The first round of qualifying for the 84th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans featured no surprises at the top of the time chart as Porsche locked in a 1-2 in LMP1, but in GTE-Pro, jaws dropped as Ford Chip Ganassi Racing's IMSA team secured a 1-2 of its own, plus a 4-5.

The Nos. 68 and 69 Ford GTs weren't just fastest in the manufacturer-rich class; Dirk Muller and Ryan Briscoe lapped at a pace last seen in the GT1 days when Aston Martin and Corvette rocketed around the 8.5-mile circuit at speeds that worried some of the more average LMP2s.

"I tell you what, just being here is already an honor," Muller said after climbing from his car and receiving big hugs from co-drivers joey Hand and Sebastien Bourdais. "Having the 50th anniversary for the Ford GT, how good is that? I finally got my clear lap at the end. Then finally, last lap, that was it. It was cool."

Ford has claimed class pole for the 84th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the American manufacturer taking four of the top five positions in the GTE-Pro category in its Le Mans return.

Dirk Mueller led a Ford GT 1-2, with the German ace taking his Ford Chip Ganassi Racing entry to a best lap of 3:51.185 in the final moments of Wednesday’s qualifying session.

Mueller pipped the No. 69 Ford of Ryan Briscoe by 0.312 seconds, giving the two IMSA-based entries a proverbial sweep of the front row in class.

The No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE of Gianmaria Bruni split the four Fords, having qualified his turbocharged Prancing Horse third in class at a 3:51.568.

The Nos. 67 and 66 Fords completed the top-five, respectively, ahead of the No. 71 AF Corse Ferrari and No. 82 Risi Competiizione entry, which all showed a significant pace advantage over the competition in the dry.