Yoshimura SERT Motul dominated free practice and qualifying at the Bol d’Or for the final round of the 2025 Endurance World Championship.
The Suzuki GSX-R1000R-mounted reigning world champion will kick off the famous 24-Hour event in southern France from pole position, keeping its chances of winning another world title alive.
The world championship title will be decided on the famed Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet where, mathematically, many teams, including Yoshimura SERT Motul, are still in contention for the crown.
The team had a particularly difficult start to the season, but its podium finish at the Coca-Cola Suzuka 8-Hours allowed it to get back in contention. The team, managed by Yohei Kato and Damien Saulnier, entered this last round of the season just 15 points behind the provisional championship leader. With a maximum of 65 points up for grabs at the Bol d’Or, anything is possible for the Franco-Japanese team.
The team arrived at the Paul Ricard circuit earlier this week with the clear objective of climbing to the top step of the podium. The riders in the seat of the #1 Suzuki bike demonstrated their ambitions by dominating free practice and then the first qualifying session, which took place on Thursday. Gregg Black led the session with a lap time of 1:51.311, setting a new circuit record. In the same wave, Etienne Masson and Dan Linfoot also dominated their respective sessions, with a time of 1:51.483 for the Frenchman and a best lap of 1:51.663 for his British teammate.
This unchallenged dominance continued during the night practice, where the official Suzuki once again demonstrated its performance by setting the fastest lap time.
The final qualifying session took place this morning, Friday the 19th of September. As determined as ever, the three Suzuki riders continued their efforts to try to score maximum points. While Black (1:51.456) and Linfoot (1:52.444) did not improve on their best times set the day before, Masson caused a sensation by setting a new absolute record on this track with an exceptional lap time of 1:50.932.
Based on the average of its two best lap times recorded across all qualifying sessions, Yoshimura SERT Motul achieved a time of 1:51.122, securing pole position. This feat has already earned the team an additional five points in the championship.
Yohei KATO – team director
“We came here to score maximum points. This pole position fulfils our first objective. The team’s attitude is very good. Personally, I am always very focused on the race, but during these qualifying sessions, I feel that we have achieved the best possible performance. Etienne has done something extraordinary. The technical team has also worked very hard. We chose the ZF suspension from the Suzuka 8 Hours, which has brought us a big improvement. Everyone can be confident now. We are focused on the race and on the goal of winning. We can achieve it.”
Damien SAULNIER – team manager
“We’ve won the last three editions of the Bol d’Or, so Le Castellet seems to suit us pretty well. Since the start of the week, everything has fallen into place perfectly. The bike and tyres are performing very well here, and our riders are fast and consistent. We have the perfect tyre/rider/machine combination! Our strategy for the race is simple; there are 65 points up for grabs here, and we need to go and get them. We’ve already taken the first five. Now we need to secure the rest. There’s no other strategy. We’re going to give it our all to be at the front and we’ll do the calculations at the end of the race.”
Gregg BLACK – rider
“We are really pleased to be in a good position for the final. It’s not always the team’s primary objective, but this time, with the slight gap in the championship, it was important to score as many points as possible. We’ve done that. The team did a great job on the chassis, engine and electronics to make the bike really enjoyable in race and qualifying conditions. Personally, I didn’t have ideal conditions on the straight today and my lap time didn’t improve, but the bike’s potential is there and Etienne proved it. Now it’s time for the race and the serious stuff.”
Etienne MASSON – rider
“I had already set a good time yesterday. I knew I could improve further by using the draft of another rider on the long Mistral straight. I waited a long time for an opportunity during my last session. We are fortunate to have excellent Bridgestone qualifying tyres, which allow us to do five to six laps at a fairly high performance level. When the ideal moment presented itself, I took my chance at the right time. I’m not a qualifying rider, but it’s nice to be at the front. We have a fantastic chassis and the team has done an incredible job. The bike is really perfect. The team also did a great job on the pit stops; I think we’re the fastest. We’re in the hunter’s position for the race, which is the best position!”
Dan LINFOOT – rider
“We are really delighted to have scored maximum points to help us in our quest for the title. The race bike feels really good. We are all very comfortable and satisfied with how the bike is performing for the race. So we can’t wait to get started. The target is to try and score maximum points in the 8-hour and 16-hour intervals. It’s a clear goal and the whole team has done a perfect job to achieve it. We can’t wait for tomorrow’s race.”
The 88th Bol d’Or will start tomorrow, Saturday the 20th of September, at 3pm CET. The race will be broadcast live and in full on Eurosport Player and partially on Eurosport 2, La Chaîne l’Equipe and other media around the world.
Pictured:
1. Yoshimura SERT Motul team
2. Etienne Masson en route to record-breaking qualifying lap
3. Gregg Black
4. Dan Linfoot
5. Etienne Masson celebrates best lap time
Posted on September 19, 2025 by Michael Le Pard
