Team Kawasaki Webike Trickstar has recruited Grégory Leblanc for its FIM Endurance World Championship attack because he represents “a big force” for the Japanese squad, according to its Team Manager Ryuji Tsuruta.

The multiple EWC race-winning Frenchman replaces Christophe Ponsson for the remainder of the season having switched over from TATI Team Beringer Racing. 

His first event with the France-based outfit, restructured for 2023, will be next month’s 24H SPA EWC Motos, in which he was a podium finisher last season riding a TATI-run Kawasaki.

“We are pleased to announce Grégory Leblanc joins our team,” Tsuruta said. “He participated in the Suzuka 8 Hours with our team in the past and is a very much experienced rider in EWC with high potential. We are all happy and excited to welcome him to Team KWT from round two at Spa-Francorchamps. His high potential and knowledge of EWC will be a big force for the team, and he will be a great asset for our aim of winning the EWC championship title.” 

Leblanc, 37, is set to partner Randy de Puniet and Kazuki Watanabe on the #11 Kawasaki ZX10RR. He said: “It’s a real pleasure to have this [#11] machine back with which I have a long history and many victories in the past. A big thank you to the whole team of KWT as well as Kawasaki Japan, Europe and France for giving me this opportunity. I would also like to thank the Tati team for these races spent together and I also wish them a good season for the rest of the championship. For me, the story continues at #11. When you don't give up anything you work hard you are always rewarded.”

TATI Team Beringer Racing has yet to announce who will replace Leblanc alongside new-for-2023 signings Baptiste Guittet and Hugo Clere.