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2026 | WEC | 24 Hours of Le Mans | Hyperpole 1 & 2 | Hypercar | Vanthoor puts BMW on pole after Cadillac loses lap

Karishma Persad08 mins
Vanthoor secures BMW pole at 2026 Le Mans after Cadillac's lap deletion, with Alpine, Cadillac and Genesis in dramatic Hyperpole fight.
Photo Credit: FIA World Endurance Championship | DPPI
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BMW M Team WRT will start the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans from pole position after Dries Vanthoor placed the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 at the top of the Hypercar order in a dramatic Hyperpole 2 session. Vanthoor delivered a 3:22.564 to secure the official benchmark, putting the #15 BMW ahead of the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota entry by 0.514s. The result gave BMW pole at Le Mans after the #38 Cadillac, which had been a major threat throughout the session, lost its best lap following Stewards Decision No. 133.

Therefore, the final classification after Hyperpole confirmed the #15 BMW on pole, ahead of the #12 Cadillac, the #35 Alpine, the sister #20 BMW, and the #101 Cadillac WTR entry.

Hyperpole 1: Alpine leads as Toyota misses the cut

Hyperpole 1 began with 15 Hypercars fighting for the ten available spots in the final shootout.

Firstly, Alpine Endurance Team led the way, with Charles Milesi setting a 3:23.018 in the #35 Alpine A424. That lap placed the French manufacturer at the top of the session by just 0.073s over the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota entry, while Genesis Magma Racing continued its impressive Le Mans performance by taking third with the #17 car.

Additionally, the #101 Cadillac WTR entry progressed in fourth, ahead of the #20 BMW M Team WRT car and the eventual pole-sitting #15 BMW. Ferrari AF Corse also secured a place in Hyperpole 2 with the #51 Ferrari 499P, while the #19 Genesis, #12 Cadillac, and #009 Aston Martin completed the top ten.

However, several major names missed out. The #007 Aston Martin ended Hyperpole 1 only 0.013s outside the top ten, while the #50 Ferrari, #36 Alpine, and both Toyota GR010 Hybrids were eliminated before the final pole shootout.

Furthermore, Toyota’s difficult evening left the #7 car 14th and the #8 car 15th in the Hyperpole 1 order, ensuring neither GR010 Hybrid progressed to the final ten-car session.

Hyperpole 1 results: Hypercar

  1. Alpine #35 – Alpine Endurance Team — António Félix da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand Habsburg — Alpine A424 — 3:23.018 — 241.6 kph
  2. Cadillac #38 – Cadillac Hertz Team Jota — Sébastien Bourdais / Earl Bamber / Jack Aitken — Cadillac V-Series.R — 3:23.091 — +0.073 — 241.5 kph
  3. Genesis #17 – Genesis Magma Racing — André Lotterer / Pipo Derani / Mathys Jaubert — Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar — 3:23.126 — +0.108 — 241.5 kph
  4. Cadillac #101 – Cadillac WTR — Ricky Taylor / Jordan Taylor / Filipe Albuquerque — Cadillac V-Series.R — 3:23.191 — +0.173 — 241.4 kph
  5. BMW #20 – BMW M Team WRT — Robin Frijns / René Rast / Sheldon van der Linde — BMW M Hybrid V8 — 3:23.246 — +0.228 — 241.3 kph
  6. BMW #15 – BMW M Team WRT — Kevin Magnussen / Raffaele Marciello / Dries Vanthoor — BMW M Hybrid V8 — 3:23.280 — +0.262 — 241.3 kph
  7. Ferrari #51 – Ferrari AF Corse — Alessandro Pier Guidi / James Calado / Antonio Giovinazzi — Ferrari 499P — 3:23.406 — +0.388 — 241.2 kph
  8. Genesis #19 – Genesis Magma Racing — Mathieu Jaminet / Paul-Loup Chatin / Daniel Juncadella — Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar — 3:23.643 — +0.625 — 240.9 kph
  9. Cadillac #12 – Cadillac Hertz Team Jota — Louis Delétraz / Will Stevens / Norman Nato — Cadillac V-Series.R — 3:23.728 — +0.710 — 240.8 kph
  10. Aston Martin #009 – Aston Martin Thor Team — Alex Riberas / Marco Sørensen / Roman De Angelis — Aston Martin Valkyrie — 3:23.991 — +0.973 — 240.5 kph

