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The three Nissan LMP1s will start from the back of the Le Mans 24 Hour prototype field after failing to meet the 110 per cent qualifying minimum.

Two of the GT-LM NISMOs qualified ahead of the best LMP2 contender and the third right behind it, but they will line up on the grid in 30th, 31st and 32nd positions.

Porsche on pole position for 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours

That puts them behind all but one of the 19-strong LMP2 field after they failed to set times within the minimum prescribed by the rules.

Only the Ibanez ORECA will start behind the Nissans, because one of its drivers failed to meet the minimum requirements.

The #4 ByKolles CLM has also been penalised for the same reason, and the decision means each car must use its fastest driver from qualifying to start the race.

Nissan global motorsport boss Darren Cox predicted that the improvement that allowed Harry Tincknell to get down to a 3m36.995s in final qualifying would continue in the race.

"Every time we make a change to the car, we go faster — Harry was on course to do a 3m35s when he got a yellow flag at the end," Cox told AUTOSPORT.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we do our fastest lap of the race at 2:30pm on Sunday afternoon, depending on the conditions."

Cox insisted that he was not disappointed by the qualifying performance.

"We have made excellent progress and we are going to continue to do so," he said.

The performance follows statements from Cox that the GT-R LM would be "significantly faster" than an LMP2; the reality was that Tincknell's best for Nissan was only just over a second faster than the P2 pole-winning KCMG ORECA.

The three Nissans will be started by Lucas Ordonez (#21), Tincknell (#22) and Jann Mardenborough (#23).

AF CORSE COPS GTE PRO PENALTY

The #71 Ferrari, which had qualified fourth in GTE Pro, will start the race second from last after one of its drivers failed to complete a time within 120 per cent of the fastest Porsche LMP1.

Six-time Le Mans 24 Hours class winner Olivier Beretta's time was a 4m00.819s, adrift of the 4m00.118s cut-off.

James Calado had put the Ferrari fifth overall in GTE, three spots behind the sister #51 car, after recovering from a track-limits penalty that stripped the #71 of its times on Wednesday.

The penalty means the AF Corse 458 Italia drops to 54th on the grid, 10 rows behind the GTE Pro polesitting #99 Aston Martin Vantage.

AF team manager Battistino Pregliasco told AUTOSPORT it did not make sense to apply the 120 per cent rule to the Pro cars, given the ACO made an exception for the Am entries.

"I would like the stewards to interpret the rules not just apply them," he said.

"It's 24 hours so it doesn't matter to start last. It's just frustrating for James had made a super time."

LE MANS 24 HOUR STARTING GRID:

