Bourdais denies celebrating Le Mans pole prematurely

Thursday’s decisive qualifying session, gathering the highest eight vehicles from every class, was interrupted with just below eight minutes remaining on the clock, as a result of Dries Vanthoor crashing out on the wheel of the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 at Indianapolis nook.

At the moment, Sebastien Bourdais had provisionally set the quickest time with the #3 Cadillac V-Sequence.R, a 3m24.816s.

Throughout the crimson flag, seconds earlier than the session was restarted, members of the Chip Ganassi-run manufacturing unit staff – which often operates the automobile within the IMSA Sportscar Championship – had been seen celebrating round their driver, whose father Patrick regarded notably elated.

Patrick Bourdais with Cadillac Racing staff members

Picture by: Nikolaz Godet

Nevertheless, because it turned out, not solely the session was restarted, however Bourdais’s reference was overwhelmed by Alex Lynn within the sister #2 Cadillac – a full-season World Endurance Championship entrant – in addition to Kevin Estre. The #6 manufacturing unit Penske Porsche’s driver took pole place for the WEC’s most prestigious race with a 3m24.634s marker.

When Motorsport.com requested Bourdais if he truly was celebrating, the Le Mans native replied: “No. If something, I used to be telling everybody: ‘There are seven minutes and 40 seconds left, I do not know why you are right here asking me for footage.’

“That is fairly humorous, as a result of after we weren’t on pole, no one was there anymore. It was humorous, but it surely’s fairly typical from the press.”

Bourdais defined that he would have favored to return out on observe for a last try, however a mix of extending his preliminary run and the crimson flag interrupting his second outing prevented him from doing so.

#3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Sequence.R: Sebastien Bourdais

Picture by: Nikolaz Godet

“We had deliberate sufficient gasoline to do two and two [laps],” he added. “As a result of the in-lap was sooner through the first run, we stored pushing as there was a threat of rain and there have been a couple of drops already, so that you did not actually know what was going to occur. That third lap of the primary run was three or 4 tenths sooner, so we stored going till the tip.

“Sadly, as you are not allowed to refuel throughout Hyperpole, this left us with only one lap for the second try, however the crimson flag occurred…

“I do not assume I may have gotten a greater time in a single lap on the second run, however we had been going to attempt anyway, and the crimson flag was utterly detrimental to us in that regard. We could not have finished one other out-lap, a flying lap and hoped to be high quality. That is the way it was.”

Bourdais and team-mates Scott Dixon and Renger van der Zande will begin the race from second place on Saturday, with the #2 Cadillac taking a five-place penalty as a result of Earl Bamber’s crash with the #31 BMW LMGT3 automobile on the earlier Spa-Francorchamps WEC spherical.

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