Eliminated after Hyperpole 1

  1. Aston Martin #007 – Aston Martin Thor Team — Harry Tincknell / Tom Gamble / Ross Gunn — Aston Martin Valkyrie — 3:24.004 — +0.986 — 240.4 kph
  2. Ferrari #50 – Ferrari AF Corse — Antonio Fuoco / Nicklas Nielsen / Miguel Molina — Ferrari 499P — 3:24.105 — +1.087 — 240.3 kph
  3. Alpine #36 – Alpine Endurance Team — Frédéric Makowiecki / Jules Gounon / Victor Martins — Alpine A424 — 3:24.122 — +1.104 — 240.3 kph
  4. Toyota #7 – Toyota Racing — Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / Nyck de Vries — Toyota GR010 Hybrid — 3:24.268 — +1.250 — 240.1 kph
  5. Toyota #8 – Toyota Racing — Sébastien Buemi / Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa — Toyota GR010 Hybrid — 3:24.578 — +1.560 — 239.8 kph

Hyperpole 2: Vanthoor puts BMW on pole

Once the final ten cars moved into Hyperpole 2, Vanthoor put BMW in control. Firstly, the Belgian produced a 3:22.564 on lap four of five, averaging 242.2 kph around the Circuit de la Sarthe. Therefore, that became the fastest official lap of the session and secured pole for the #15 BMW shared with Kevin Magnussen and Raffaele Marciello.

Cadillac Hertz Team Jota still secured second with the #12 V-Series.R. Will Stevens, Louis Delétraz, and Norman Nato will therefore line up alongside BMW on the front row after a 3:23.078.

The #35 Alpine converted its Hyperpole 1 pace into third overall, although it could not match Vanthoor’s Hyperpole 2 benchmark. The #20 BMW followed in fourth, putting both BMW M Team WRT cars inside the top four, while the #101 Cadillac WTR entry completed the top five.

Furthermore, Genesis Magma Racing continued a strong showing with sixth for the #19 car and ninth for the #17. In addition, Aston Martin THOR Team placed the #009 Valkyrie seventh, ahead of the #51 Ferrari AF Corse entry in eighth.

Therefore, the major post-session story centred on the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota entry. Jack Aitken had produced a lap quick enough to challenge for pole, but the car’s best time was deleted under Stewards Decision No. 133. The #38 Cadillac was therefore classified tenth in Hyperpole 2 with a 3:26.865.

Hyperpole 2 results: Hypercar

  1. BMW #15 – BMW M Team WRT — Kevin Magnussen / Raffaele Marciello / Dries Vanthoor — BMW M Hybrid V8 — 3:22.564 — 242.2 kph
  2. Cadillac #12 – Cadillac Hertz Team Jota — Louis Delétraz / Will Stevens / Norman Nato — Cadillac V-Series.R — 3:23.078 — +0.514 — 241.5 kph
  3. Alpine #35 – Alpine Endurance Team — António Félix da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand Habsburg — Alpine A424 — 3:23.620 — +1.056 — 240.9 kph
  4. BMW #20 – BMW M Team WRT — Robin Frijns / René Rast / Sheldon van der Linde — BMW M Hybrid V8 — 3:23.764 — +1.200 — 240.7 kph
  5. Cadillac #101 – Cadillac WTR — Ricky Taylor / Jordan Taylor / Filipe Albuquerque — Cadillac V-Series.R — 3:23.778 — +1.214 — 240.7 kph
  6. Genesis #19 – Genesis Magma Racing — Mathieu Jaminet / Paul-Loup Chatin / Daniel Juncadella — Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar — 3:23.823 — +1.259 — 240.7 kph
  7. Aston Martin #009 – Aston Martin Thor Team — Alex Riberas / Marco Sørensen / Roman De Angelis — Aston Martin Valkyrie — 3:24.729 — +2.165 — 239.6 kph
  8. Ferrari #51 – Ferrari AF Corse — Alessandro Pier Guidi / James Calado / Antonio Giovinazzi — Ferrari 499P — 3:25.081 — +2.517 — 239.2 kph
  9. Genesis #17 – Genesis Magma Racing — André Lotterer / Pipo Derani / Mathys Jaubert — Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar — 3:26.116 — +3.552 — 238.0 kph
  10. Cadillac #38 – Cadillac Hertz Team Jota — Sébastien Bourdais / Earl Bamber / Jack Aitken — Cadillac V-Series.R — 3:26.865 — +4.301 — 237.1 kph

Fastest official lap: Dries Vanthoor, BMW #15 – BMW M Team WRT — 3:22.564.

