LE MANS, France - 24 Hour champions team Audi with its diesel hybrid cars has the top three grid spots for the Le Mans 24 Hours sports car race.
Frenchman Loic Duval has pole in the No.2 car shared with Denmark's Tom Kristensen and Britain's Allan McNish.
The lockout by the three hybrid factory cars is Audi's first since 2002 at the Sarthe circuit.
13 YEARS, 10 WINS
Duval's best lap, 3min22.349, was set in Wednesday night's first session with changeable weather and red-flag interruptions thwarting others' efforts to go faster on Thursday.
The No.1 Audi R18 e-tron shared by Andre Lotterer, Marcel Fassler and Benoit Treluyer - winners in the previous two years - will start in second place with the No.3 of Oliver Jarvis, Lucas Di Grassi and Marc Gene third.
Toyota, Audi's main rival team for victory on this the 90th anniversary of the endurance classic, which is in its 81st edition, qualified fourth and fifth but threaten to be stronger in the race.
Kristensen is chasing his ninth Le Mans win; McNish has won twice.
Audi also started on pole in 2012, has won the race for the previous three years and 10 times in the last 13 years.
The race will start on Saturday.
Frenchman Loic Duval has pole in the No.2 car shared with Denmark's Tom Kristensen and Britain's Allan McNish.
The lockout by the three hybrid factory cars is Audi's first since 2002 at the Sarthe circuit.
13 YEARS, 10 WINS
Duval's best lap, 3min22.349, was set in Wednesday night's first session with changeable weather and red-flag interruptions thwarting others' efforts to go faster on Thursday.
The No.1 Audi R18 e-tron shared by Andre Lotterer, Marcel Fassler and Benoit Treluyer - winners in the previous two years - will start in second place with the No.3 of Oliver Jarvis, Lucas Di Grassi and Marc Gene third.
Toyota, Audi's main rival team for victory on this the 90th anniversary of the endurance classic, which is in its 81st edition, qualified fourth and fifth but threaten to be stronger in the race.
Kristensen is chasing his ninth Le Mans win; McNish has won twice.
Audi also started on pole in 2012, has won the race for the previous three years and 10 times in the last 13 years.
The race will start on Saturday.