Kazuki Nakajima set the fastest time aboard the #8 Toyota in the first of three qualifying sessions ahead of the world-famous Le Mans 24 Hours, pipping the sister #7 Toyota by just a tenth of a second.
With inclement weather highly likely to hit the La Sarthe area for the two final sessions, times from the first qualifying period could be crucial in how the grid is set for the legendary event.
Numerous teams hit the track early on to try and make the most of the conditions as daylight was fading fast and the track ideally rubbered in after a lengthy practice session prior to qualifying.
Both Toyotas set banker laps in the opening minutes of the session in order to secure a time in case further issues reared up during the evenings' dry session. Nakajima in the #8 Toyota along with Sebastien Buemi and Fernando Alonso set a 3:17:270 with compatriot Kamui Kobayashi in the sister car just 0.107s behind.
Stephane Sarrazin in the #17 SMP Racing car was the first of the privateer cars in the LMP1 class, 2.2 seconds behind the factory Toyotas, showing the gulf in pace between the non-hybrid and hybrid classes despite the ACO trying equal out the technology balance between the cars.
The two Rebellion R-13 cars came very close the #17 car only to miss out on the third spot by a couple of tenths to occupy fourth and fifth on the grid, the other LMP1 cars appear to be well off the pace, especially the two Ginetta cars run by Manor Racing.
2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button in the #11 SMP Racing was able to complete his mandatory three-night laps during the qualifying session to be able to enter the legendary endurance event.
Memo Rojas topped the LMP2 class in the #48 IDEC Sport pipping the #28 TDS Racing Oreca of Loic Duval by just under three-tenths of a second with a 3.24.956. Duval was one of the drivers able to set a lap before the spin of the #91 GTEPro Porsche of Gianmaria Bruni early in the session.
Jean-Eric Vergne made quick work of swapping from racing Formula E machinery just four days ago in Zurich to jump into his LMP2 in the #26 G-Drive Racing Oreca to round out the top three with the Oreca chassis also occupying the top five positions in the class.
Porsche run wild in GTE
In GTEPro, The retro liveried Rothmans-liveried Porsche 911 RSR of Bruni was one of the cars which hit the track early on in the session, he was able to set the pace in class on just his second lap with a 3.47.504 which was the eventual provisional pole time despite his off-track excursion which eventually led to the car being taken back to the garage after the car could not be restarted.
Michael Christensen in the sister #92 Porsche also painted with the classic 'Pink Pig' livery, could only get within 1.593 seconds of #91 car to take the front row in class, narrowly beat the #66 Ganassi run Ford GT of Oliver Pla by less than a tenth in the process.
Dirk Muller made it an all-Ford second row with the #68 car ahead of #51 AF Corse-run Ferrari of Alessandro Pier Guidi.
After struggling for pace in practice, BMW improved in qualifying and was able to move up to ninth in the class with Antonio Felix Da Costa at the wheel of the #82 M8.
Despite a boost in performance after a shift in BoP for the Aston Martin team with their all-new Vantage GTEs, both cars ended the session in 16th and 17th place, five seconds off the pace of Bruni's leading pace.
The Dempsey-Proton run Porsches also ran at the top of the GTEAm class with Italian Matteo Cairoli in the #88 car, 1.202 seconds behind was the sister car of Matt Campbell and the #86 Gulf Racing car of Ben Barker made it Porsche 1-2-3 in class.
Former F1 star Giancarlo Fisichella rounded out the second row in class in the #54 Spirit of Race run Ferrari 488.
