Peugeot set the three fastest lap times ahead of its German rival, all of them quicker than the previous mark at the track.
Frenchman Sarrazin, partnered by fellow former Formula One drivers Portuguese Pedro Lamy and Austrian Alex Wurz, set the pace with a spectacular 3:18.513 in the number eight Peugeot 908 HD, a huge 7.8 seconds quicker than the existing record.
“We are quite confident for the upcoming race after this good qualifying session,” said Sarrazin, who finished second last year.
Speed isn’t everything at the fabled race, which is won by the team that completes the most laps in 24 hours, with up to three drivers alternating. The endurance of the car - and the
drivers - is equally important.
“We cannot do a better lap time than Peugeot,” said Audi’s Danish driver Tom Kristensen, who is chasing a record eighth victory at Le Mans. “That’s the reason why we focus mostly on the preparation of the race.”
“Even if Audi is six seconds behind Peugeot, the race will be very different and we are expecting Audi to be a strong opponent,” Sarrazin said.
“We are sure that we can improve our time, even if Peugeot will probably be in pole position.”
Audi have won at Le Mans for the past four years in a row and in seven of the last eight outings. However Peugeot have won all three LMS series races so far this season.
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