Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps has undergone extensive safety upgrades, the result of changes mandated by both the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and Fédération Motocycliste de Belgique (FMB), ahead of the second round of the 2022 EWC season but remains international motorbike racing’s answer to an adrenalin-filled rollercoaster ride.
Central to the changes, which have been ratified by the Fédération Internationale de l’Autombile (FIA) in line with car racing requirements, are expanded run-off areas at several corners, the repositioning of safety barriers in some sections, plus the realignment of the Speaker’s Corner left-hander, albeit for bike use only.
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Additional infrastructure work and the construction of a purpose-built grandstand at the top of Raidillon has also been undertaken for a total cost of €25 million.
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
François Ribeiro – Head of Discovery Sports Events
“The two- and four-wheel motorsport community will soon be very impressed with the high level of safety work ongoing at Spa-Francorchamps right now. Once completed and homologated by the FIA and FIM this April, Spa will be even more special and appealing as a track to all drivers and riders than ever before. The 24H SPA EWC Motos has all the ingredients to become a true classic of the FIM EWC calendar, on par with 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans, the Suzuka 8 Hours and the 24 hours of Bol d’Or in terms of prestige and importance but probably greater in terms of the sporting and technical challenge facing our riders and teams. The team at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Discovery Sports Events and PHA Claude Michy are working flat out together to deliver an excellent event for fans to experience and remember forever. It’s a great honour to welcome Spa-Francorchamps into the FIM EWC family and to see the sporting level of the championship rising year on year. We cannot wait for more endurance racing history to be made at Spa on 4-5 June.”
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Melchior Wathelet – Board Chair, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
“We are delighted to welcome the FIM EWC, an internationally renowned championship, to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. I would like to thank our partner François Ribeiro from Discovery Sports Events of course, but also FIM and FMB for their confidence and finally the teams and riders who can’t wait to take part in this great event. Our teams are working tirelessly and hand in hand with event coordinator Claude Michy and his team. We are also happy to offer an exceptional weekend of entertainment. On track with the 24H SPA EWC Motos but also the three support series that will complete the programme: the 4 Hours of Spa Classic, the FIM Sidecar World Championship and finally the International Bridgestone Handy Race. Around the track there will be many animations and experiences to ensure we can welcome fans in the best conditions.”
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The 24H SPA EWC Motos is due to begin at 14h00 CET on Saturday 4 June, marking the first time since 2001 that a round of the FIM Endurance World Championship takes place on the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
Masakazu Fujii has led his Honda-powered team to victory in the Endurance World Championship and engineered motorcycles that have won Grand Prix and TT races
Few other people in modern motorcycling have had a career quite like Masa Fujii’s. The Japanese veteran’s team has won World Championship Grand Prix races, the Le Mans 24 hours, the Suzuka Eight Hours and the Endurance World Championship, while his motorcycles have won everything from GP races to Isle of Man TTs.
Most of Fujii’s life has been lived with motorcycles, always Honda, because his father was friends with company founder Soichiro Honda, prompting a lifelong love of Honda machinery.
And yet he didn’t fall in love with motorcycles immediately.
“The first time I rode one was with my dad,” recalls Fujii, who’s based in Barcelona, Spain. “I didn’t like motorcycles at first, so it took time for me to like them and start racing. Then it didn’t take long for me to start loving them. Now motorcycles are my life. I plan on living with motorcycles and exploring with them for the rest of my life!”
A younger Masakazu Fujii and father Teruyoshi
Fuji’s father Teruyoshi played his part in Japan’s motorcycle boom of the 1950s, kickstarted by the creation of Honda Motor Co, Ltd and other marques. Soichiro Honda encouraged Fujii to move to Suzuka City, where Honda were building Japan’s first racetrack, the Suzuka Circuit. Fujii established Technical Sports in 1963, the year after Suzuka opened. Masa took over the company in 1984 and still adheres to his father’s philosophies.
“Dad made the organisation of Technical Sports with Honda and raced as a factory team. I watched first-hand how he lived. Race results, photos, trophies, I don’t keep any of them, so there’s nothing left. That’s my habit. My dad was like that. He used to throw away his trophies, and as a child I’d pick them up and keep them. He didn’t care about those things, and after a while that’s how I became.
“He used to say that riders know the path and that everything is possible with motorcycles – they’re 3D, they can go anywhere. I believe they’re the best kind of transportation given to mankind. Riding a motorcycle makes life that much more wonderful.”
Australian Josh Hook has been with Masakazu Fujii and the F.C.C. TSR Honda France squad since 2016
Fujii’s team contested the Suzuka Eight Hours for the first time in 1990. The following year he renamed his company Technical Sports Racing (TSR) and entered rider Noboru Ueda in the 1991 Japanese 125cc GP. This was Ueda’s GP debut but he won the race anyway, encouraging Fujii to embark on a full World Championship programme with the youngster, who became one of the most popular riders in GP racing over the next decade.
In 1997 TSR graduated to the premier class, the 500cc World Championship, with Nobuatsu Aoki, riding a Honda NSR500. Aoki had an amazing rookie season, finishing third overall – on the championship podium! – behind factory Honda riders Mick Doohan and Tadayuki Okada.
