The starting grid for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans has been set, and BMW can celebrate the best starting position. Dries Vanthoor initially secured second place for the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the decisive Hyperpole session, but was subsequently promoted to pole position.
The turnaround came with a penalty for the Cadillac driven by Jack Aitken. The Briton had initially set the fastest lap of the evening, but lost his best time due to a violation when leaving the pit lane. As a result, BMW inherited pole position and celebrated the brand's first Le Mans pole in the current Hypercar era.
Behind the leading BMW, a Cadillac completed the front starting row. Alpine confirmed its strong form with third place on the grid, while another BMW vehicle finished in fourth. Genesis also caused a stir, making it into the front rows with a convincing performance in its Le Mans debut.
Striking is the image at the top of the Hypercar class: the first six cars on the grid all come from the LMDh category. In contrast, several LMH competitors already struggled in the first Hyperpole session and failed to advance to the final decision.
In the LMP2 class, Forestier Racing by Panis secured pole position, significantly beating last year's record. In the LMGT3 vehicles, Aston Martin driver Mattia Drudi once again clinched the top spot, marking his second consecutive pole in his class.
The prerequisites for the 24 Hours of Le Mans promise an exciting race on the Circuit de la Sarthe, with several manufacturers having realistic chances of top positions.