06 August 2022
The championship-leading squad has dropped to a two-rider line-up following Sylvain Guintoli’s withdrawal after a hand injury sustained in testing. With just two riders – Kazuki Watanabe and Gregg Black – only two qualifying groups could be used by the team, with Watanabe a Red Rider and Black Yellow.
Sadly for the squad, both Red Qualifying sessions were wet, meaning slower times. Despite Watanabe setting the second fastest time in Q2, the average of his and Black’s time was naturally slower than the times of rivals with an average taken across three sessions, with the Blue and Yellow sessions relatively dry.
“The conditions were really not favourable for us,” explained Team Manager, Damen Saulnier. “Gregg did good times, but Kazuki rode in the rain. Since we only have two riders, our ranking in practice is not good.
“The main thing is going to be the race. The fact that we only have two riders in such a tough race means we have to adopt a special strategy. But it will be difficult for all the teams. Our goal is to keep an eye on our rivals in the championship, to score as many points as possible and to go to the Bol d’Or still leading the standings.”
The SERT squad had already been dealt a double-blow with first Belgian Xavier Simeon withdrawn after contracting COVID, then Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli withdrawn following a hand injury.
“We have been unlucky since the beginning of the week,” said Team Director, Yohei Kato, gave his take.
“In qualifying, the rain prevented Kazuki from setting a good time, which gave an advantage to the teams with three riders, two of whom were able to ride in dry conditions. But we showed good things during practice and the race is a completely different story! We will do everything to try to defend our title.”
For Black, it was a short-lived role as Rider Captain, but he was soon in the groove back in his regular role as rider.
“The first few days in Suzuka were a bit difficult because we don’t often get the chance to ride in such hot weather. But the free practice ended on a good note. So we were quite confident for qualifying,” he said.
“I benefited from cloudy weather, but the temperature was decreasing, which allowed me to have a good pace and to get some good lap times. We were confident to enter the top 5 but unfortunately Kazuki could never ride in dry conditions. It’s a pity because there were 1 or 2 points to take in qualifying. But the most important thing is the race. It will be very difficult for us. It is a physical race, and we are only two riders. The objective will be to score as many points as possible.”
For Watanabe, it was a frustrating time for his home qualifying.
“We couldn’t apply our initial strategy in qualifying and the weather conditions were bad during my sessions,” he explained.
“The rain came and I couldn’t do anything. I am really sorry for the team and for the many fans who support us. We will start from far back on the grid and that will make the race more difficult. But tomorrow is another day and we will do our best.”
28 March 2024
Team 202 will fly the flag of the National Police Motorcycle of Club of France during the upcoming FIM Endurance World Championship season.Florent Parret’s Superstock outfit, which has raced in the EWC since 1998, once again features serving police officers Sofian Lhuillier and Gilles Minutello – along with Parret – in its line-up.And after placing 31st overall and 19th among the Dunlop-equipped Superstock category contenders in last year’s 24 Heures Motos, the Yamaha-powered outfit is hoping to make more progress when the Le Mans event opens the 2024 EWC season next month.“Sofian and Gilles had never participated in the 24 Heures Motos and their knowledge of motorcycle racing was limited,” Parret told 24h-motos.com. “The goal was for them to gain experience. During the race, we had three crashes. Despite this, we consider that the result of the race is satisfactory, because we wanted to take the chequered flag.“We are more relaxed than last year because Sofian and Gilles know what to do and know their limits. Thanks to the experience gained, they will gain speed. They will again approach the race with great caution because endurance is a demanding discipline. If we do not experience hazards, by definition, we should gain places in the ranking. Our goal is to do better than in 2023 by getting closer to the top 20 in the general ranking.”Team 202 has prepared for the 2024 season with tests in Spain and France. It will also take part in the Pre-Test for the 24 Heures Motos from 2-3 April.
27 March 2024
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team will defend its FIM Endurance World Championship crown carrying the number one on its R1.Although championship-winning teams usually use the number one during their title defence, it wasn’t previously an official requirement in the EWC – until the rules were updated for 2024.According to the regulations from EWC governing body Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, “the world champion of the previous season will wear number 1 during the current season”.However, in the event of YART being unable to defend its EWC title in 2024, it can revert to its traditional number seven in 2025 as “its former racing number will be protected during the period it wears the 1”, in line with the regulations.Marvin Fritz, who partnered Niccolò Canepa and Karel Hanika to the 2023 EWC title, said: “This is something we were dreaming of for a long time and we can’t wait to start the new season with the number one on our bike.”The 24 Heures Motos opens the 2024 EWC season at Le Mans in France from 18-21 April. Click HERE for ticket information. Photo: Facebook.com/MarvinFritz.2
26 March 2024
Rookie squad TCP Racing will embark on its first full FIM Endurance World Championship campaign with a firm focus on promoting young talent.Managed by ex-racer Peter Polesso, TCP Racing has recruited young French foursome Alan Agogue, Maxence Chachuat, Marcus Delestre and Felix Peron to ride its Yamaha in the Superstock-based FIM Enurance World Cup.“We are extremely proud of our team because everyone here is passionate with one goal: to make this project a success,” Polesso said. “A huge thank you to our supporting sponsors.”Peron said: “I want to thank the team and especially Peter Polesso for the confidence given. It's an honour to wear the colours TCP Racing, endurance is a team sport and I'm proud to be a part of it.”Delestre added: “Very happy to be part of this young dynamic and professional team led by Peter Polesso. I’m very grateful he trusts me to make my debut in such a mythical championship.”The 47th 24 Heures Motos, based at Le Mans in France, opens the new EWC season from 18-21 April. Visit FIMEWC.com soon for more on TCP Racing.Photo: Go2Creation