Toyota have claimed pole position for the Le Mans 24-Hour race this weekend ahead of Porsche and Audi. Photo / Supplied
An intense battle for the front row of the 24 Hours of Le Mans has swung between New Zealand driver Brendon Hartley and race favourites Toyota overnight with the Japanese manufacturer emerging on pole.
Seldom has qualifying for the epic endurance race been so closely fought.
Kiwi Brendon Hartley took
provisional pole with fastest time in the first qualifying session at Le Mans, but his time of 3:23.157 was toppled by the Toyota team late in the second session when former Formula One driver Kazuki Nakajima, who shares the No. 7 car with double Le Mans winner Alex Wurz and Stephane Sarrazin, put in a 3:22.589.
Nakajima beat his own time by almost a second in the early stages of the third and final qualifying session and was never threatened.
Most of the action came in the early part of the session before darkness set in, with Nakajima the only driver able to get under the 3m22s bracket with a 3m21.789s.
"Pole is important and to start from pole position - even though it is 24 hours - is great," said Nakajima.
