Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Kamui Kobayashi gave the team its third pole of the season ahead of tonight’s 6 Hours of Monza.
The # 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid driven by Kobayashi put up a time of 1:35.358 to claim the pole over Antonio Fuoco in the #50 Ferrari 499P.
“The lap times were very close. I am pretty happy,” said Kobayashi. “It’s been very difficult to know now who will be strong so far this weekend, so it’s good to start on the pole.”
The #8 Toyota sister car with New Zealander Brendon Hartley was third with a 1:35.460 lap.
Hartley and Kobayashi traded blows late in the session, but the veteran Japanese driver emerged on top.
Fuoco put in a late charge in the Ferrari in front of the home crowd but had to settle for the second spot with a 1:35.375.
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The #93 Peugeot 9X8 will start fourth, while Kiwi Earl Bamber will roll off fifth in the Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V-Series. R.
The Tifosi were hoping to see an all-red front row at but had to settle for a second and sixth after the #51 Ferrari of Antonio Giovinazzi had his lap deleted for violating track limits.
Fred Makowiecki in the #5 Porsche Penske 963 was the fastest Porsche and will start eighth.
The Hypercar class was ultra-competitive, with nine cars qualifying within 0.830 of each other.
Formula One veteran Robert Kubica beat Pietro Fittipaldi to claim his first WEC pole in the #41 Team WRT Oreca with a 1:39.354 lap.
Phil Hanson was third in #22 United Autosports prototype.
Sarah Bovy in the #85 Iron Dames Porsche 911 RSR-19 claimed her second pole of the season in GTE-Am with a 1:47.632 lap.
Ahmad Al Harthy in the #25 ORT by TF was second with a 1:48.058, while Christian Ried in the #77 Proton Competition Porsche was third with a 1:48.116.
The 6 Hours of Monza will start Sunday at 20:30 AEST.
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