P1racenews AI automatic summary:
It was little surprise to see a Cadillac on pole for Motul Petit Le Mans, but it was neither the Cadillac nor the driver that most expected. Sebastien Bourdais had been quickest in the day and nigh…
Jack Aitken surprised everyone by claiming his first pole position in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Motul Petit Le Mans, setting a new track record in the process. Aitken, driving the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing V-Series.R, outpaced seasoned drivers like Sebastien Bourdais and Matt Campbell to secure the pole position. The top three rows of the grid include strong contenders such as Connor De Phillippi in the No. 25 BMW and Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Acura. Aitken’s impressive performance showcased the competitiveness of the field, with all 11 GTP entries qualifying under the old record set by Bourdais last year.
Ben Keating continued the trend of surprises by claiming pole in the LMP2 class for United Autosports, securing the front row alongside Steven Thomas in the No. 11 TDS Racing entry. Keating praised the ease of driving his car, hinting at a strong performance in the upcoming race.