WEC Fuji: Cadillac locks out entrance row, Aston Martin shines

Cadillac notched up its third front-row lock-out of the season in qualifying for this weekend’s Fuji spherical of the World Endurance Championship.

Alex Lynn headed the occasions in Hyperpole qualifying in Japan from Jota team-mate Earl Bamber, following up on his poles on the Le Mans 24 Hours and Interlagos in June and July respectively.

Lynn set two laps ok for pole within the #12 Cadillac V-Collection.R in the course of the 10-minute last session for the quickest 10 vehicles in opening qualifying.

A 1m28.637s on his first fast lap simply pipped Bamber, who had posted a 1m28.675s within the #38 Jota Caddy.

Each Cadillac drivers tried to enhance their occasions, Lynn knocking off 4 tenths to get right down to a 1m28.236s whereas Bamber went slower by two tenths.

Third place on the grid for Sunday’s Fuji 6 Hours was taken by Marco Sorensen within the #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar.

The Dane had topped the occasions in opening qualifying aboard the The Coronary heart of Racing entry, however might handle solely fifth on his first sizzling lap in Hyperpole.

He was capable of finding a few tenths to enhance to a 1m28.705s to leap as much as better of the remainder behind the Caddys.

Peugeot, which had been on the forefront of the occasions together with Aston by way of free follow, took fourth place courtesy of Mikkel Jensen within the #93 9X8 2024 LMH.

His time of 1m28.716s gave him a margin of greater than a tenth over the 1m28.854s from Sheldon van der Linde that put the #20 WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh fifth.

Antonio Giovinazzi took sixth within the championship-leading #51 AF Corse Ferrari 499P LMH with a 1m28.945s.

Porsche claimed seventh courtesy of a 1m29.031s from Julien Andlauer within the #5 manufacturing facility Penske-run 963 LMDh, which was simply 4 hundredths up on Ryo Hirakawa’s 1m29.071s in the very best of the Toyota GR010 HYBRID LMHs.

Charles Milesi and Robert Kubica rounded out the highest 10 within the #35 Alpine A424 LMDh and the #83 buyer Ferrari run by AF.

Aston and Peugeot solely received one automotive every into Hyperpole regardless of their free follow kind.

Harry Tincknell locked up at Flip 10 on a lap that appeared to be ok to get the #007 Valkyrie by way of into the second qualifying session.

The Briton managed to enhance his time to leap to eleventh forward of Stoffel Vandoorne’s Peugeot, his effort leaving him 0.03s shy of a spot in Hyperpole.

Kevin Estre ended up on the foot of the occasions within the Penske Porsche that gained final day out within the WEC at Austin earlier in September after a lock-up at Flip 1.

Aston Martin on LMGT3 pole

#10 Racing Spirit Of Leman Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3: Anthony McIntosh, Eduardo Barrichello, Valentin Hasse Clot

Picture by: Andreas Beil

Eduardo Barrichello took his second LMGT3 pole place of the season within the Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

The Brazilian, who took high spot in qualifying on dwelling floor at Interlagos in July, jumped to the top of the occasions when he received right down to a 1m39.981s on his last lap.

That pipped Sean Gelael in the very best of the United Autosports McLaren 720S GT3s Evos by simply 0.03s.

Gelael’s 1m40.011s was in flip simply 0.002s forward of Sebastien Baud within the second United McLaren.

The Fuji 6 Hours, the penultimate spherical of the 2025 WEC, begins at 11:00 native time on Sunday.