Le Mans 24 Hours, Qualifying 1 - 22.00-00.00

21:42 Just over 20 minutes before the first qualifying session - Aston Martin Racing Festival free practice has just finished.

Archie Hamilton in the Gulf Racing - Rofgo Collection Aston Martin Vantage GT2 was the fastest driver in 4:06.371. Thomas Gruber in the Deboeuf Racing Aston Martin DBR9 was second quickest (4:08.007) and the Villois Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT2 of Luca Filippi/Brian Lavio was third quickest (4:09.019).

21:58 Drivers are being advised that "scrutineering" will take place in the pitlane during the session, and they must stop if shown a red light.

21:59 The first cars are moving away from their pit garages to set up a queue at the pitlane exit. Less than a minute to go.

22:00 The lights turn green, and the cars head out on track. It is not yet fully dark here at Le Mans, and there is still enough light for the drivers to get a good view of the track.

22:02 Roughly half the grid took to the track within the first minute of the session starting, so we should see a fairly hectic opening few minutes.

22:03 The #71 AF Corse Ferrari has stalled in the pitlane and been hauled back to the garage.

22:06 As a result of its accident during the practice session earlier, team sources suggest we may not see the #51 AF Corse again until Warm-up Saturday.

22:06 Yellow flags being shown at MP 115, in the Porsche Curves, and with Kristensen having set two new fastest sectors, this may spoil his lap.

22:08 Oliver Jarvis in the #4 Audi R18 Ultra sets a new fastest time, posting a 3:29.965.

22:09

Tom Kristensen strings together the whole lap, and posts a 3:28.632 to move fastest.

22:10 A 3:57.209 from Oliver Gavin in GTE Pro places the #74 Corvette at the head of the class.

22:11 Kristensen going even quicker this time around, with a fastest first and second sectors. He sweeps through the Ford Chicane to cross the line with a 3:26.536.

22:12 In LMP2 Warren Hughes is currently quickest with the Murphy Prototypes Oreca quickest with a 3:40.531.

22:13 It's chop and change at the head of GT Pro, with Oliver Gavin upping his best to a new fastest of 3:55.910 to regain the top slot.

22:14 Quickest of the petrol cars is currently Andrea Belicchi in the #13 Rebellion Lola, posting a 3:33.140.

22:15 The DeltaWing has stopped on track at MP31. Michael Krumm is in the cockpit, and had just set an impressive 3:42.612 to stand 11th overall.

22:15 Tom Kimber-Smith is challenging Hughes for top honours in LMP2, closing to within a tenth with a best of 3:40.639.

22:16 The fastest of the Toyotas is currently the #7, lying 7th.

22:17 Danny Watts moves up to 4th overall with a 3:32.750, fastest of the non-diesels.

22:19 Cars still not to appear include the #99 all-Danish Aston Martin GT-Am. The #8 Toyota has just left the pits for the first time. The #29 Lola, the #33 HPD, and the #49 Oreca have completed exploratory laps, but have yet to set a flying lap.

22:19 Car #97 is reported as having spun at MP42.

22:20 Patrick Pilet sets a 3:57.594 to move significantly quickest in GTE Am, 28th overall.

22:21 Hughes makes another major improvement for the Murphy Prototypes Oreca, and is the first to duck under the 40 second barrier with a 3:39.877. That creates a buffer of seven tenths over Kimber-Smith.

22:22 Dindo Capello has taken over in the #2 Audi.

22:22 With "job done", for now anyway, Danny Watts pits the Strakka Racing HPD, and hands over to Nick Leventis.

22:23 The #8 Toyota sets its first time, and slots into 9th overall (3:38.136). A sighter lap, no doubt, for Sarrazin.

22:24 Only 3 cars now yet to set a lap time - not including the #51, which won't be taking part in qualifying.

22:25 Armindo in the IMSA Performance Porsche, spins, but continues soon afterwards. The #67 is presently second in GT Am.

22:26 An improvement from Lapierre in the #7 Toyota moves the hybrid through to 4th. Also improving is team-mate Sarrazin, up to 7th now in the #8.

22:28 Bonanomi has just left the pits, having taken over driver duties in the #4 Audi, currently third.

We're told that all three drivers in the #2 will complete five laps each, and then Allan McNish will do a stint.

22:30

Hughes has pitted the #48 Murphy Prototypes Oreca, still heading P2 from Tom Kimber-Smith in the Jota Zytek, with Nakano third in the #45 Boutsen Oreca. Sam Hancock is fourth.

Brendon Hartley takes over from Hughes.

22:31 Another improvement from Lapierre - doesn't change the order, but moves closer to the third Audi. Dumas, in the fourth Audi, the #3, has just left the pitlane.

