24 Hours of Le Mans · Hyperpole

Le Mans Hyperpole — Format, Recent Pole Sitters and How It Works

Hyperpole is the half-hour shootout that decides pole at every Le Mans since 2020. It runs separately from standard qualifying, takes only the fastest cars per class, and is the closest thing endurance racing has to F1's Q3 or IndyCar's Fast Six.

What is Hyperpole at Le Mans?

Hyperpole is the second stage of Le Mans qualifying. A standard one-hour qualifying session sets the bulk of the grid; the top eight cars in each class then advance to a separate half-hour Hyperpole shootout that decides pole in each class. The ACO introduced the format for the 2020 race and it's been used at every Le Mans since.

The pole lap is set in Hyperpole, not in standard qualifying. Cars that didn't make Hyperpole are gridded by their standard-qualifying time, behind every car that did make Hyperpole in their class. Hypercars start at the front of the overall grid regardless of lap time, then LMP2, then LMGT3.

Le Mans Hyperpole sitters since 2020

Top-class pole sitters since the Hyperpole format was introduced. Each row cross-checked against the corresponding Wikipedia race page.

Le Mans Hyperpole top-class pole sitters since 2020
Year	Pole sitter	Crew	Lap
2025Hypercar	Alex LynnNo. 12 Cadillac V-Series.RHertz Team Jota First American car on Le Mans pole since 1967. Lynn set the fastest Hyperpole lap; Stevens took the race start.	Will Stevens, Norman NatoFirst American car on Le Mans pole since 1967. Lynn set the fastest Hyperpole lap; Stevens took the race start.	3:23.166
2024Hypercar	Kévin EstreNo. 6 Porsche 963Porsche Penske Motorsport Estre achieved the fastest overall lap time in Hyperpole; Vanthoor took the race start.	André Lotterer, Laurens VanthoorEstre achieved the fastest overall lap time in Hyperpole; Vanthoor took the race start.	—
2023Hypercar	Antonio FuocoNo. 50 Ferrari 499PFerrari AF Corse Ferrari's first Le Mans pole since 1973, in the marque's first race back at the top class. The sister #51 Ferrari went on to win overall.	Miguel Molina, Nicklas NielsenFerrari's first Le Mans pole since 1973, in the marque's first race back at the top class. The sister #51 Ferrari went on to win overall.	3:22.982
2022Hypercar	Brendon HartleyNo. 8 Toyota GR010 HybridToyota Gazoo Racing The #8 crew converted Hyperpole into the overall race win, leading 274 of 380 laps.	Sébastien Buemi, Ryō HirakawaThe #8 crew converted Hyperpole into the overall race win, leading 274 of 380 laps.	—
2021Hypercar	Kamui KobayashiNo. 7 Toyota GR010 HybridToyota Gazoo Racing First Hyperpole of the Hypercar era; the trio also won the race.	Mike Conway, José María LópezFirst Hyperpole of the Hypercar era; the trio also won the race.	—
2020LMP1	Kamui KobayashiNo. 7 Toyota TS050 HybridToyota Gazoo Racing First-ever Le Mans Hyperpole. Held behind closed doors due to COVID-19.	Mike Conway, José María LópezFirst-ever Le Mans Hyperpole. Held behind closed doors due to COVID-19.	—

Pole-lap times are quoted only where the corresponding Wikipedia race page explicitly attributes the time to the Hyperpole session. Pre-2023 sessions are listed without times pending verification.

How Hyperpole has evolved

The shootout structure is the same; the field size has grown alongside the Hypercar grids.

2023–present
Top 8 per class
The top eight cars in each class from the standard one-hour qualifying session advance to a half-hour Hyperpole shootout that decides pole in each class. Cars not in Hyperpole are gridded by their standard-qualifying time. Hypercar starts at the front of the grid regardless of overall lap time, followed by LMP2, then LMGT3 (formerly LMGTE Pro + Am).
2020–2022
Top 6 per class
The original Hyperpole format: top six cars per class advanced to a half-hour shootout. Same grid-stacking rules — Hypercar / LMP1 at the front, then LMP2, then LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am at the back.

Notable Hyperpole records

Headline moments since the format started. Each entry tied directly to a Wikipedia race-page narrative.

First American car on Le Mans pole since 1967
No. 12 Cadillac V-Series.R, Hertz Team Jota
2025
Alex Lynn's 3:23.166 Hyperpole lap put an American car on the front of the Le Mans grid for the first time since the Ford era of the late 1960s. The race itself was won by Ferrari, but the Cadillac's pole was the headline storyline of the weekend.
Ferrari’s first Le Mans pole since 1973
No. 50 Ferrari 499P, Ferrari AF Corse
2023
Antonio Fuoco's 3:22.982 in Hyperpole was Ferrari's first Le Mans pole since 1973 and ended Toyota's streak of six consecutive Le Mans poles going back to 2017. Set in the marque's first race back at the top class.
First-ever Hyperpole pole
No. 7 Toyota TS050 Hybrid, Toyota Gazoo Racing
2020
Kamui Kobayashi took the inaugural Hyperpole in 2020, the same year Le Mans was held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Toyota crew didn't convert pole to a win — that was the year mechanical issues dropped the #7 to fourth in class.

