The number 7 Toyota TS050 of Jose Maria lopez, Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway have taken pole for the 6 Hours of Nurburgring, but not before being pushed into a potentially strategic error by Porsche for Sunday’s race.
Qualifying for LMP halted momentarily and the leading Porsche and Toyota in pit-lane decided to play a bit of ‘after you sir’ before being told to politely get on with proceedings by a dogmatic pit lane marshal.
Kazuki Nakajima was quick out of the blocks but would be penalised for breaching track limits. To make matters worse, the number 8 Toyota would have a heart in mouth moment after being weaved in front of by an unaware Nelson Panciatici in the number 35 Signatech Alpine LMP2.
Amid the drama, Jose Maria Lopez would jump into top spot
in the number 7 Toyota
TS050 with a 1:38.083,
exorcising the demons from his
average start to the WEC season. Timo Bernard and Andre Lotterer filled 2nd and 3rd positions respectively despite Lotterer setting the quickest time of 1:37.886.
Predictably, Neel Jani would slot into the number 1 Porsche to elevate Porsche’s average time and potentially usurp Toyota from the top spot.
As it turned out, Porsche would abandon their pursuit of pole, but their intent was enough to force Toyota’s hand and crucially put a new set of tyres through a heat cycle – potentially handing Porsche an advantage in the race.
The number 26 G-Drive entry of Pierre Thiriet was doing the business in LMP2 ahead of Oliver Jarvis in the Mighty #38 Jackie DC Racing entry and the number 13
Rebellion entry
of David Heinemeier Hansson.
Matt Griffin was the first man to do a flying lap in GT but not the first to run wide this weekend in the series of fast left and right handers. Griffin would have two consecutive laps stricken for the record for breaking track limits while Andy Priaulx was the first to get caught out under brakes in the number 67 Ford.
Michael Christensen slotted in a banker early in the number 62 Porsche to head the timesheets in GTE Pro and was only prevented from securing a 1-2 for Porsche by the Aston Martin of Nicki Thiim.
Pedro Lamy was controlling GTE Am for Aston Martin ahead of the Dempsey Proton Porsche of Christian Ried and Thomas Flohr in the number 54 Clearwater Ferrari - The Am order undoubtedly affected by Griffin losing the best of his tyres whilst running wide on his opening flying laps.
Images: FIA WEC/Adrenal Media