Fujii took his company to the next level in the late 1990s, building 125cc and 250cc GP bikes, always powered by Honda engines. These machines were extremely popular with riders and achieved many successes across the sport. In 1999 Briton John McGuinness won the 250cc Isle of Man TT on a TSR Honda RS250 and two years later Ueda won the Italian 125cc GP aboard a TSR Honda RS125.
From the turn of the century Fujii focused his attentions on four-stroke racing, especially the hugely prestigious Suzuka Eight Hours race, taking victory in 2006, 2011 and 2012. By this time TSR had built a global reputation for its performance parts – in 2012 Marc Marquez won the Moto2 World Championship using a TSR quick-shifter in his Honda CBR600-powered Moto2 bike.
Masakazu Fujii
In 2016 Fujii embarked on another global pilgrimage, contesting the Endurance World Championship. Now based in Europe, he went into partnership with Honda France – famed for its success in endurance racing since the 1970s – and the team became F.C.C.TSR Honda France. This new partnership was immediately successful, winning the endurance world title in the 2017-2018 season.
20178-18 FIM World Endurance Champions F.C.C. TSR Honda France
F.C.C. TSR Honda France has achieved a total of three 24-hour wins: the 2018 and 2020 Le Mans races and the 2018 Bol d’Or. All these events were won using Honda CBR1000RR and CBR1000RR-R Fireblade machinery, tuned and prepared by TSR staff.
“It’s been Honda since I was born. Since I was born everything was Honda – cars, bikes and even lawnmowers!”
Fujii loves endurance racing for the unique challenge it represents to teams, riders and engineers.
“MotoGP, which I love, is a 100-metre sprint. Endurance racing is a marathon, and once you reach the finish there’s a unique feeling of achievement.
“My TSR team’s advantage is that we are always a small team. In 1991 we went to the Grands Prix with five us one, one of them our rider, all of us Japanese. In our EWC team we have a few Japanese members and we are gradually growing, with Spanish and French people working with us.”
In 2022 the F.C.C. TSR Honda France team will contest its seventh season in the Endurance World Championship with riders Josh Hook, Mike Di Meglio and Gino Rea riding the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. Fujii will be there every step of the way – from the gruelling heat of Suzuka to the cold of the night at Spa-Francorchamps – as he looks to add to the Fireblade’s amazing run of success in endurance racing.
ERC Endurance Ducati adds Checa and Fores for EWC 2022
After dominating racetracks around the world with the V4 R in sprint racing, Ducati are stepping up there efforts to win the FIM World Endurance Championship in 2022. The EWC Endurance Team has also signed a new two-year agreement with Ducati Corse, which brings engineering support, among several other benefits to its attack. The team is planning pre-season testing at Portimão and Misano.
Spaniards David Checa and Xavi Fores will add further international flavour – and even more pace – to the ERC Endurance Ducati squad contesting the upcoming FIM Endurance World Championship season.
Joining Frenchman Mathieu Gines and Italian Lorenzo Zanetti, Checa and Fores will help to create a formidable line-up on the German team’s Ducati Panigale V4R.
ERC Endurance Ducati
Checa is one of the most successful and experienced riders in the history of endurance racing and is transferring from the factory Kawasaki outfit to the team from Karlsruhe. Winner of the EWC in 2004, 2014, 2016/17 and 2018/19, Checa also has experience in MotoGP and the World Superbike Championship. In addition, the 41-year-old has won the Bol d’Or twice and the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans on three occasions.
David Checa
“Since first entering the EWC competition at Malaysia two years ago I was able to watch the Ducati very closely on track and from beside and from the beginning it was clear to see the potential of the Panigale V4R-EWC. The team has had a strong first season, showing the Ducati can mix it up front. They also learned a lot already and I am happy to now be part of this project. I will use all my experience on every single point to help bringing it further ahead.”
Fores, 36, joins ERC Endurance Ducati from the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, which he helped to finish runner-up in the 2021 FIM EWC Teams’ ranking. With experience and pedigree in GP125, Moto2, MotoGP, World Superbike and World Supersport, Fores is also a title winner in the German IDM Superbike series.
Xavi Fores
“I had some great success with Ducati already and I think the ERC Endurance Panigale V4R-EWC can not only win podiums and races, but also fight for championships. I am looking forward to the new season and I think we can build on the great potential the team showed last year already.”
Gines and Zanetti, meanwhile, helped EWC Endurance Ducati to ninth place in the battle to win the 2021 FIM EWC Teams’ title. A decision on which member of the team’s quartet will take the fourth rider role will be made a later date, along with the decision on the tyre partner.
EWC Endurance Ducati Team Manager Frank Hoffmann
“With Mathieu Gines, Lorenzo Zanetti, David Checa and Xavi Fores we have four absolute endurance specialists that are quick as hell. For ERC Endurance it is a big honour to have four such high profile riders joining us after just one year as it shows we gained a lot of respect in our first season in the FIM Endurance World Championship. We were quick and our Panigale V4R was more than reliable with our mechanics doing a great job in the pits. Of course we had to learn a lot and we have to take the learned things to 2022 to even get better. But it is a fact that with this bike and those four riders we have all the tools to fight for podiums, wins and the sharp end in the overall standing of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship.”
