However, Gregoire Saucy was on a quick lap in the no22 United Autosports Oreca, the Swiss driver taking the chequered flag in 1m48.395, just 0.021s adrift of Masson’s pole time.
QUALIFYING
A Full Course Yellow period to collect a wayward cone at the chicane slowed everyone down with the session going back to green with 6 minutes left on the clock,
Several cars made a bid for the top spot with Adrien Closmenil (no37 CLX Motorsport), Valerio Rinicella (no18 IDEC Sport), Tom Dillmann (no43 Inter Europol Competition) and Reshad De Gerus (no34 Inter Europol Competition) all briefly holding the top spot before Masson posted his best lap with 60-seconds left on the. clock.
De Gerus took the chequered flag in 1m48.596 to go second before Saucy moved up the grid to take second spot for tomorrow’s race. The no18 IDEC Sport Oreca will start alongside the no34 IEC Oreca on Row 2, while Jack Doohan completed the session in 5th place in the no24 Nielsen Racing to head Row 3, with the no43 IEC taking sixth at the end of the session.
However, in post qualifying scrutineering the no18 IDEC Sport was found to be under the minimum specified weight and was disqualifed (Steward's Decision no14), with all times set during qualifying cancelled and will start at the back of the LMP2 grid.
LMP2 Pro/Am: Duqueine Loses Pole after Post Qualifying Technical Checks
The no30 Duqueine Team Oreca-Gibson was due to start from the front of the LMP2 Pro/Am field after Giorgio Roda secure his 11th ELMS LMP2 Pro/Am pole position in 14 attempts since 2024. The Italian kept posting fastest lap after fastest lap as his nearest rivals piled on the pressure. Roda secured his best lap at the chequered flag with a 1m50.386, 0.547s ahead of the no99 AO by TF Oreca of PJ Hyett.
However, in post qualifying scrutineering the car was found to have sealing foam between two body parts in breach of the regulations. The no30 Duqueine Team Oreca was disqualified (Steward's Decision no15) and all times set during the session cancelled. The car will be allowed to start the race at the back of the LMP2 Pro/Am grid..
This promoted the no99 AO by TF to pole position for the 4 Hours of Le Castellet, with the no14 TDS Racing now on the front row after Steven Thomas also put in his best lap on his final attempt. The 1m51.025 lap pushed Jean Glorieux in the no3 DKR Engineering down a place, which is now third. The no19 Rossa Racing by Virage of John Falb will also move up to the second row, with the no47 CLX Motorsport of Georgios Kolovos now 5th for Round 2 of the 2026 European Le Mans Series.
LMP3: Romain Favre Snatches Pole at Chequered Flag for DKR Engineering
The no4 DKR Engineering Ligier-Toyota will start at the head of the LMP3 grid after Romain Favre blitzed his final lap in 1m58.784 to deny Pierre-Alexandre Provost the pole position at the chequered flag. The no85 R-ace GP Duqueine had held the top spot for most of the 15-minute session and looked on course to secure pole position before that final lap by Favre.
The no13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier also leapt up the order to third on the last lap when Henry Cubides Olarte posted a 1m50.149 to finish the session 0.365s behind the pole car. The no68 M Racing Ligier will join the no13 IEC Ligier on Row 2 thanks to a 1m59.179 set by Thomas Imbourg,
LMGT3: Al-Khelaifi Denies TF Sport Pole at the Chequered Flag
The no62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG will start from pole position for the second time in two races when Abdulla Ali Al-Khelaifi took the chequered flag in 2m03.814, 0.071s ahead of the no33 TF Sport Corvette of Blake McDonald after the American had led for most of the session.
Four time 4 Hours of Le Castellet class winner Duncan Cameron claimed the third spot on the grid, his 2m04.421 put the no55 Spirit of Race Ferrari 296 at the head of Row 2 with the no75 Proton Competition Porsche alongside after 4 Hours of Barcelona winner Matt Kurzejewski posted a 2m04.625. The no59 Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin finished in fifth, making it five different manufacturers in the top five for tomorrow’s race.
