Markus Reiterberger completed Second Qualifying for the 2023 FIM Endurance World Championship finale with the fastest time, a performance that ensured BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team will start the 86th Bol d’Or on pole position when the 24-hour race gets underway at 15h00 CET tomorrow (Saturday).
It’s the Belgian squad’s second-consecutive Bol d’Or pole and keeps it in contention for the EWC Teams' title.
Yoshimura SERT Motul and F.C.C. TSR Honda France are second and third respectively in the combined qualifying order, while Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team headed the Dunlop Superstock Trophy runners followed by National Motos Honda and Wójcik Racing Team.
How Second Qualifying unfolded
Once again, Reiterberger was unbeatable in the Blue Rider group, the German recording a 1m51.596s best for BWM Motorrad World Endurance Team. Gregg Black was second fastest for Yoshimura SERT Motul on a 1m51.636s with Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team’s Niccolo Canepà posting the third quickest time, 0.616s down on Reiterberger’s fastest effort. Lucas Mahias was fourth for KM99 followed by Team Kawasaki Webike Trickstar’s Randy de Puniet and TATI Team Beringer Racing rider Randy Krummenacher, who is making his Bol d’Or debut this weekend. Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team’s Kenny Foray was quickest among the Dunlop Superstock Trophy contenders followed by Kamil Krezemień (Wójcik Racing Team) and Enzo de la Vega (Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore).
The Yellow Rider session had been running for less than four minutes when it was red-flagged following a crash for Axel Maurin at Turn 4. The Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore racer was uninjured but the session was delayed to enable FIM officials to check the track surface for oil. Once action resumed, Illya Mykhalchyk continued BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team’s strong form by topping the order in a time of 1m51.721s. Mike Di Meglio was second quickest, 0.300s behind Mykhalchyk, but fell on his final lap in his efforts to improve his time for F.C.C. TSR Honda France, albeit without injury. Sylvain Guintoli, who was the fastest Yellow Rider in First Qualifying, was third quickest for Yoshimura SERT Motul with Marvin Fritz (Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team) fourth. Xavi Forés was fifth for ERC Endurance Ducati followed by top independent runner Marcel Brenner, who took sixth for Team Bolliger Switzerland. Loïc Arbel was the quickest Dunlop Superstock Trophy rider for Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team. Loris Cresson was second in the FIM Endurance World Cup-counting category for BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers followed by Maxim Pellizotti (Pitlane Endurance - JP3).
Karel Haneka was the pacesetting Red Rider for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team in a time of 1m51.882s. Étienne Masson (Yoshimura SERT Motul) was 0.259s adrift in second with Jérémy Guarnoni third quickest for BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. Steven Odendall clocked the fourth fastest time for the 2022 Bol d’Or winning Honda Viltaïs Racing team with Baptiste Guittet fifth for TATI Team Beringer Racing as Wójcik Racing Team’s Isaac Viñales rounded out the top six. Alessandro Delbianco, OG Motorsport World Endurance Team’s new recruit, was the quickest Dunlop Superstock Trophy rider, one place ahead of Wójcik Racing Team’s Kevin Manfredi. National Motos Honda rider Guillaume Raymond rounded out the Superstock top three. A crash involving Bastien Mackels (KM99) and Pedro Nuno Romero Barbosa (Team Bolliger Switzerland) caused the session to be halted after 10 minutes. Although neither rider was injured, repairs to the trackside protection resulted in a lengthy delay.
Cocoro Atusmi was quickest for Yoshimura SERT Motul in the Green Rider group in a time of 1m53.675s, 0.464s faster than Robin Mulhauser (Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team). French World Superbike star Loris Baz was third fastest for BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team with Pepijn Bijssterbosch next up for Team LRP Poland. Teenager Jurand Kuśmierczyk was fifth for Wójcik Racing Team and the quickest Dunlop Superstock Trophy contender.
Qualifying report to follow…
