Cadillac claims a statement one-two at Le Mans free practice

Cadillac has made an undeniable statement at the Circuit de la Sarthe. In the opening three-hour free practice session for the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the American manufacturer locked out the top two positions in the Hypercar field. It was Earl Bamber who surged to the front for the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, delivering two consecutive flying laps in the final 25 minutes to stop the clock at 3m23.786s.

The #101 Cadillac WTR entry secured second, with Jordan Taylor setting a 3m25.348s—a gap of 1.562s to the leader. While the pace was blistering, the session wasn't without drama; Jack Aitken was seen nursing the #38 V-Series.R back to the pits with late mechanical issues, and the #36 Alpine of Frédéric Makowiecki ended its run in the barriers at the Forest Esses. Similar frustration hit the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P when Yifei Ye made contact with the tyre wall at Mulsanne Corner.

Elsewhere, the LMGT3 class saw the Akkodis ASP Team take charge as Jack Hawksworth set the standard with a 3m55.737s in the #78 Lexus RC F. In the LMP2 category, Doriane Pin produced a stunning late performance to top the class for Duqueine Team Oreca-Gibson with a 3m35.248s. With qualifying fast approaching, the tension at Le Mans is already palpable.