September 17th, 2024.
YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL IS THE 2024 FIM ENDURANCE WORLD CHAMPION
Yoshimura SERT Motul was in dominant form on Sunday the 15th of September, to win the 2024 Bol d’Or 24-Hour and, in doing so, reclaimed the FIM Endurance World Championship title. The win also gives Suzuki its 21st world crown in this discipline, making it the most successful brand in the Endurance World Championship.
This is the second victory of the 2024 season for the team, and the second world title for the Yoshimura SERT Motul Japanese/French partnership.
The 87th Bol d’Or at the legendary Paul Ricard circuit in France signified the end of the 2024 EWC season. The Suzuki team arrived at the event with 110 points, and second place in the championship standings, just six points behind the leader. So, there was all to play for …
The team lined up in third position on the start grid after solid qualifying sessions. Gregg Black was super-fast off the starting block, grabbed his customary holeshot, and settled into a fast yet cautious pace as the early laps ticked away.
Etienne Masson took the second stint and followed the same strategy as Black, keeping a steady yet brisk pace with the focus on the championship win. Next up was British rider Dan Linfoot who continued to keep the Suzuki GSX-R1000R at the front.
The team’s strategy and problem-free stints saw Yoshimura SERT Motul leading at the all-important 8th hour of racing where they pocketed the maximum intermediate 10 bonus points.
A slight change of lead at the 11-hour mark temporarily pushed Yoshimura SERT Motul back to second, however, they quickly regained control and kept the competition at bay throughout the challenging night sessions. The team never looked back, increasing its lead and banking a further 10 points at the end of the 16th hour of racing.
After dominating the race, the Yoshimura SERT Motul was victorious at the 2024 Bol d’Or. Etienne Masson took the chequered flag with a lead of seven laps after a record-breaking 737 laps of the 5.673km Paul Ricard circuit. This win, combined with a win at Le Mans and podium finishes at Spa and Suzuka, secured the 2024 FIM EWC World Championship for Yoshimura SERT Motul.
Yohei KATO – team director
“It was a brilliant race. The Bol d’Or is the most demanding race in terms of reliability. We had absolutely no problems and put in a very good performance. I wasn’t expecting to do so well. We owe this result to the people who work behind the scenes at Yoshimura; the designers and engineers. They built a very good bike, so I’d like to thank all those people behind us. And of course I’d like to thank the whole Yoshimura SERT Motul team. Our pit stops were so much quicker than the others! Of course we fight for the title every season, and I’m very proud of the team and this result.”
Damien SAULNIER – team manager
“When two of our main rivals had tyre problems, it inevitably reshuffled the cards. We took the decision to bring the bike in earlier. It was the right decision. But there were other top teams out there and we had to fight hard to stay ahead. After that, our task was to manage our lead without losing concentration, which is never easy. But the whole team did a superb job from start to finish. We made no mistakes and had no problems. It was the perfect race!”
Gregg BLACK – rider
“I worked hard over the summer to get back into shape after my injury at the Suzuka test. I did as much as I could, but I wasn’t sure that I’d recovered 100% before tackling the Bol d’Or, which is a particularly difficult 24-hour race. I felt constant pain during my stints, and it became quite complicated for me towards the end of the race. But I was never in doubt. I wanted to play my part and stay with my team-mates right to the end. I fought hard and this victory has a special meaning for me.”
Etienne MASSON – rider
“The Japanese worked extremely hard last winter to enable us to turn a corner in terms of performance and that helped us immediately in the first race. The championship then followed on from that with two 8-hour races which weren’t entirely to our advantage, but we still managed to claim two podiums. When we arrived here, we knew it was a circuit that suited us a little better. We all had an excellent feeling on the bike. I also had good team-mates to rely on. Nobody weakened. We all form a very strong team and we showed that once again with a win and the title at the same time.”
Dan LINFOOT – rider
“Winning the championship in my first year in endurance racing, I couldn’t have dreamt of anything better. Of course, when you join a team like this, you know what’s at stake, but it’s been an incredible experience for me. I’d like to highlight the work of the team and my team-mates. I didn’t have their experience in a 24-hour race. Sometimes it was a bit more complicated for me during certain stints, but I’m happy with the race I did. I was fast when I had to be, and I played it safe when I had to. The aim was to try and bring home victory and the championship for the team. We achieved both.”
Cocoro ATSUMI – rider
“I have been working with the team since the winter development tests and I am very happy that Yoshimura SERT Motul has achieved its goal to win the world championship. The teamwork was amazing during the Bol d’Or – my teammates were solid, the crew was so efficient, while the preparation and decisions made by the management were meticulous. Even though my name will not be documented as a world championship winner, I am proud that I was able to contribute to the team’s overall result by competing at the Suzuka 8-Hour where we finished third. I have seen how hard the team has worked throughout the season, and I want to congratulate everyone.”
Yoshimura SERT Motul won the opening round of the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship at Le Mans. It was second at Spa and third at Suzuka. Its win at the Bol d’Or saw it win the Championship with 173 points.
Pictured :
1. Endurance World Championship winning team [l-r] – Dan Linfoot, Cocoro Atsum, Yohei Kato, Damien Saulnier, Gregg Black, Etienne Masson.
2. Gregg Black blasts off the Bol d’Or start to take the holeshot.
3. Etienne Masson was fast and steady throughout the race.
4. Dan Linfoot put in an impressive performance to pick up his first World title.
5. Yoshimura SERT Motul were super-fast with every pit stop.
6/7/8. The team maintained consistency and speed throughout the night stints.
9. Etienne Masson brought the team’s Suzuki GSX-R1000R safely home after 24 hours of racing and 737 laps of the Paul Ricard circuit.
