<p>Kamui Kobayashi put Toyota's number seven car on pole position on Friday for a condensed and rescheduled Le Mans 24 Hour race being held without spectators due to the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>.<p>The Japanese veteran made sure of the champions' fourth successive pole on a sunny morning at the Sarthe circuit but fell short of his 2017 record of three minutes 14.791 seconds in the TS050 hybrid car.</p>.<p>Kobayashi's fastest lap in the new Hyperpole session was 3:15.267.</p>.<p>"To be honest, a little bit disappointed because on my second attempt it seemed I could break my record," he said of his time.</p>.<p>"Unfortunately, I had the lap deleted (for exceeding track limits), so I had to stop. I was gaining already seven-tenths, which is already breaking the record, so it’s a big shame."</p>.<p>Toyota are the only major manufacturer in the top LMP1 category at the 88th running of the event and favourites for a winning hat trick in the last Le Mans outing for the hybrid car before the new hypercar era in 2021.</p>.<p>The gruelling highlight of the world endurance calendar last year drew a crowd of 250,000.</p>.<p>Kobayashi has yet to win it, finishing runner-up in the last two years while compatriot Kazuki Nakajima stood on top of the podium with number eight car teammates Sebastien Buemi and Fernando Alonso.</p>.<p>The number eight Toyota, with Nakajima at the wheel, qualified only third this time with Rebellion Racing's number one R13 Gibson car splitting the two Japanese.</p>.<p>American Gustavo Menezes time in the Rebellion was a Le Mans record by a non-hybrid LMP1 car.</p>.<p>Rebellion's number three car qualified fourth.</p>.<p>Nakajima is partnered this year again by experienced Swiss Buemi while New Zealander Brendon Hartley replaces Spaniard Alonso.</p>.<p>Kobayashi remains alongside Britain's Mike Conway and Argentina's Jose Maria Lopez, leaders of the endurance championship after six of eight races.</p>.<p>Friday's 30-minute hyperpole session featured 23 of the 59 entrants -- the top six in the four classes after a preliminary qualifying session on Thursday.</p>.<p>There are only five entries in the LMP1 category in a race that also features two all-female crews.</p>.<p>Postponed from June, the race will be waved away at 1230 GMT on Saturday by Peugeot boss Carlos Tavares.</p>.<p>Because of the later date, nearly half of the race will be held in darkness -- some three hours and 40 minutes more than mid-June.</p>
<p>Kamui Kobayashi put Toyota's number seven car on pole position on Friday for a condensed and rescheduled Le Mans 24 Hour race being held without spectators due to the Covid-19 pandemic.</p>.<p>The Japanese veteran made sure of the champions' fourth successive pole on a sunny morning at the Sarthe circuit but fell short of his 2017 record of three minutes 14.791 seconds in the TS050 hybrid car.</p>.<p>Kobayashi's fastest lap in the new Hyperpole session was 3:15.267.</p>.<p>"To be honest, a little bit disappointed because on my second attempt it seemed I could break my record," he said of his time.</p>.<p>"Unfortunately, I had the lap deleted (for exceeding track limits), so I had to stop. I was gaining already seven-tenths, which is already breaking the record, so it’s a big shame."</p>.<p>Toyota are the only major manufacturer in the top LMP1 category at the 88th running of the event and favourites for a winning hat trick in the last Le Mans outing for the hybrid car before the new hypercar era in 2021.</p>.<p>The gruelling highlight of the world endurance calendar last year drew a crowd of 250,000.</p>.<p>Kobayashi has yet to win it, finishing runner-up in the last two years while compatriot Kazuki Nakajima stood on top of the podium with number eight car teammates Sebastien Buemi and Fernando Alonso.</p>.<p>The number eight Toyota, with Nakajima at the wheel, qualified only third this time with Rebellion Racing's number one R13 Gibson car splitting the two Japanese.</p>.<p>American Gustavo Menezes time in the Rebellion was a Le Mans record by a non-hybrid LMP1 car.</p>.<p>Rebellion's number three car qualified fourth.</p>.<p>Nakajima is partnered this year again by experienced Swiss Buemi while New Zealander Brendon Hartley replaces Spaniard Alonso.</p>.<p>Kobayashi remains alongside Britain's Mike Conway and Argentina's Jose Maria Lopez, leaders of the endurance championship after six of eight races.</p>.<p>Friday's 30-minute hyperpole session featured 23 of the 59 entrants -- the top six in the four classes after a preliminary qualifying session on Thursday.</p>.<p>There are only five entries in the LMP1 category in a race that also features two all-female crews.</p>.<p>Postponed from June, the race will be waved away at 1230 GMT on Saturday by Peugeot boss Carlos Tavares.</p>.<p>Because of the later date, nearly half of the race will be held in darkness -- some three hours and 40 minutes more than mid-June.</p>