The 8 Hours of Spa was marked by unstable weather and tricky track conditions throughout. Gregg Black got off to an excellent start and took the holeshot from pole position. He was overtaken at Les Combes but opted for a measured approach and completed a cautious first stint in fourth position. Etienne Masson then joined the race and proved to be consistent in dry conditions, enabling Yoshimura SERT Motul to move back into the top three.
Dan Linfoot took over the reins with the Suzuki GSX-R1000R in second position. He set a steady pace that allowed the Suzuki #1 to maintain a solid position in the leading pack. However, the weather changed all that with the arrival of heavy rain, first in localised areas and then across the whole track. Back on track, Black, following his team’s strategy, opted not to take any risks given the precarious grip of the track. Despite setting a good pace, the team dropped to fourth place.
Over the next few hours, the weather switched between sudden showers and calm conditions. The three Yoshimura SERT Motul riders performed cautious but effective stints, enabling the Suzuki #1 to maintain fourth position despite the very demanding conditions for both riders and machines.
Thanks to strong race management, and constant involvement of its riders, Yoshimura SERT Motul dealt with the challenges of the day and put in an error-free performance. The result allowed the team to collect a further 19 points and consolidate its sixth place in the provisional championship standings.
Yohei KATO – Team Director
“I am quite disappointed with our performance today, particularly in wet conditions. We implemented a completely new setup this winter that proved effective in dry conditions, as demonstrated during yesterday’s qualifying sessions. However, it did not perform as expected in the rain, which is understandably frustrating. I feel responsible for this and sincerely apologise to both our riders and the entire team. Looking ahead, we have two testing sessions scheduled before Suzuka. Given the likelihood of rain during the summer rainy season, we plan to trial a different approach that I have already been considering in order to bounce back strongly after the challenges faced in the last two races.
Damien SAULNIER – Team Manager
“It was a difficult race and it is clear that we didn’t achieve what we were aiming for. That said, the team’s performance during the race was not bad and we are scoring more championship points. It turned out that we were not very comfortable in the wet, whereas we performed very well in the dry, as we did at Le Mans. In these conditions, the feeling of the riders wasn’t optimal and it is clear that the overall balance between the riders, the bike, the tyres and the chassis is not yet working as it should. We are going to work together, we are going to find solutions together and we are going to perform together for the rest of the championship in Suzuka and at the Bol d’Or. We have a lot of work ahead of us, with two practice sessions scheduled very soon. I have absolute confidence in the whole team, and I know that we will find solutions to face this challenge together.”
Gregg BLACK – Rider
“Naturally, we are a little disappointed with the result because, clearly, our ambition was to aim for the podium, not fourth place. In the dry, we showed that we were competitive, but the race was much wetter than expected and that complicated things. Our technical choices favoured optimum performance in the dry, but in the rain, it was difficult to exploit our true potential. All three of us found it difficult to get a feeling of the bike and, after the previous experience at Le Mans, it was important to stay on our wheels and not make any mistakes. Of course, it’s frustrating not to be able to fight for victory but this race has also taught us some valuable lessons. The bike was reliable, the team did an excellent job and despite the conditions, my team-mates and I managed to complete some solid stints. Now we will have to improve our approach to changing conditions, because we know that in the dry, our package performs well.”
Etienne MASSON – Rider
“We really gave everything we had to push hard for the win, but it was all in vain and that is obviously quite frustrating. We had opted for a fairly radical set-up in dry conditions, without anticipating as much rain in the afternoon, so our strategy simply didn’t work given the conditions we encountered throughout the race. The bike was not set up to perform well on such a wet track, but that is what endurance racing is all about. We fully accept this choice, and we will now focus on the rest of the championship. The important thing is to learn from our mistakes during the early part of the season and avoid repeating them in the future.”
Dan LINFOOT – Rider
“It was a tough race. Naturally, we are not entirely satisfied with finishing fourth as our aim was to fight at least for the podium. We need to analyse the reasons behind our performance in the wet, as all three of us struggled with feeling and lack of pace in those conditions. On a personal note, I am quite pleased with my first race back after my shoulder injury because the pain is now behind me. So now, I am looking forward to heading to Suzuka where I can give 100% in both testing and the race.”
The next round of the 2025 FIM EWC World Championship takes place on the 3rd of August at the legendary Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan.