How Hyperpole compares to other qualifying formats

Hyperpole is closer to NASCAR's pole round or IndyCar's Fast Six than to F1's Q1-Q2-Q3 knockout. Side-by-side here.

Comparison of qualifying formats across major racing series
Series	Format	Detail
24 Hours of Le Mans / FIA WEC	Standard qualifying + Hyperpole shootout per classOne-hour session sets the bulk of the grid. Top 8 per class advance to a half-hour Hyperpole shootout that decides each class pole. Hypercars start at the front of the overall grid regardless of lap time.	One-hour session sets the bulk of the grid. Top 8 per class advance to a half-hour Hyperpole shootout that decides each class pole. Hypercars start at the front of the overall grid regardless of lap time.
Formula 1	Three-stage knockout (Q1 → Q2 → Q3)Slowest five drivers eliminated after Q1 (~18 min); next five after Q2 (~15 min); fastest ten contest Q3 (~12 min) for pole. Set lap times in all three sessions on aggregate; no single decisive shootout lap.	Slowest five drivers eliminated after Q1 (~18 min); next five after Q2 (~15 min); fastest ten contest Q3 (~12 min) for pole. Set lap times in all three sessions on aggregate; no single decisive shootout lap.
NTT INDYCAR Series (non-Indy 500)	Three-round qualifying for road / street coursesTwo groups in round 1; fastest six per group advance to round 2 (12 cars); fastest six from round 2 contest the "Firestone Fast Six" pole shootout. The closest direct parallel to Hyperpole in motorsport.	Two groups in round 1; fastest six per group advance to round 2 (12 cars); fastest six from round 2 contest the "Firestone Fast Six" pole shootout. The closest direct parallel to Hyperpole in motorsport.
NASCAR Cup Series	Two-round single-lap qualifyingRound 1: all cars set one lap. Top 10 (or 12 depending on track) advance to round 2 — a single-lap shootout for pole. Single-shot pole lap is the same philosophy as Hyperpole, applied across a 36-car field rather than per class.	Round 1: all cars set one lap. Top 10 (or 12 depending on track) advance to round 2 — a single-lap shootout for pole. Single-shot pole lap is the same philosophy as Hyperpole, applied across a 36-car field rather than per class.
24 Hours of Daytona (IMSA)	Single 15-minute session per classEach IMSA class qualifies separately in a 15-minute session. No Hyperpole-style shootout — pole is whoever sets the fastest lap in their class window. IMSA has discussed adopting a Hyperpole equivalent but has not committed publicly.	Each IMSA class qualifies separately in a 15-minute session. No Hyperpole-style shootout — pole is whoever sets the fastest lap in their class window. IMSA has discussed adopting a Hyperpole equivalent but has not committed publicly.

Does pole at Le Mans matter?

Pole is a points-and-prestige line for the manufacturer programme and a meaningful marketing moment. Modern Hypercar seasons award championship points for Hyperpole, so the pole sitter walks away with WEC standings progress before the race even starts.

Whether it predicts the race win is a separate question. A 24-hour race produces too many variables — weather, strategy, mechanical reliability, traffic in mixed-class running — for a single qualifying lap to mean as much as it does in a 90-minute sprint. Of the six Hyperpoles run so far, only two converted to an overall win (Toyota 2021, Toyota 2022); Ferrari, Porsche and Cadillac each took pole in years when the trophy went to a different car.

Hyperpole FAQ

What is Hyperpole at Le Mans?

Hyperpole is the second stage of Le Mans qualifying. After a one-hour standard qualifying session sets the bulk of the grid, the top eight cars per class advance to a half-hour Hyperpole shootout that decides pole in each class. The format was introduced for the 2020 race and has been used at every Le Mans since, plus several other FIA World Endurance Championship rounds.

Who is on pole at Le Mans?

The most recent Le Mans pole was set by Alex Lynn in the No. 12 Cadillac V-Series.R for Hertz Team Jota at the 2025 race with a 3:23.166 lap. Full year-by-year pole sitters are in the table above.

How does Hyperpole differ from F1 qualifying?

Hyperpole is a single half-hour shootout for the top cars in each class — closer to NASCAR's pole round or IndyCar's Firestone Fast Six than to F1's three-stage Q1-Q2-Q3 knockout. F1 eliminates five drivers after each stage; Hyperpole simply lifts the fastest few from each Le Mans class into a separate session, with everyone else gridded by their standard-qualifying time. Hypercars start at the front of the overall grid regardless of lap time, then LMP2, then LMGT3.

