FIA WEC Fuji: Cadillac’s Lynn Claims First WEC Pole as Ferrari Shines in LMGT3.

In a dramatic conclusion to the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) qualifying at Fuji, Cadillac Racing’s Alex Lynn clinched the team’s inaugural pole position, narrowly beating Toyota by a mere 0.041 seconds. Lynn’s performance not only secured a historic first for Cadillac but also denied Toyota a home advantage in what promises to be a thrilling 6 Hours of Fuji.

Lynn, driving the #2 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R Hypercar alongside Earl Bamber, displayed exceptional skill in the final moments of the Hypercar qualifying session. After setting a strong pace earlier in the session, Lynn surged to the top of the timesheets with just one minute remaining, a crucial lap that delivered redemption for the American squad following their near-miss at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“It feels so good,” Lynn said, reflecting on his achievement. “Honestly, we’ve been trying so hard all year. This car is amazing over one lap. Massive congratulations to Cadillac. I really wanted to give the team a pole position. We’ve come so close so many times, and I’m so proud to have finally done it. WEC is in an amazing place right now – every session is filled with drama and jeopardy, which is what we all love!”

For much of the ten-minute Hyperpole shootout, Toyota’s home drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Ryo Hirakawa appeared poised to take the top spot. However, Lynn’s late surge meant they will start the race from second and fourth positions, respectively. Dries Vanthoor of BMW M Team WRT secured third place, with the #7 Toyota GR010 Hypercar taking fourth, followed by Kévin Estre in the leading Porsche Penske Motorsport car in fifth. Charles Milesi rounded out the top six, continuing Alpine’s strong form.

Antonio Fuoco placed seventh in Ferrari’s #50 499P Hypercar, while Matt Campbell’s second Porsche Penske Motorsport entry took eighth. Lamborghini Iron Lynx’s Daniil Kvyat and Proton Competition’s Julian Andlauer completed the top ten. Notable early casualties included Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Kubica in the #51 and #83 Ferrari AF Corse entries, who missed out on Hyperpole by minimal margins and will start from 12th and 13th, respectively.

In the LMGT3 category, François Heriau delivered a standout performance for Ferrari AF Corse, securing the pole position in the #55 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3. Heriau’s two quick laps outpaced Tom Van Rompuy by 0.178 seconds. “The two last laps of the Hyperpole session felt really good,” Heriau commented. “I pushed to the maximum and I’m really glad I was able to capture this pole position today.”

Sarah Bovy in the Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan secured third, with TF Sport’s Hiroshi Koizumi placing fourth, marking a notable achievement for the American team. In a surprising turn, neither of the Manthey Porsche entries reached the top ten, with Aliaksandr Malykhin and Yasser Shahin finishing in 14th and 15th, respectively. Team WRT BMW’s Darren Leung also struggled, ending up in 16th, leaving Ian James of Heart of Racing Team’s Aston Martin as the highest-placed title contender.

As anticipation builds for the 6 Hours of Fuji, which kicks off at 11:00 local time (04:00 CEST) on Sunday, the stage is set for an exhilarating race. With Cadillac making history and Ferrari asserting dominance in LMGT3, fans are in for a thrilling weekend of endurance racing.