Conclusion

Therefore, BMW heads into the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans with the best possible starting position, while Cadillac is left to rue the deletion of the #38 car’s best lap.

However, with Cadillac still on the front row, Alpine third, both BMWs in the top four, and Genesis continuing to impress, the Hypercar battle remains wide open ahead of the twice-around-the-clock race.

While the #15 BMW has the cleanest view into the opening sequence, the combination of Cadillac’s single-lap pace, Alpine’s strong Hyperpole 1 performance, and Genesis’ presence inside the top ten gives the front of the grid a varied and unpredictable look.

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans: full Hypercar classification after Hyperpole

  1. BMW #15 – BMW M Team WRT — Kevin Magnussen / Raffaele Marciello / Dries Vanthoor — BMW M Hybrid V8 — 3:22.564
  2. Cadillac #12 – Cadillac Hertz Team Jota — Louis Delétraz / Will Stevens / Norman Nato — Cadillac V-Series.R — 3:23.078 — +0.514
  3. Alpine #35 – Alpine Endurance Team — António Félix da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand Habsburg — Alpine A424 — 3:23.620 — +1.056
  4. BMW #20 – BMW M Team WRT — Robin Frijns / René Rast / Sheldon van der Linde — BMW M Hybrid V8 — 3:23.764 — +1.200
  5. Cadillac #101 – Cadillac WTR — Ricky Taylor / Jordan Taylor / Filipe Albuquerque — Cadillac V-Series.R — 3:23.778 — +1.214
  6. Genesis #19 – Genesis Magma Racing — Mathieu Jaminet / Paul-Loup Chatin / Daniel Juncadella — Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar — 3:23.823 — +1.259
  7. Aston Martin #009 – Aston Martin Thor Team — Alex Riberas / Marco Sørensen / Roman De Angelis — Aston Martin Valkyrie — 3:24.729 — +2.165
  8. Ferrari #51 – Ferrari AF Corse — Alessandro Pier Guidi / James Calado / Antonio Giovinazzi — Ferrari 499P — 3:25.081 — +2.517
  9. Genesis #17 – Genesis Magma Racing — André Lotterer / Pipo Derani / Mathys Jaubert — Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar — 3:26.116 — +3.552
  10. Cadillac #38 – Cadillac Hertz Team Jota — Sébastien Bourdais / Earl Bamber / Jack Aitken — Cadillac V-Series.R — 3:26.865 — +4.301
  11. Aston Martin #007 – Aston Martin Thor Team — Harry Tincknell / Tom Gamble / Ross Gunn — Aston Martin Valkyrie — 3:24.004
  12. Ferrari #50 – Ferrari AF Corse — Antonio Fuoco / Nicklas Nielsen / Miguel Molina — Ferrari 499P — 3:24.105
  13. Alpine #36 – Alpine Endurance Team — Frédéric Makowiecki / Jules Gounon / Victor Martins — Alpine A424 — 3:24.122
  14. Toyota #7 – Toyota Racing — Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / Nyck de Vries — Toyota GR010 Hybrid — 3:24.268
  15. Toyota #8 – Toyota Racing — Sébastien Buemi / Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa — Toyota GR010 Hybrid — 3:24.578
  16. Peugeot #93 – Peugeot TotalEnergies — Paul di Resta / Stoffel Vandoorne / Nick Cassidy — Peugeot 9X8 — 3:24.978
  17. Ferrari #83 – AF Corse — Yifei Ye / Robert Kubica / Phil Hanson — Ferrari 499P — 3:25.495
  18. Peugeot #94 – Peugeot TotalEnergies — Loïc Duval / Malthe Jakobsen / Théo Pourchaire — Peugeot 9X8 — 3:25.660

Additionally, you can see the LMP2 and LMGT3 standings after Hyperpole 2 here.

FP4 next at Le Mans

The next session will be FP4, which runs from 23:00 until midnight local time.

After a dramatic Hypercar Hyperpole session, the field will return to the Circuit de la Sarthe for its final night running before the race. BMW will carry pole-position momentum into the closing stages of preparation, while Cadillac will look to reset after the deletion of the #38 car’s best lap. Alpine, Genesis, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Toyota will also now shift attention toward race balance, night running, reliability and traffic management.

The final hour of practice will give teams one last chance to evaluate their cars in darkness before Friday’s Drivers’ Parade and Saturday’s warm-up. The 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled to begin at 16:00 local time on Saturday, 13 June.

See the full entry list for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.
See the full schedule for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Follow the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans via the Pit Debrief live blog.

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