22:32 Lapierre sets the fastest second sector of the session so far: 79.8 seconds.

22:33 Lapierre makes it stick, and crosses the line with a 3:27.191 to move into second.

22:34 Cars #28 (Gulf Middle East) and #58 (Luxury Racing) both spin at the first chicane along the Mulsanne - may have been contact?

22:35 All cars that we've expected to see have now set lap times. The #51 AF Corse we know won't appear, but we also suspect the #16 Pescarolo 03 will also be an absentee.

22:36 Mathias Beche moves quickest in LMP2 for TDS, in the #46 Oreca, with a 3:39.252.

22:38 A whole string of individual improvements coming from the P2 ranks, including Bouchut (#33), Panciatici (#26), Frey (#40) and Kaffer (#49).

22:40 Reports suggest that a fire extinguisher may have accidentally been released inside the DeltaWing, which accounts for the on-track stop. The car should be recovered to the garage.

22:41 Both Toyotas are into the pitlane, but both rejoin.

22:44 In GTE Am, the #79 Flying Lizards Porsche still retains top position, thanks to Pilet's earlier time. Seth Neiman is on board now. The car has a cushion of a second and a half over the #50 Corvette, with Pedro Lamy setting a best for the Larbre car of 3:59.192. Third in GTE Am is the #88 Felbermayr Porsche.

22:45 Allan McNish heads out to begin his five-lapper.

22:48 Just a point of reference, but the time set by the DeltaWing prior to the extinguisher going off, still has the #0 holding 22nd overall.

Sebastien Bourdais posts an improvement for the Pescarolo Dome, clocking 3:34.716. There's no change in the overall order, and the #17 remains 9th overall.

22:49 Nick Leventis has completed his statutory five laps, and returned the #21 Strakka Racing HPD to the pitlane, where Jonny Kane climbs aboard. Danny Watts' flyer from earlier is still quickest of the non-diesels.

22:52 ADR Delta #25 have a problem that the marker light behind the driver's head is reflecting off the dashboard and dazzling the driver. They're having to add a film to the dash to reduce the glare.

22:53 An improvement from Sarrazin, with a 3:30.183, moves the #8 up to 5th, so Toyotas are now second and fifth.

22:55 McNish completes his fifth lap as Fassler skips across the gravel at the first chicane in the #1, but continues. McNish rejoins with a new set of tyres.

22:57 Jani makes an improvement for the #12 rebellion Lola Toyota, posting a 3:35.396, but without gaining any places. The black and cream Lola remains 10th overall. Bringing up the rear in P1 is the #22 JRM HPD on 3:37.088,

23:00 Jani's next lap is quicker still, and this time gains him a place, moving up to 9th by securing a 3:33.211.

23:02 Car 45, the Boutsen Oreca 03 LMP2, has run wide at MP42, the first chicane, and clipped the barriers. The #58 has gone straight on at the Ford Chicane (Pierre Ehret) but also regained the track, this time without damage.

23:04 The session has entered a "quiet phase", apparently, and there's not a lot going on. Then, to prove us wrong, there's a yellow flag at the start of the lap, just before the Dunlop Bridge, where there's been contact for car #29, the Gulf Middle East Lola, with Ihara in the cockpit. The car appears to have made heavy frontal contact with the barriers.

23:08 The #29 Lola is being recovered by the snatch vehicle. Prior to this, the car was running 53rd - not quite last, but almost. That 'honour' currently resides with the #61 AF Waltrip Ferrari, managing a best of 4:21.032.

23:09 Christophe Bouchut clatters the kerbs through the Ford Chicane and loses control of the #33 Level 5 HPD completely. With luck, no lasting damage, but the car is beached in a fairly precarious position, until the marshals bravely push it free.

23:10 Bellichi in the #13 Rebellion Lola, coming round to complete his out-lap, spins at the same place. Luckily, Bouchut had just moved off.

23:12 A third car, this time Jonny Kane in the #21 Strakka Racing HPD, hits the kerbs in the same place. He holds the HPD through the corner, but pits immediately. The red and yellow slippery surface flag is now being shown at the entrance to the Ford Chicane.

23:13 The timing screens suggest there is loose gravel scattered across the racing line at the entrance to the Ford Chicane.

23:15 Team Manager of car #41, Greaves Motorsport's Zytek, has been summoned to Race Control immediately. Car #26, the second of the Signatech Orecas, is reported as running slowly. 45 minutes remaining.

23:21 Olivier Pla posts an improvement for the #24 Oak Racing Morgan, and slots the car into 17th overall, 5th in LMP2. His time: 3:40.902.

