The ACO has announced changes to the qualifying format for the Le Mans 24 Hours, which will debut in the 2025 edition next June.
The new system features a new-look Hyperpole shootout, which will be split into two parts, with more cars taking part than before.
On Wednesday, June 11, the LMP2 and LMGT3 teams will take to the track for a 30-minute qualifying session. The top 12 in each class will go through to the Hyperpole session the following day, which decides the top slots on the starting grid in both classes.
The Hypercar session will take place shortly afterwards, with the top 15 prototypes set to advance through to Hyperpole.
Then on Thursday, June 12, there will be a pair of Hyperpole sessions for LMGT3 and LMP2, and a pair for Hypercar.
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The 24 LMGT3 and LMP2 cars that progressed through to Hyperpole will head to the circuit for a 20-minute session and do battle to make it into the top eight. The top eight will then go through to the second session, which will last 15 minutes and decide who will claim the class pole positions.
It’s a similar format for Hypercar, with the top 15 cars vying for spots in a 15-minute top-10 shootout to decide which car will lead the field across the start/finish line two days later on Saturday.
Previously, Hyperpole was a single session, with only the fastest eight cars from each class in qualifying making the cut.
The news of this new qualifying system was released along with confirmation that the support bill for the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours will feature races from Ford’s Mustang Challenge, the Ligier European Series, Le Mans Cup and Porsche Sprint Challenge.