Kamui Kobayashi says he was “quite disappointed” not to break his own track record during qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Thursday night𒊎 despite securing pole position for T𒊎oyota.

🐬Kobayashi clinched his second Le Mans pole with a time of 3m15.497s in Q2 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, beating the sister #8 Toyota by four-tenths of a second.

The lap was seven-tenths of a second shy of Kobaya🍃shi’s lap record set en route to pole in 2017, which he was diꩵsappointed not to have beaten.

“I was quite disappointed because after two years, I think due to all the car development aꦏnd stuff, we should improve,” K𝐆obayashi said.

“But when I did my best lap, I said we were still nearly missing one second, which is a bit hard. To do w⛎hat I did in 2017 was pretty good🌠, and all the conditions were right, but unfortunately today I tried, but it wasn’t possible today.”

Kobayashi explained how mix of factors including warmer tyres, an emptier track and assistance from wind directions had helped him set the record time for Toyota in 2♐017.

“Weꦕ know we can make it. I think the car is definitely quicker,” Kobayashꦡi said.

“I think all the track conditions and wind directions, it’s not for that lap time unfortunately today. I think like 20꧂17, all the traffic management as well, I think just after the red flag we got quickly on the track, so we got pretty good for warm up and tyres and everything.

“But this time we were waiting six, seven minutes in the pit lane, which cost a lot in grip. This is qualifying, everyone h🍸as the same conditions. But 🍃still good to have this lap time.”

The pole f⛎or the #7 crew came following a chassis change overnight after Mike Conway crashed with an LMP2 car during the opening stage of qualify🍬ing.

“I think it was still a great job from the ꦉteam, because yesterday, the accident with Mike, after that we needed to change the chassis overnight, so I think we just fixed the car and everything just five minutes before the start of Q2,” Kobayashi said.

“I think it was a hard job be🥃causeꦉ they found out this morning actually. Quite luckily, we made it in time.”