23:26 Yet to see anything spectacular from the GTE Pro Aston Martin, and the #97 is presently holding 6th in class. Stefan Mucke is in the car now and keeps hinting at a quick time, but never quite coming through with the delivery.

23:28 The #43, the Norma, suddenly makes a huge improvement, and having been languishing in the mid-forties overall, leaps up to 30th with a new best of 3:51.012 from Rosier.

23:29 Mucke makes his anticipated improvement, posting 3:57.466 to move the Vantage into 4th in GTE Pro.

23:31 The first timing screen looks remarkably tidy, with P1s filling the top 11 slots, and then P2 clean all the way through to 24th. The DeltaWing holds 25th, topping Screen 2, and then the next seven P2 entries fill in the gaps to 32nd. The leading GTE Pro runner in the shape of the #74 Corvette holds 33rd.

23:33 The #70 Larbre Corvette just missed a spot check in the pitlane, and will receive a penalty as a result.

The #35 Oak Racing Morgan improves, clocking 3:42.453 to move ahead of the deltaWing.

23:34 The #77 Felbermayr Proton Porsche spins into the tyre wall at the Ford Chicane. There may be some superficial damage, but the car continues. Wolf Henzler was on his out-lap.

23:35 Rockenfeller shaves a few tenths off the best for the #4, but it's not enough to change the car's position.

23:37 Maxime Martin continues his charge, and has improved time and position on each of his last three laps to move the #35 Oak Racing Morgan up to 20th overall, now 8th in P2.

23:40 Duval also makes a modest improvement for the #3 Audi. Standing 6th overall on 3:30.358

23:43 Several purple sectors have suddenly cropped up. A 3:29.715 from Duval strengthens his grip on 6th, and Davidson moves through to 4th from 5th after a new best for the #8 Toyota: 3:28.295.

23:44 Duval leaps to second with a 3:26.694!

23:46 Car #25 is under investigation for possible overtaking under yellow flags.

23:48 After that unexpected flurry of activity, things have quietened down again, and there have been several laps now without any new sector improvements. 12 Minutes remaining tonight.

23:50 Unrecorded by us - apologies - but David Brabham made an improvement for JRM, easing the HPD through to 11th, narrowly in front of the #15 Oak Racing Pescarolo.

23:51 Simonsen sets a 3:59.946 in the #99 Aston Martin Vantage to move into 43rd overall, 4th in GTE Am.

23:53 Rockenfeller sets a 3:28.498 - a faster lap, but no position gained. Lotterer posts a 3:27.466 to go quicker in the #1 as well.

23:54 Rockenfeller makes the next one count, and his new best of 3:27.554 eases the #4 through to 5th.

23:56 Just one second separates the top five cars.

23:59 Sean Edwards moves second quickest in GTE Am (3:59.033) for the #75 ProSpeed Porsche. A fastest first sector from Lotterer, but he's hampered by traffic in the middle of the next sector. It's quick, but not quickest. He'll get one more chance . . .

00:00 Chequered Flag

00:02 Another fastest first sector from Lotterer, but more traffic in the mid-sector, but he weaves through the gaps cleanly.

00:02 Another improvement from Edwards, knocks a second off his previous best.

00:03 Simonsen improves to third quickest in GT Am.

00:03 Lotterer crosses the line with a 3:25.453 to snatch provisional pole in the last moments of the session.

00:12 A fantastic final lap from Lotterer to grab that top slot at the end of Day One in qualifying for the 80th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours. The top ten positions are given below, and confirm that Strakka Racing emerge as quickest of the non-diesels.

In LMP2, the #46 TDS Oreca 03 holds provisional top slot from the #48 Murphy Prototypes Oreca 03, with the #44 Starworks HPD third.

Topping the times in GTE Pro is the #74 Corvette, with the #59 Luxury Racing Ferrari F458 sandwiched between the two Corvettes, the #73 third.

In the final minutes Sean Edwards hauled the #75 ProSpeed Porsche up to second in GTE Am, narrowing the gap to the #79 Flying Lizards Porsche to just half a second. Third stands the #99 Aston Martin Vantage, thanks to some fine laps at the end by Allan Simonsen.

If the weather turns, tonight's results could become the starting grid - but if not, then we have another four hours of nail-biting qualifying to look forward to.

Anthony Davidson: "It's the same old story and the same for everyone, but traffic was a real issue - maybe Lapierre just got lucky at the end there. It's only the second time I've qualified at Le Mans and the first in a truly quick car, so it's been a real eye opener. We wanted to finish tonight in the top 6 and the car has a lot more to give so we'll definitely be going for it tomorrow"