Pos Class Driver Team Car Time 1 LMP1 R.Dumas, N.Jani, M.Lieb Porsche Team Porsche 3m16.887s 2 LMP1 T.Bernhard, M.Webber, B.Hartley Porsche Team Porsche 3m17.767s 3 LMP1 N.Hulkenberg, E.Bamber, N.Tandy Porsche Team Porsche 3m18.862s 4 LMP1 L.di Grassi, L.Duval, O.Jarvis Audi Sport Team Joest Audi 3m19.866s 5 LMP1 M.Fassler, A.Lotterer, B.Treluyer Audi Sport Team Joest Audi 3m20.561s 6 LMP1 F.Albuquerque, M.Bonanomi, R.Rast Audi Sport Team Joest Audi 3m20.997s 7 LMP1 A.Wurz, S.Sarrazin, M.Conway Toyota Racing Toyota 3m23.543s 8 LMP1 A.Davidson, S.Buemi, K.Nakajima Toyota Racing Toyota 3m23.767s 9 LMP1 N.Prost, M.Beche, N.Heidfeld Rebellion Racing Rebellion/AER 3m26.874s 10 LMP1 A.Imperatori, D.Kraihamer, D.Abt Rebellion Racing Rebellion/AER 3m28.930s 11 LMP2 M.Howson, R.Bradley, N.Lapierre KCMG ORECA/Nissan 3m38.032s 12 LMP2 R.Rusinov, J.Canal, S.Bird G-Drive Racing Ligier/Nissan 3m38.939s 13 LMP2 G.Hirsch, G.Paletou, J.Lancaster Greaves Motorsport Gibson/Nissan 3m38.958s 14 LMP2 S.Dolan, M.Evans, O.Turvey JOTA Gibson/Nissan 3m39.004s 15 LMP2 N.Panciatici, P-L.Chatin, V.Capillaire Signatech Alpine Alpine/Nissan 3m39.699s 16 LMP2 P.Thiriet, T.Gommendy, L.Badey Thiriet by TDS Racing ORECA/Nissan 3m39.805s 17 LMP2 C.Cumming, L.Vanthoor, K.Estre Oak Racing Ligier/HPD 3m40.058s 18 LMP2 K.Chandhok, M.Patterson, N.Berthon Murphy Prototypes ORECA/Nissan 3m40.690s 19 LMP2 G.Yacaman, P.Derani, R.Gonzalez G-Drive Racing Ligier/Nissan 3m40.967s 20 LMP2 P.Ragues, O.Webb, Z.Amberg Team SARD Morand Morgan/SARD 3m41.250s 21 LMP2 L.Roussel, D.Cheng, H-Pin Tung Pegasus Racing Morgan/Nissan 3m42.023s 22 LMP2 M.Mediani, D.Markozov, N.Minassian SMP Racing BR Engineering/Nissan 3m42.077s 23 LMP2 N.Leventis, D.Watts, J.Kane Strakka Racing Dome/Nissan 3m42.237s 24 LMP2 M.Aleshin, K.Ladygin, A.Ladygin SMP Racing BR Engineering/Nissan 3m42.417s 25 LMP2 S.Sharp, R.Dalziel, D.H.Hansson Extreme Speed Motorsports Ligier/HPD 3m42.453s 26 LMP2 E.Brown, J.van Overbeek, J.Fogarty Extreme Speed Motorsports Ligier/HPD 3m44.631s 27 LMP2 T.Krohn, N.Jonsson, J.Barbosa Krohn Racing Ligier/Judd 3m44.854s 28 LMP2 J.Nicolet, J-M.Merlin, E.Maris Oak Racing Ligier/HPD 3m52.843s 29 LMP1 S.Trummer, P.Kaffer, T.Monteiro Team ByKolles CLM/AER 3m36.825s 30 LMP1 H.Tincknell, M.Krumm, A.Buncombe Nissan Motorsports Nissan 3m36.995s 31 LMP1 O.Pla, J.Mardenborough, M.Chilton Nissan Motorsports Nissan 3m37.291s 32 LMP1 T.Matsuda, M.Shulzhitskiy, L.Ordonez Nissan Motorsports Nissan 3m38.691s 33 LMP2 P.Perret, I.Bellarosa, J.Ibanez Ibanez Racing ORECA/Nissan 3m45.350s 34 GTE Pro F.Rees, A.MacDowall, R.Stanaway Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin 3m54.928s 35 GTE Pro G.Bruni, T.Vilander, G.Fisichella AF Corse Ferrari 3m55.025s 36 GTE Am P.D.Lana, P.Lamy, M.Lauda Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin 3m55.102s 37 GTE Pro D.Turner, S.Mucke, R.Bell Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin 3m55.466s 38 GTE Pro M.Sorensen, C.Nygaard, N.Thiim Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin 3m55.783s 39 GTE Pro R.Lietz, M.Christensen, J.Bergmeister Porsche Team Manthey Porsche 3m56.618s 40 GTE Am F.Perrodo, E.Collard, R.Aguas AF Corse Ferrari 3m56.723s 41 GTE Am V.Shaytar, A.Bertolini, A.Basov SMP Racing Ferrari 3m56.877s 42 GTE Pro P.Pilet, F.Makowiecki, W.Henzler Porsche Team Manthey Porsche 3m56.922s 43 GTE Pro O.Gavin, T.Milner, J.Taylor Corvette Racing Chevrolet 3m57.081s 44 GTE Am J.Bleekemolen, B.Keating, M.Miller Riley Motorsports-Ti Auto SRT/Dodge 3m57.836s 45 GTE Am P.Dempsey, P.Long, M.Seefried Dempsey Racing - Proton Porsche 3m57.842s 46 GTE Am C.Ried, K.Al Qubaisi, K.Bachler Abu Dhabi-Proton Racing Porsche 3m58.259s 47 GTE Am D.Cameron, M.Griffin, A.Mortimer AF Corse Ferrari 3m58.433s 48 GTE Am P.Mann, R.Giammaria, M.Cressoni AF Corse Ferrari 3m58.695s 49 GTE Am B.Sweedler, T.Bell, J.Segal Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 3m58.946s 50 GTE Am G.Roda, P.Ruberti, K.Poulsen Larbre Competition Chevrolet 3m59.522s 51 GTE Am A.Al Faisal, K.Giermaziak, M.Avenatti JMW Motorsport Ferrari 3m59.612s 52 GTE Am R.Goethe, S.Hall, F.Castellacci Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin 4m01.146s 53 GTE Am J.San Chen, A.Kapadia, X.Maassen Team AAI Porsche 4m01.270s 54 GTE Pro D.Rigon, J.Calado, O.Beretta AF Corse Ferrari 3m55.582s 55 GTE Am H.C.Chen, G.Vannelet, M.Parisy Team AAI Porsche 4m01.243s



