Round 2 - 08 June 2024
day
hrs
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Every moment.
unmissable.
2024 Calendar
2024 Calendar
Latest News
Latest News
26 April 2024
Kawasaki Webike Trickstar fourth after “great race” in EWC
Kawasaki Webike Trickstar began the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship in impressive form after its riders Christian Gamarino, Grégory Leblanc and Roman Rámos combined to finish fourth overall in the 24 Heures Motos.In what was the first event for the trio as team-mates – and the first 24 Heures Motos for Rámos – fourth place could even have been third but for time lost making additional stops to rectify an exhaust problem and gear selector issues.Nevertheless, it was the outfit’s best result since Ryuji Tsuruta acquired the team formerly run by Gilles Stafler ahead of the 2023 EWC season, improving upon the two fifth places it scored last year.A Facebook post from the team read: “It's a wrap. The team finishes fourth after a great race. Congratulations to the whole team.”
25 April 2024
How F.C.C. TSR Honda France’s bid for repeat EWC 24 Heures Motos victory unravelled
Leading FIM Endurance World Championship team F.C.C. TSR Honda France was unable to make it two victories in succession in the 24 Heures Motos after a series of setbacks at Le Mans last weekend.Starting third on the grid for the EWC season opener, trouble first struck on lap six when Josh Hook suffered a minor crash on the #5 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, dropping to 26th but fighting back to eighth following 26 laps of racing.After completing his opening stint, Hook informed team-mate Mike Di Meglio about a “strange sensation with the front tyre”, according to F.C.C. TSR Honda France. But when Di Meglio crashed early in the second hour, hopes of a repeat Le Mans victory were effectively over due to a delay of approximately 45 minutes while repairs were made.“I was taking care but we have no grip on the rear,” Di Meglio said. “I was not pushing because with the full tank of fuel at the start [of the stint] you need to manage the braking so I was taking care of when to overtake the guys but I lose the front.”
24 April 2024
Guintoli can and can’t get no satisfaction on first BMW EWC start
Sylvain Guintoli’s first appearance in the FIM Endurance World Championship riding with BMW power ended in a fine second place in the 24 Heures Motos – but not an entirely satisfied Frenchman.Guintoli has joined BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team for the 2024 EWC season following a lengthy stint with Suzuki-powered Yoshimura SERT Motul outfit, the winner by one lap.After finishing runner-up at Le Mans alongside new team-mates Illya Mykhalchyk and Marcus Reiterberger, Guintoli was asked in the post-race press conference if he was satisfied with the result.He said: “Probably not because we came here to win, we just wanted to win it, so [I’m] not satisfied with the result. But I’m satisfied with the actual race because it was a great fight, it was a really entertaining race, it kept us going, it kept us motivated. “It was great to go against SERT, I’ve been there for a few years before and I know how strong they are, I know how difficult they are to beat because I was part of this team for quite a few years. But the BMW team and Marcus and Illya can go away from here with confidence. We showed our package is competitive, we were there all the way. “Like everybody we had a few issues but overall the bike worked really well, we enjoyed the race despite the cold so I suppose the satisfaction is there but the second place is the first loser.”
23 April 2024
Alt: Honda Viltaïs Racing “didn’t deserve” early EWC retirement
Florian Alt said his Honda Viltaïs Racing team “didn’t deserve” the mechanical failure that robbed it of a possible podium finish in the second hour of the 24 Heures Motos, the opening round of the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship last weekend.The top independent team in the EWC for the last two seasons, Honda Viltaïs Racing had been in third place during the early stages of the race until the failure occurred during Steven Odendaal’s first stint.“I’m really, really not happy because we didn’t deserve it, we didn’t have any issues in the test, we didn’t have any issues last year and this time it was some material which was not in our hands,” said German rider Alt, who completed his 31-lap stint in third position. “I am really sorry for the mechanics, they did an amazing job, they rebuilt the engine in two hours to try to continue but actually it was impossible. We were so fast, it was bad luck but we come back.”Honda Viltaïs Racing Team Manager Yannick Lucot said: “It’s the first time we’ve retired so early in a race. It’s still a mechanical problem, it’s something we can’t control. So we need to analyse all that with the people from Honda. But that’s part of endurance racing. If you look at the big teams in the paddock, they’ve all experienced this kind of problem. It’s obviously very frustrating, but there are some positive points. “We had a very good preparatory tests in Le Mans and in qualifying we battled to be second, and even on pole position at one point. In the race, we were one of the fastest teams. That gave us hope of a great race and a real battle with the other teams. This retirement should help us gain in maturity and experience. It’s up to us to refocus and remobilise for Spa, so that we’ll still be in a position to battle at the front.” By qualifying fourth, Honda Viltaïs Racing left Le Mans with two championship points.
22 April 2024
National Motos Honda’s Le Mans EWC Superstock success is Bol d’Or revenge, says Suchet
Emotions ran high in the Dunlop-equipped FIM Endurance World Cup category at Le Mans yesterday with National Motos Honda gaining revenge for its agonising Bol d’Or retirement last September by topping the Superstock order in the 24 Heures Motos.The Paris-based squad was on course for the Superstock title in 2023 only to stop with 20 minutes remaining, leaving its riders and team personnel devastated.