YART Yamaha Secure Second in Qualifying at Title-Deciding Bol d’Or
The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team of Niccolò Canepa, Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika and Reserve Rider Robin Mulhauser are still on course to lift back-to-back FIM Endurance World Championship titles after producing a strong performance in qualifying to claim second on the grid and secure a vital four points ahead of Sunday’s season-defining 24-hour race.
The YART Yamaha squad, reigning FIM Endurance World Champions, arrived at the season finale in France, leading the overall standings by six points, knowing their fate was in their own hands. Win the race and lead at the eight and 16-hour marks to secure the maximum 60 points on offer, and they would be crowned champions. Nevertheless, five valuable points were available during qualifying, which could prove crucial when the chequered flag is waved on Sunday, so YART were looking to improve on their performance from 2023, when they qualified in fourth, and continue their 100% pole record in 2024.
The Austrian squad started positively during Thursday’s two-hour Free Practice by ending the session in second place after setting a 1:53.176. However, the weather conditions at the Le Castellet circuit had changed dramatically since the Private Test held earlier in the week on Tuesday. Heavy winds meant that the data the team had collected during the test was not really relevant, so it was a case of starting from scratch and assessing the tyre combinations and setups on their Bridgestone-shod R1 that would work best during the race.
The first qualifying sessions took place on Thursday afternoon, but with the wind getting even stronger around the 5.673km Circuit Paul Ricard, YART decided only to use one set of race tyres for all four riders. This is because in the EWC, each team has seven new tyres available to them during qualifying, which they can allocate to fronts or rears, so YART had made a strategic call to save their fresh tyres for the second qualifying sessions on Friday morning in the hope the conditions would improve.
Even so, all of the riders were instantly quick, with Canepa ending the Blue session in second with a 1:53.000. Fritz was next out in the Yellow group on the same tyres his teammate had just used. The German rider also showed good pace on the used rubber and ended the session in P2 after setting a 1:53.712. Sticking with the same set of tyres, Hanika impressively topped the Red session with a 1:54.321, and YART were sitting in provisional second.
The team continued the good work during the Night Practice, with Hanika going almost a second quicker than his qualifying time to top the session with a 1:53.511 despite the cooler temperatures.
As Friday morning rolled around, YART’s tyre strategy looked like it may have been a masterstroke. The winds had died down slightly, but they were still causing issues for riders, especially on the 1.8 km Mistral straight, where 75km/h gusts were causing havoc with the bikes. Undeterred Canepa, who is retiring from racing after the Bol d’Or, went out on fresh tyres and improved on his best time from Thursday with a 1:52.654 to top the second Blue session.
Fritz continued the team’s excellent pace with a 1:52.730 in the Yellow rider group, which was good enough for second before Hanika also dropped below the 1:53 barrier with a 1:52.831 to finish the Red session in third. Reserve rider Robin Mulhauser helped to play his part as always, as he topped both green rider sessions while also helping to fine-tune the setup on the YART Yamaha #1 R1, ending with a quickest time of 1:53.365.
In the EWC, the two fastest riders’ times are combined to give an average, which decides the final qualifying positions. Using the best laps from Canepa and Fritz, YART secured second with a time of 1:52.692. Crucially, though, they were one place ahead of their main title rivals in third, which means that YART were awarded four points compared to their three and extended their lead in the championship standings to seven ahead of the race.
The KM99 Team of Jérémy Guarnoni, Florian Marino, and Randy de Puniet showed good pace to qualify in seventh, while the 3ART Best of Bike team, who could win the superstock-based FIM Endurance World Cup if results go their way, will start from 26th on the grid.
The 87th edition of the legendary Bol d’Or kicks off at 3 pm local time (UTC+2) on Saturday with the traditional “Le Mans” running start, and with the Teams and Manufacturer’s titles in both classes still to be decided, it should prove a fitting finale to the 2024 EWC season.
Bol d’Or Combined Qualifying Results
Niccolò Canepa
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“To start the championship decider in second and secure four vital championship points is a good result. I think it was possible to fight for pole, but our aim was to qualify in front of our main title rivals, and we managed to do that, so it’s a job well done. I am normally very confident about the race, but due to the changing conditions and the wind, we couldn’t prepare everything like we normally would, as we effectively had to start from scratch on Thursday morning. Even so, it is now all down to the race, and Marvin and Karel are riding really well, and together, we feel we can make up for any disadvantage. We still have a few things to figure out regarding settings and tyres, but we will work hard overnight and during the early part of the race to find the best solutions. It will be my final EWC race, and I want to end my endurance racing career in the best way possible, not just for me but for the whole team, so bring it on.”
Karel Hanika
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“Qualifying was good! We finished in second overall, which was good, as our qualifying here in the past has not been our strongest point. The important point is that we secured four points and extended our lead in the championship to seven, and you never know, when the chequered flag waves on Sunday afternoon, that could prove vital. It hasn’t been easy, as the wind has caused some issues, and everyone is having to adjust to these tricky conditions. I did a solid time. I think I could have gone faster, but now it is time to turn our focus to the race and ensure that we give it everything to become back-to-back EWC champions.”
Marvin Fritz
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I am happy with how qualifying went. I feel we did our best, even if we could have improved in some areas. Most importantly, we qualified ahead of our main title rivals and increased our lead over them by one point. I am feeling good for the race; we have a good bike and good tyres, so now it all comes down to 3 pm on Saturday when the race starts. I cannot wait!”
Mandy Kainz
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team – Team Manager
“It has not been the easiest start to the race weekend, especially with the wind, which meant we effectively had to start from scratch as the data we collected at the Private Test was not relevant, but I am happy that we managed to secure second, and four valuable points. The team and riders have worked brilliantly, trying to find the best setup and tyre combinations for the race, and while we still have some work to do, everyone else is in the same boat, so the race could be very interesting. We know that if we lead at the eight and 16-hour mark and win the race, we will be crowned champions; it is as simple as that, although anything can happen in endurance racing. After all the hard work this year, it all comes down to the race, and our destiny is in our own hands, so we can’t wait to get started.”
