Hyperpole is no guarantee of success at Le Mans. Over 24 hours, too much can happen for that. But Thursday night’s sessions still offered valuable clues. Some manufacturers left with renewed confidence. Others were left searching for answers.
From BMW’s historic pole position to Toyota’s early setback, here are the winners and losers from Hyperpole at the 2026 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Winner – BMW
For years, BMW’s return to top-flight endurance racing has been measured in small steps. But after its one-two finish at Spa, expectations were high for the German manufacturer.
Then Dries Vanthoor arrived and rewrote a small piece of the marque’s Le Mans history. BMW had never started the 24 Hours from pole position. Until now.
Even if the final reshuffle owed something to Cadillac’s deleted lap, reducing this achievement to administrative fortune would miss the point entirely. The #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 had the pace all week. Vanthoor delivered when it mattered. Robin Frijns backed it up with fourth on the grid.
“To have now secured BMW M Motorsport’s first ever pole position at Le Mans is simply fantastic!” admitted Head of BMW M Motorsport Andreas Roos. “We’ll relish seeing our BMW M Hybrid V8 right at the front of the grid on Saturday, but now we’re focusing fully on race preparation.”
The timing could hardly be better. Fresh from its breakthrough victory at Spa-Francorchamps, BMW M Team WRT heads into the race carrying the kind of confidence that had been missing during the programme’s early years.
Loser – Cadillac
Jack Aitken had done everything right. The lap itself was exceptional. For several minutes, Cadillac held Le Mans pole position. Then came the deletion.
A procedural infringement (Leaving the working lane to join the fast lane before the RD instructions) stripped the #38 of its reward, turning celebration into frustration. Yet there was perspective in Aitken’s response.
“It does show that we had fantastic pace to be quickest, third quickest and three Cadillacs all in the Hyperpole 2. The car felt really, really strong.”
The speed was undeniable. If anything, Thursday confirmed that Cadillac possesses something arguably more valuable than pole position: genuine race-winning potential. And that was not the case last year, when the two V-Series.Rs had locked out the front row of the grid.
Winner – Alpine
Alpine arrived carrying expectation. It left Hyperpole with confirmation. Charles Milesi topped Hyperpole 1 before the French manufacturer secured third on the grid, validating the progress of a programme that has sometimes had to learn in public.
Had Charles Milesi’s time been recorded in Hyperpole 2, the #35 Alpine A424 would have secured a front-row start.
“The practice sessions allowed us to move forward despite some challenging conditions at times.” Milesi said. “Qualifying went well, and third place is a positive result. I’m sure we have the pace to be in contention if we put in a clean race.”
At home, under the scrutiny that inevitably follows a French brand at Le Mans, Alpine delivered composure.
Loser – Toyota
Le Mans teaches humility better than anywhere else. Toyota knows that lesson intimately. Five victories have not insulated it from difficult Thursdays. Neither TR010 Hybrid reached Hyperpole 2.
“It hasn’t been a good day to be honest.” admitted Sébastien Buemi. “It was unfortunate for Ryō in Hyperpole because I think he had the potential to do a quicker lap, but he was blocked on his last flying lap. It’s not ideal to be starting so far back but we will stay focused and do our best in the race.”
Would Toyota still be among Sunday’s favourites? Had you asked that question 24 hours ago, the answer would probably have been yes. Tonight, we are far less certain.
Winner – Genesis
The newcomer continued its remarkable debut by placing both GMR-001 into Hyperpole 2, even after the engine problem suffered by the #19 car. More impressive still was the pace itself. Mathys Jaubert put the #17 third in Hyperpole 1, just 0.108s shy of Charles Milesi’s benchmark, while the sister car also progressed comfortably to the final session.
The story didn’t end there. The #19 went on to secure sixth on the grid, ahead of Aston Martin and Ferrari, underlining the competitiveness of a project still taking its first steps on endurance racing’s biggest stage.
Genesis arrived at Le Mans hoping to learn. It may have discovered something far more encouraging: that it already belongs in the conversation.
Loser – Ferrari
Twelve months ago, Ferrari left Le Mans with another trophy. This time, Hyperpole exposed unfamiliar vulnerability.
Only the #51 advanced to the final session, eventually classified eighth after post-session revisions. The #50 failed to progress. The defending winners in the yellow #83 AF Corse entry were left seventeenth yesterday.
None of this erases Ferrari’s credentials over 24 hours. Last year, only one Ferrari 499P reached Hyperpole 2. We all know how that story ended…
Winner – Forestier Racing by Panis Racing
Esteban Masson produced one of the standout laps of Thursday evening in LMP2, placing Forestier Racing by Panis Racing at the top of the timesheets before a penalty reshuffled the order.
Officially, the team will not start from pole position because of a penalty it received during free practice. On a circuit where experience often proves decisive, the Toyota junior put together a lap that combined commitment with remarkable composure. He had everyone covered when it mattered most.
Instead, it will be the IDEC Sport Oreca 07 #28 that leads the LMP2 field away on Saturday, courtesy of an excellent effort from Job van Uitert.
But beyond the frustration, Hyperpole confirmed something equally important: this crew has both the pace and the confidence to fight at the front over 24 hours. Pole position slipped away. The impression they left behind did not.
Winner – Mattia Drudi
Consistency rarely commands headlines. At Le Mans, perhaps it should. Mattia Drudi claimed a second consecutive LMGT3 pole position, repeating a feat that owed nothing to circumstance and everything to execution.
This time, though, Drudi operated in a different league. The Italian put about a second between himself and the rest of the field, led by compatriot Alessio Rovera in the #21 Ferrari 296 LMGT3.
The hard part begins now. Over 24 hours, pole position means little without consistency, reliability and restraint. Yet with four manufacturers occupying the top five places on the grid, LMGT3 appears as open – and as fascinating – as ever.