No.78 Akkodis ASP Lexus in a damp Monza session, edging championship leader Jonny Edgar by 0.014 seconds.
The No.78 Akkodis ASP Lexus will start from LMGT3 pole at the WEC 6 Hours of Monza after Hadrien David edged a late charge from championship leader Jonny Edgar in a drying Hyperpole session. The margin was just 0.014 seconds, with the No.33 TF Sport Corvette taking the front-row spot alongside him.
Rain had affected all three practice sessions, leaving the track damp for qualifying. The changing conditions made the opening phase difficult, and the session was stopped after only two minutes when François Heriau crashed the No.21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari at Ascari.
Ferrari crash interrupts a tricky qualifying session
The LMGT3 Bronze drivers began on slick tyres, with Martin Berry recovering from a half-spin in the No.61 Iron Lynx Mercedes. Heriau was unable to avoid the barriers after losing control over the kerb at Ascari, bringing out the red flags before any lap times had been recorded.
After the clean-up, 17 cars returned for the remaining qualifying time. Peter Dempsey set the pace in the No.34 TF Sport Corvette, eventually recording a 1:48.440 to top the session. The No.88 and No.77 Fords followed, while Gray Newell’s late improvement put the No.23 Aston Martin safely into the top 10.
The No.92 Porsche, driven by Yasser Shahin, missed the Hyperpole cut in 11th. The No.69 WRT BMW also fell short after Anthony McIntosh had a lap deleted; it finished 16th and lost its mathematical chance of the title, having needed pole to remain in contention.
The wet-to-dry progression was part of a rain-affected Monza weekend, following the conditions seen in the opening WEC practice session.
David holds off the final Hyperpole attack
With the circuit continuing to dry, David and Lexus team-mate Clemens Schmid initially occupied the top two positions. Ben Tuck’s No.77 Ford and the Aston Martins then moved forward, tightening the fight ahead of the final laps.
Eduardo Barrichello briefly went quickest in the No.23 Aston Martin, but lost the lap for exceeding track limits. David improved once more to reclaim the top spot, while Edgar produced a late lap to secure second for the championship-leading No.33 Corvette.
Tuck qualified third, ahead of Barrichello, Schmid and Zacharie Robichon’s No.27 Aston Martin. Gianmarco Levorato’s No.88 Ford took seventh, with the No.61 Mercedes, No.91 Porsche and No.34 Corvette completing the top 10. The grid is set for a decisive race at Monza, where the WEC title battles have added significance to the weekend.