ILMC

Peugeot Sport Total pole position at Imola

© Dailysportscar – Peter May

Peugeot Sport Total and TDS Racing will be starting from pole positions in the LMP1 and LMP2. The Peugeot 908 and Oreca 03 Nissan were the fastest cars in the respective classes during the LMP Qualifying Session at the Imola circuit this afternoon.

Right at the start of the LMP qualifying session the two Audi R18 TDI and the #7 Peugeot 908 went out on the track for their qualifying runs and right from the word ‘Go’ the two Audi’s were on the pace. A quick McNish was followed around by an even quicker Marcel Fässler, who set the fastest lap on his first flying lap, a 1:33.274.

Behind the Audi’s and the Peugeots the LMP2 cars quickly followed each other, but it was the Boutsen Energy Racing Oreca 03 Nissan of Dominik Kraihamer who set the first sub 1:40 lap time, 1:38.555.

On the second flying lap Fässler was unable to improve, but it was the Peugeot 908 of Anthony Davidson that went through taking provisional pole after the Briton set a 1:33.026, followed by Allan McNish in 1:32.974!

Mathias Beche then improved the LMP2 provisional pole time after setting a 1:37.670 and followed that with more faster laps.

At the front Marcel Fässler got back to the front after setting a 1:32.354 on his third flying lap, but with ten minutes left in the session there were still a lot of laps to be completed.

On his seventh lap around the track Anthony Davidson improved to 1:31.736 and with the Audi drivers getting out of their cars it became clear that Peugeot would take pole position for the 6 Hours of Imola. Sarrazin was unable to move into second position, which meant the #1 Audi R18 TDI remained in second position.

After the four diesels it was the #15 OAK Racing Pescarolo-Judd of Pierre Ragues and Guillaume Moreau, which beat the two Rebellion Racing cars – running new bodywork here at Imola. Pescarolo Team finished the session in eighth place and returning to the pit with a very slow car.

Behind them the TDS Racing and Boutsen Energy Racing cars went quicker in LMP2, but Mathias Beche stayed out in front and took the LMP2 pole position for TDS Racing. Nissan secured four out of the first five spots on the LMP2 grid, with Boutsen Energy Racing taking second, Signatech Nissan third and Greaves Motorsport in fifth place.