In a qualifying session that was interrupted early on by a red flag Andre Lotterer and Neel Jani set a combined average lap of 1m54.097s to secure pole position for the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, with reigning world champion Jani setting the fastest lap of 1m53.756.

The three Toyotas will line up behind the no1 Porsche 919 with the no7 TS050 of Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi leading their teammates. 

The session was interrupted when Vitaly Petrov crashed into the tyre wall on the exit of Turn 9 in the no25 CEFC Manor TRS Oreca-Gibson and took now further part in the session.  With 21 minutes still on the clock qualifying resumed uninterrupted until the chequered flag.

The LMP2 pole was claimed by the no26 G Drive Racing Oreca with Alex Lynn and Pierre Thiriet setting a combined time of 2m02.601, just 0.023 seconds ahead of the no36 Signatech Alpine A470-Gibson of Matt Rao and Gustavo Menezes, with the no35 Alpine-Gibson in third place just 0.005s behind their teammates. With the fourth placed no24 CEFC Manor TRS Racing Oreca setting a 2m02.632 lap, the top four LMP2 cars were split by an incredible 0.031 seconds.

Ferrari and Aston Martin Take GTE Class Poles at Spa

Sam Bird and Davide Rigon claimed their first pole of 2017 with an average time of 2m15.026s on the 7km Spa-Francorchamps track.  Rigon, who set the fastest overall time in LMGTE with a 2m14.938, will start the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps ahead of the two Ford Chip Ganassi Team UK Ford GTs, with the no66 Ford of Olivier Pla and Stefan Mucke finishing with a combined time of 2m15.418, four tenths behind the leading Ferrari and 0.147 ahead of Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell in the no67 car. 

The second AF Corse Ferrari was fourth ahead of the two Porsche 911s and the two Aston Martin Vantages.

In LMGTE Am Pedro Lamy made a flying last lap to moved the no98 Aston Martin Racing Vantage from third to pole position as the chequered flag was waved.  The Portuguese driver had lost his best early lap due to abuse of track limits and Paul Dalla Lana handed the car back to Lamy with fresh tyres to put the car on pole.

The 2m18.659 lap was four tenths ahead of the no77 Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche of Matteo Cairoli and Christian Ried with the no54 Spirit of Race Ferrari F488 of Miguel Molina and Thomas Flohr in third.

The WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps is due to begin at 14h30 tomorrow, Saturday 6 May.