P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Was the new qualifying format at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans a success?
A new qualifying format was introduced at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans to enhance excitement in the initial two days of the event.
The new format resembled the Q1-Q2-Q3 approach from Formula 1, involving split sessions for different classes.
Hyperpole session on Thursday featured the fastest 15 Hypercars and 12 LMP2/LMGT3 cars that advanced from the Wednesday qualifiers.
Drama unfolded as the No.7 Toyota and No.6 Porsche faced setbacks in qualifying, impacting their starting positions in the race.
Pole position was secured by a Cadillac, while unexpected outcomes emerged in different classes during the high-stakes qualifying sessions.
Despite the qualifying excitement, the final race results showed that starting positions didn’t significantly impact the overall outcome.
Feedback from drivers like Brendon Hartley suggests potential improvements in the qualifying format, such as requiring all three drivers in a car to participate across the different sessions.
