Solid qualifying efforts for Cadillac Racing

Earl Bamber recorded a best lap of 3 minutes, 25.170 seconds in the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R on the 8.47-mile (13.629 kilometers) Circuit de la Sarthe course during the scheduled 30-minute Hyperpole session to qualify sixth. Bamber will share the seat with Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook in the grueling race June 10-11.

Sebastien Bourdais had laid down a scintillating 3:24.674 lap with just over 6 minutes remaining to take the provisional P3 spot. However, on the next lap, the No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R encountered a burst high pressure fuel hose that started a brief fire. Bourdais guided the Hypercar to a safe area of the racetrack and he exited the car without assistance, but the incident caused a red flag. His fastest lap was deleted by race stewards. The No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R was credited with the lap of 3:25.521 set in the 18th minute and he qualified eighth.

Cadillac Racing and Dallara engineers and the Chip Ganassi Racing crew are working to prepare the car for the race. The lap times in the eight-car Hyperpole session were the fastest posted by the Cadillac Racing contingent through a test day and free practice sessions.

Bourdais, who will be joined by co-drivers Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon in the race, qualified eighth. The No. 311 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R, co- driven by Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims and Jack Aitken, qualified 12th in the June 7 session.

The No. 50 Ferrari 499P earned the pole with a lap of 3:22.982.

The race will be televised in its entirety on MotorTrend TV and MotorTrend+ in the U.S., on Velocity in Canada, plus Eurosport and discovery+ across Europe. Radio Le Mans will broadcast the race.

Earl Bamber: "I think we had a good car. We didn't really show where we could be. I think we could have been in the top three or four and were on a good lap when the red flag came out and lost it. We have a car with good race pace, and with everything we've talked about all week -- quick, consistent pit stops and the reliability that this car has shown throughout this season -- we'll be in contention for the victory.”

Sebastien Bourdais: "It was a solid effort (on the fastest lap). The car was really good. The first attempt the car really got hampered by traffic. The second one was just the perfect storm. I got out, not a bit of traffic, good prep lap, perfectly hot tires. Managed to do Lap 1 on the pique of the tire and I got an amazing first sector and it was a really solid lap. Then I started losing some time and it went away.”