Lynn Targets Hyperpole Top Five to Limit Penalty Hit

Alex Lynn is aiming for a top five result in Thursday’s 24 Hours of Le Mans Hyperpole session to limit the impact of the grid penalty the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R received after the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

Lynn, who shares the blue-nosed Cadillac with Earl Bamber and Alex Palou, will pilot the car during the qualifying shootout, which will determine the top eight overall grid slots for the 92nd running of the French endurance classic.

The No. 2 crew is going into Hyperpole with a five-place grid penalty hanging over their heads, which was handed out to Bamber in the wake of his crash in last month’s FIA World Endurance Championship round at Spa.

There, stewards found the Kiwi to be at fault for the accident, which also involved BMW driver Sean Gelael and led to a lengthy red flag for barrier repairs.

They subsequently ruled that Bamber, and by extension the No. 2 car, will be demoted five places on the grid for the next WEC race he contests, which is Le Mans.

Speaking to Sportscar365 on Thursday, Lynn stated that the prospect of a five-place grid drop impacting his qualifying result does not lessen on anticipation for the session.

“It won’t dampen my mood if I get to stop the car out on the start-finish line and stand on top of it, and that’s all I’m dreaming of,” Lynn said.

He added that, considering the penalty, it was already key for the No. 2 crew to reach Hyperpole, but that it does add a new element and a need for a strong result in the shootout.

“Genuinely, if you’re not [in], it is a problem if you’re not somewhere,” Lynn said.

“Okay, I’ve still got to put it in the top five in this next session to be in the top ten. For me, we do need to be in the top ten.

“I want to be. Especially with 23 cars, right? Going into that tight chicane. We don’t need to be a part of that.”

Lynn described the shootout session, which aside from the two Cadillacs also features cars from Alpine, BMW, Ferrari and Porsche, as ‘anyone’s game’ when it comes to the battle for pole.

“Honestly, I think anyone that puts the perfect lap together has the chance to be on pole,” Lynn said

“I’m excited to see how it’s going to go. This is the night of the year for me. Le Mans, almost to yourself, not many cars, low fuel, new tires. That’s what drivers dream of.

“I don’t think anyone expected the BMW to be fastest. We also may be faster than we thought and maybe some others, maybe not as fast as they thought they were going to be.

“I think it’s cool, globally, to have that many cars in such a small gap. It’s really cool. One that we dream of, really.”

When asked what might be key to a strong performance in the session, Lynn pinpointed taking care of the tires as an important factor.

“To be honest with you, the tire warm-up is just as important as the push lap,” Lynn

“Now we’re talking about super fine detail of what it takes to really nail a lap in qualifying.

“It’s a science I love, actually. Ever since my single-seater days, I love the qualifying and the nuance of what goes into really nailing that one perfect lap.

“But there’s a lot that goes into it. It’s the way you warm up the tire, the pressures that are in the tire, the setup you have in the car, the amount of slip. It’s a science.”