When did Hyperpole start?

The first Le Mans Hyperpole was run in 2020 — the year the race was held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kamui Kobayashi set the inaugural Hyperpole lap in the No. 7 Toyota TS050 Hybrid. The format has been used every year since.

How many cars are in Hyperpole?

Since 2023, the top eight cars in each class advance to Hyperpole — so 24 cars across Hypercar, LMP2 and LMGT3. In the original 2020–2022 format, only the top six per class advanced, so 18 cars contested the shootout. The change reflected the larger Hypercar grids that arrived with the LMDh and LMH manufacturer programmes.

Does the pole sitter usually win Le Mans?

Pole doesn't predict the race winner at Le Mans the way it does at sprint races. Recent examples: Ferrari took pole in 2023 with the No. 50 — but the sister No. 51 won the race; Porsche took pole in 2024 — Ferrari won; Cadillac took pole in 2025 — Ferrari won again. The 2022 and 2021 Toyota poles did convert to overall wins, but those were outlier results. A 24-hour race produces too many variables for a single qualifying lap to predict the outcome.

Is Hyperpole used at other races?

The Hyperpole format has spread across the FIA World Endurance Championship since 2023 and is now the WEC's series-standard qualifying format. The Rolex 24 at Daytona (IMSA) does not use it — IMSA runs separate short qualifying sessions per class. There is no equivalent at the Indy 500, which uses its own qualifying weekend format with the Top 12 / Fast Six and Bump Day.

More from the Le Mans hub

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What is Hyperpole at Le Mans?

Year

Pole sitter

Lap

2025Hypercar

Alex LynnNo. 12 Cadillac V-Series.RHertz Team Jota

First American car on Le Mans pole since 1967. Lynn set the fastest Hyperpole lap; Stevens took the race start.

3:23.166

2024Hypercar

Kévin EstreNo. 6 Porsche 963Porsche Penske Motorsport

Estre achieved the fastest overall lap time in Hyperpole; Vanthoor took the race start.

—

2023Hypercar

Antonio FuocoNo. 50 Ferrari 499PFerrari AF Corse

Ferrari's first Le Mans pole since 1973, in the marque's first race back at the top class. The sister #51 Ferrari went on to win overall.

3:22.982

2022Hypercar

Brendon HartleyNo. 8 Toyota GR010 HybridToyota Gazoo Racing

The #8 crew converted Hyperpole into the overall race win, leading 274 of 380 laps.

—

2021Hypercar

Kamui KobayashiNo. 7 Toyota GR010 HybridToyota Gazoo Racing

First Hyperpole of the Hypercar era; the trio also won the race.

—

2020LMP1

Kamui KobayashiNo. 7 Toyota TS050 HybridToyota Gazoo Racing

First-ever Le Mans Hyperpole. Held behind closed doors due to COVID-19.

—

Series

Format

24 Hours of Le Mans / FIA WEC

Standard qualifying + Hyperpole shootout per classOne-hour session sets the bulk of the grid. Top 8 per class advance to a half-hour Hyperpole shootout that decides each class pole. Hypercars start at the front of the overall grid regardless of lap time.

Formula 1

Three-stage knockout (Q1 → Q2 → Q3)Slowest five drivers eliminated after Q1 (~18 min); next five after Q2 (~15 min); fastest ten contest Q3 (~12 min) for pole. Set lap times in all three sessions on aggregate; no single decisive shootout lap.

NTT INDYCAR Series (non-Indy 500)

Three-round qualifying for road / street coursesTwo groups in round 1; fastest six per group advance to round 2 (12 cars); fastest six from round 2 contest the "Firestone Fast Six" pole shootout. The closest direct parallel to Hyperpole in motorsport.

NASCAR Cup Series

Two-round single-lap qualifyingRound 1: all cars set one lap. Top 10 (or 12 depending on track) advance to round 2 — a single-lap shootout for pole. Single-shot pole lap is the same philosophy as Hyperpole, applied across a 36-car field rather than per class.

24 Hours of Daytona (IMSA)

Single 15-minute session per classEach IMSA class qualifies separately in a 15-minute session. No Hyperpole-style shootout — pole is whoever sets the fastest lap in their class window. IMSA has discussed adopting a Hyperpole equivalent but has not committed publicly.

Does pole at Le Mans matter?

Hyperpole FAQ

What is Hyperpole at Le Mans?

Who is on pole at Le Mans?

The most recent Le Mans pole was set by Alex Lynn in the No. 12 Cadillac V-Series.R for Hertz Team Jota at the 2025 race with a 3:23.166 lap. Full year-by-year pole sitters are in the table above.

How does Hyperpole differ from F1 qualifying?

When did Hyperpole start?

How many cars are in Hyperpole?

Does the pole sitter usually win Le Mans?

Is Hyperpole used at other races?