June 14, 2018... Le Mans. The grid order for the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) is now set; after three qualifying sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, the two BMW M8 GTEs are starting their first races at the legendary “Circuit de la Sarthe” from 12th and 13th positions in the GTE Pro class.
In the first session on Wednesday evening, António Félix da Costa (POR) recorded a personal best of 3:50.579 minutes in the #82 car. That was enough to secure 12th place in the very competitive GTE Pro field. In the sister #81 car, Nick Catsburg (NED) was just 0.017 seconds slower and finished in 13th position. Pole position was claimed by Porsche with the #91 car. The race starts on Saturday at 15:00.
Reactions to qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans:
António Félix da Costa (#82 BMW M8 GTE):
“It was great fun to be racing against the clock with new tyres, in the dark, on this great circuit. In general, I felt at home with the BMW M8 GTE. A glance at the times tells you that we could not keep pace with the leading group. But a 24-hour race is not decided in qualifying. I am really looking forward to Saturday and Sunday.”
Nick Catsburg (#81 BMW M8 GTE):
“Qualifying helps us to get a good feel for the potential of our car, but the best possible grid position is perhaps not the most important thing to concentrate on at a 24-hour race. Let’s see how the race goes.”