With only four points separating it from the lead of the manufacturers’ standings, the team continues to fight to win a sixth consecutive title, and a tight qualifying for the sixth round of the 2024 season promises an intense battle for honours in Sunday’s race.

The #7 GR010 HYBRID of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries will start from ninth on the grid, while Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa will line up 12th.

An extensive free practice programme concluded earlier in the day with an extremely close third session, when the top five – including both GR010 HYBRIDs – ended the hour’s running with best laps separated by just 0.072secs. That set the scene for an exciting qualifying, which took place in intense mid-afternoon heat.

With temperatures hitting 33°C, Kamui and Sébastien took on the responsibility of qualifying their respective cars, targeting a top-10 result to reach the Hyperpole session, when the leading grid positions would be decided.

Both drivers set two flying laps each on new medium compound Michelin tyres. They improved on their second run, with Kamui going over a second quicker than his initial effort to take eighth and progress to Hyperpole. Sébastien only improved by a fraction and was eliminated, with the #8 in 12th.

The #7 therefore lined up as the only GR010 HYBRID in Hyperpole. Kamui initially set the pace with his first flying lap before his rivals improved, and he looked on course to go even faster until a slower final sector on his second effort saw him drop to ninth, 0.561secs off pole.

Despite a disappointing result, the team remains determined to score significant points, using its experience and team spirit to take on the challenge of strong Hypercar competition and the hot Texan conditions. The seventh Lone Star Le Mans race starts at 1pm (8pm CEST) on Sunday.

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7):

“Ninth is obviously not what we wanted from qualifying. We tried to do our best, but it was not enough, and the race will be a lot harder for us now, but that’s how it is. It was a very tight session and everyone in the team did a good job, but it was just not enough. We will do a long debrief to prepare ourselves for the race and hopefully we will move into a better position. Of course, our aim is to win the World Championship so we will do out best and we will never give up.”

Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8):

“It is a bit disappointing to be 12th in our car and ninth with car #7. We were hoping for better. There were a couple of mistakes from my side in the lap and I think I could have got into Hyperpole without that. But we will do the best we can in the race. It is going to be long, hot race and we will try to put a good strategy together, hopefully have strong reliability and fight for good points.”