YART Yamaha rejoice FIM World Endurance Championship victory

2023 FIM Endurance World Championship
Spherical 4 – Bol d’Or

Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Staff is the winner of the 2023 FIM Endurance World Championship following a tense climax to the season at Circuit Paul Ricard on the 86th Bol d’Or.

The Austrian primarily based YART squad was certainly one of six groups in EWC title competition beginning the legendary 24-hour occasion, however it endured a nervy conclusion to the race because of a temperature concern that pressured the group to make a number of pit stops for working repairs.

With defending champions F.C.C. TSR Honda France retiring following a technical failure, whereas working in a championship successful place 12 hours into the race. And the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Staff dropping out of the struggle for the lead because of two unscheduled pit visits, YART basically wanted a top-nine Formulation EWC end to safe the EWC’s largest prize.

FCC TSR Honda France had gained the opening race on the Le Mans 24 Hours, took second place on the rostrum on the Spa 24 Hours, and completed third on the Suzuka 8 Hours, and have been within the field seat to carry the title as soon as once more earlier than technical issues struck on the Bol d’Or season finale.

Josh Hook – F.C.C. TSR Honda rider

“It’s very arduous to swallow this outcome straight away. Sadly, one thing like this occurred although we have been in an excellent place heading in direction of the championship. Nonetheless, we now have no alternative however to just accept it and transfer on to subsequent yr. The group did an incredible job and all three of us have been very quick. Though I’m disillusioned in lacking out on the title, I believe I used to be capable of take one thing constructive out of this weekend. So I will be very proud of the way in which this season went, even when it didn’t finish as deliberate.”

Operating with a particular livery to commemorate the twenty fifth anniversary of the Yamaha R1, the Bridgestone-equipped YART trio of Niccolò Canepa, Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika rode faultlessly, ultimately ending in fourth place to safe EWC gold, having led the race on quite a few events earlier than bringing the bike house protected for the title.

Mandy Kainz – Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Staff

“We labored rather a lot on the reliability of our bike and it was 14 years because the first time we completed each race. The bike was very conservative as a result of we simply constructed it to outlive. However the boys are the heroes as a result of they managed, they misplaced six to seven tenths on the straights, simply to make certain our bike might do it as a result of there is no such thing as a check for a 24-hour race, the race is the check.

“I’m actually glad for these boys as a result of they have been main each single race within the championship. In Le Mans we simply had an issue after we crashed on the oil. Spa was for us an ideal race even with some difficulties. In Suzuka we have been so shut after which for a really small half we have been near retire. However the race made me very proud as a result of the boys didn’t hand over and have been combating from final place and lapped near 50 per cent of the sector. Even to the winner, HRC, they made one and a half laps in the course of the remaining six hours. So for me they’re actual endurance riders and fighters they usually deserve it a lot.”

Having skilled a season of extra lows than highs, Yoshimura SERT Motul was decided to finish the 2023 marketing campaign on high of a race that might mark Sylvain Guintoli’s closing EWC outing with Suzuki energy.

Regardless of Gregg Black and Étienne Masson competing as a duo for the ultimate 9 hours after Guintoli fell sick with abdomen pains, Yoshimura SERT Motul triumphed by a transparent margin. That was regardless of Black being certainly one of eight riders to fall on oil on the finish of the Mistral Straight this morning, which triggered a prolonged security automobile interval.

Damien Saulnier – Yoshimura SERT Motul Staff Supervisor

“Our season has been very difficult. At Le Mans, Spa and Suzuka, we had the means to be on the entrance, however we simply couldn’t handle it in these three races. On the Bol d’Or, every thing lastly ended properly. So far as the title was involved, it was nonetheless mathematically doable to take it, however our hopes have been nonetheless very slim. So this victory is nice for our morale and it’ll assist us put together for the 2024 season. I’d wish to thank the entire group, who did an incredible job all through the week, and naturally the riders who gave their all to supply us this victory. Lastly, I’ve a really particular thought for our mechanic Polo, who’s now retiring after 43 years with the SERT.”

Honda Viltaïs Racing couldn’t fairly repeat its Bol d’Or-winning heroics from 2022 however it did safe a season-best second as riders Florian Alt, Steven Odenaal and occasion rookie Leandro Mercado impressed on the Pirelli-shod #333 machine.

