On its 75th Le Mans anniversary, Cadillac writes a new chapter by taking Hyperpole at the legendary 24 Hours. For the first time ever, the American brand locked out the entire front row for the 24-hour classic.
Alex Lynn set a blistering benchmark in the #12 Cadillac with a 3:23.166 lap, earning his second WEC pole. Teammate Earl Bamber completed Cadillac’s historic front row in the #38, marking the first Le Mans pole for the Detroit marque since 1967—and the first for a British driver since Johnny Herbert in 2004.
New Hyperpole Format Delivers Drama
The new qualifying format brought extra excitement to Thursday night. In Hyperpole Session 1, 15 Hypercars battled for ten spots in the final shootout, with Hyperpole Session 2 deciding the pole.
Favorites Ferrari and Toyota suffered an early setback, with just one car from each manufacturer making it into the final session. The best Ferrari will start only seventh this year—a blow after two Le Mans wins and three consecutive WEC podiums.
Meanwhile, Porsche and BMW pushed Cadillac hard. Mathieu Jaminet put the #5 Porsche third on the grid, despite a dramatic wheel loss in the first segment. BMW’s Dries Vanthoor (#15) and Porsche’s Nick Tandy (#4) rounded out the top five.
Aston Martin Takes GT3 Pole
In LMP2, Mathias Beche claimed pole for TDS Racing in the #29. The new LMGT3 class saw Mattia Drudi put Heart of Racing’s Aston Martin on pole. MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will start third in class on his second Le Mans appearance—a highlight for fans of the motorcycle world champion.
The Cadillac Hyperpole and front-row lockout in Le Mans is a statement and promises an exciting race. But nothing is certain at Le Mans. With Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, and Toyota all in the hunt, the favorites face strong challengers. The same goes for LMP2 and LMGT3, where the top ten are closely matched.
Check out the full starting grid for the race and find more information. Updates on the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans you’ll find right here.
Images © Endurance-Archive (Walter Schruff)