Cadillac Shocks Toyota on Home Turf: Alex Lynn Claims Stunning Pole at Fuji
In the shadow of Mount Fuji, a battle for supremacy unfolded on the hallowed tarmac of Fuji Speedway. As the sun dipped behind cloud cover and a fickle wind shifted direction, the stage was set for a qualifying session that would keep fans on the edge of their seats until the very last second.
The 6 Hours of Fuji, round seven of the FIA World Endurance Championship, promised fireworks from the get-go. But few could have predicted the dramatic upset that was about to unfold in the Hypercar class.
LMGT3: Ferrari Draws First Blood
Before the main event, the LMGT3 category set pulses racing. In a field packed with road-going supercars on steroids, it was the prancing horse that galloped to the front. Vista AF Corse’s number 55 Ferrari, piloted by the ever-impressive François Perrodo, snatched pole position in a session that saw the top 10 separated by a mere 1.66 seconds.
The session wasn’t without its casualties. Porsche, usually a force to be reckoned with, found both their entries languishing outside the top 10 – a rare misstep for the Stuttgart marque. Meanwhile, local hero Hiroshi Koizumi gave the home crowd something to cheer about, hustling his Aston Martin to a solid fourth place.
Hypercar: The Main Event
As dusk settled over Fuji, the big guns rolled out for Hypercar qualifying. The air crackled with anticipation. Toyota, on home soil, were the favorites. But Cadillac, Ferrari, and Porsche all fancied their chances.
The initial 12-minute session to determine the Hyperpole contenders was a frantic affair. Alex Lynn in the Cadillac laid down an early marker, but the Toyotas of Kamui Kobayashi and Rio Hirakawa weren’t about to roll over. As the checkered flag fell, eight manufacturers had representation in the top 10, setting the stage for a titanic Hyperpole battle.
Hyperpole: David Slays Goliath
Ten minutes. Ten cars. One shot at glory.
The Hyperpole session kicked off with a masterclass from Toyota. Kobayashi, with the precision of a surgeon and the aggression of a samurai, threw down the gauntlet with a blistering lap. His teammate Hirakawa followed suit, locking out the front row for the Japanese giant.
But Alex Lynn wasn’t done. The Brit, who’d been knocking on the door of pole all season, had one last trick up his sleeve. As the clock ticked down, Lynn unleashed a lap of breathtaking beauty. Smooth yet savage, he threaded the Cadillac through Fuji’s technical first sector before unleashing its raw power down the back straight.
As he flashed across the line, the timing screens flickered. Silence fell over the pit lane. Then, pandemonium. Lynn had done it. By four hundredths of a second, he’d knocked Kobayashi off pole.
“It feels so good,” a beaming Lynn said afterward. “We’ve tried so hard all year. I have to say this car is amazing on one lap. Massive congrats to Cadillac – you would have loved driving it on low fuel, it’s a really lovely car.”
For Cadillac, it was a watershed moment. Their first pole in the WEC, achieved against the might of Toyota on their home turf. For Lynn, it was vindication of his raw speed and a just reward for coming so close so many times this season.
As night fell over Fuji, the stage was set for a classic endurance battle. Toyota, wounded but far from beaten, will be out for revenge. Cadillac, buoyed by their qualifying heroics, will be dreaming of victory. And with Porsche, Ferrari, and the rest snapping at their heels, the 6 Hours of Fuji promises to be an absolute thriller.
In the end, it’s weekends like this that remind us why we love motorsport. The drama, the skill, the razor-thin margins. As the great Ayrton Senna once said, “On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, ‘Okay, this is the limit.’ As soon as you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further.”
Alex Lynn and Cadillac found that little bit extra today. The question now is: can they do it again when it really counts?