BMW Motorrad World Endurance Staff, that includes Jérémy Guarnoni, Illya Mykhalchyk and Markus Reiterberger, accomplished the rostrum, its third top-three end of the yr. The trio reached the podium with the BMW M 1000 RR in all three 24-hour races this season and completed third on this planet championship standings, only one level away from second place.

Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director

“We had ready very well and our tempo was nice forward of this race. We have been very aggressive in all of the apply classes and we additionally secured pole place, scoring our first 5 factors within the course of. We have been 38 factors behind and we nonetheless felt we had an excellent likelihood as there have been 85 factors up for grabs. We wanted to win this race, and hope that the others endured some dangerous luck. Sadly, we didn’t fairly handle it. Through the night time, we twice had a really comparable downside with the ability provide within the bike. That price us about eight laps in whole, which in flip undoubtedly price us second place and had an impact on the race for the world championship title. It’s arduous to take when there’s only one level in it. I wish to congratulate Yamaha on the world championship title and Suzuki on successful the race right here. Nonetheless, we have been capable of present the tempo we now have and I’m very happy that we completed all 4 races this yr, together with three podiums within the 24-hour races. That was unthinkable final yr and exhibits what potential we now have. I wish to thank your complete BMW Motorrad World Endurance Staff, our nice riders and everybody in Munich and Berlin who made this doable. We now have a protracted winter forward of us. We have to proceed to enhance and I’m positive that we after we return, we can be properly geared up to problem for the title.”

Staff Kawasaki Webike Trickstar moved into fifth behind Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Staff when TATI Staff Beringer Racing dropped out of competition. The Kawasaki-powered TATI outfit had loved a short stint within the lead in the course of the opening hour when it capitalised on its determination to make use of intermediate tyres for the quickly drying situations.

Having taken the coveted EWC crown at Circuit Paul Ricard 12 months in the past, F.C.C. TSR Honda France hit bother shortly earlier than 3am when Mike Di Meglio was pressured to push the #1 Honda after it stopped on the entrance to the pit-lane. Regardless of its finest efforts, the group was pressured to retire with a terminal technical midway into the race. Josh Hook, Alan Techer and Mike DiMeglio knew hopes of one other EWC title can be salvaged if its fundamental rivals additionally stopped. Within the occasion, it was a irritating end to an in any other case robust season.

Maco Racing Staff beat Staff LRP Poland to sixth place among the many Formulation EWC squads with Staff Bolliger Switzerland, Moto-Ain and KM99 subsequent up. Belgian outfit KM99, making its Bol d’Or debut, was within the high 5 when {an electrical} concern struck at 0125.

Wójcik Racing Staff’s #77 dropped out shortly after eight hours having been delayed by an digital concern early within the race. Motobox Kremer Racing spent six minutes repairing its Yamaha after Christian Napoli was caught up within the multi-bike accident at Signes Nook.

Chaz Davies stopped from the lead battle with 40 minutes of the race run handy over to Xavi Forés. However his alternative was quickly in bother after a collision on the closing nook left the Spaniard limping to the facet of the observe and his Ducati Pingale V4R struggling terminal injury. The incident led to an early security automobile intervention.

Initially, there was Dunlop Superstock Trophy delight for Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda however despair for Nationwide Motos Honda, which misplaced the Bol d’Or class win and the FIM Endurance World Cup for Groups within the closing hour after a technical fault struck. Nonetheless, within the put up race technical checks after the race the Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda was discovered to have a gas tank bigger than permitted, subsequently they have been disqualified from the outcomes, and with that the Superstock World Cup!

The removing of Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda from the outcomes noticed the Kawasaki powered Staff 33 Louit April Moto take out the 2023 FIM Endurance World Superstock World Cup after claiming the Bol d’Or victory within the class.

Having began the Bol d’Or in competition for Dunlop Superstock Trophy honours, Honda No Limits and Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Staff dropped out within the opening phases. The previous was eradicated in a collision, whereas Kenny Foray had coated a bit of greater than half-hour when engine failure pressured the #9 into retirement.

Bol d’Or 2023 Outcomes

2023 Endurance World Championship Standings