British rider Gino Rea has joined the factory Honda team for the 2022 FIM EWC season. Gino Rea will share the saddle of F.C.C. TSR Honda France’s CBR1000RR-R with Australian rider Josh Hook and Frenchman Mike di Meglio.
Having participated in the Suzuka 8 Hours while competing in the Supersport World Championship, Gino Rea made his debut in the FIM Endurance World Championship with Wójcik Racing Team. After a noteworthy 2nd-place finish at an epic Bol d’Or in 2019, Gino Rea has become an experienced endurance rider, and contributed to the winning the young Polish team 4th place overall.
The talent and performances of the British rider have now been recognized by one of the most prominent factory teams.
The FIM EWC champions in 2017-2018, F.C.C. TSR Honda France are re-entering the race for the title in 2022 with a new three-rider line-up. Gino Rea will ride alongside the two mainstays of the Japanese team, Josh Hook and Mike di Meglio.
Australian rider Josh Hook won the world title with F.C.C. TSR Honda France during the 2017-2018 season.
Frenchman Mike di Meglio, the GP 125 world champion in 2008, got his first taste of endurance racing with GMT94 before joining the factory Honda team and winning, among other races, the 2018 Bol d’Or and the 2020 24 Heures Motos.
The new F.C.C. TSR Honda France rider line-up will be heading to Japan and then to Spain for winter testing to prepare for the opening round of the 2022 FIM EWC season in April at Le Mans.
The 2018-2019 FIM EWC champions Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar are revving up to go after the 2022 title, thanks to now running the same Magneti Marelli electronics as some of the top teams.
Gilles Stafler has also rejigged the riders in the saddle of the 2022 factory ZX-10RR.
Randy de Puniet is making a comeback. The former MotoGP rider has already previously taken Kawasaki to the podium of the 2016 Bol d’Or and the 2017 24 Heures Motos. He was also on the second step of the 2021 Bol d’Or podium with Moto Ain.
Randy de Puniet
“I choose to join the SRC Team because I know the team very well since Gilles recruited me in 2016 and then made two seasons in 2017 and 2018 with excellent results but unfortunately without victory. The team is very competitive, the bike is performing well and should be even better this season. My teammates are fast with a lot of experience in endurance racing. The objective is of course to fight for the victory and the championship. In a way, I’m going back home to finish writing this story!”
Randy de Puniet
Florian Marino has contributed over the past three seasons to the progress of the privateer team VRD Igol Experiences. Formerly a rider in the FIM Supersport championship, he will be riding with Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar for the first time.
Florian Marino
“First of all, Kawasaki reminds me of great memories. I already have a history with this brand with which I participated in the World Supersport Championship in 2013, to finish 3rd the following season. I also think there is a link because of my role (test rider) with Alex Lowes in the KRT (Kawasaki Racing Team) in World Superbike, but also because my manager, Fabien Foret, has ridden for this team in the past, with whom he has maintained a close relationship. So, I would say that this choice was rather coherent and matches a period of my career where I feel ready to join a team of this level.”
Etienne Masson is the most seasoned endurance racer of the three. He has ridden for Suzuki since 2013 and has already won three FIM world championship titles in 2015, 2016 and 2019-2020 with Suzuki Endurance Racing Team.
Etienne Masson
“This is one of the most successful teams in the paddock, not so long ago we were fighting for the world crown and it was Gilles’ team that had the last word. With a good bike and such an experienced team, I think we can start with a lot of peace of mind.”
Gilles Stafler – Team Manager
“We will have to work fast and well. It’s a new bike with new electronics but I’ve been asking for this equipment for years, so it’s up to me to make sure it works. I’m really satisfied that Kawasaki are giving us a helping hand this year. It’s a very interesting new challenge with new riders. We should start riding after mid-January and I’m quite optimistic. The competition is making progress too and anything can happen in an endurance race, but we’ll do our best to get concrete results in 2022.”
The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team has been back on track with new team-mate Jéremy Guarnoni at Almeria in Spain, preparing for season 2022.
Jeremy Guarnoni joins the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team
2021 was a successful season, including victory in Most (CZE) and second place overall in the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC), with the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team now concentrating fully on preparations for 2022.
Team manager Werner Daemen has taken the team to Almeria in Spain for the first three-day winter testing session. A new face is in action on the #37 BMW M 1000 RR alongside Markus Reiterberger (GER), Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) and Kenny Foray (FRA): Jéremy Guarnoni (FRA).
Jeremy Guarnoni – BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team
The 28-year-old Frenchman Guarnoni is a familiar face in the Endurance World Championship. He appeared in his first FIM EWC race at the age of 18, competing in the 2012 Bol d’Or in Magny-Cours (FRA). He has been a fixture in the FIM EWC since 2018 and became world champion in the 2018/19 season.
He was also the 2010 Superstock 600 European champion before competing for many years in the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship, where he claimed third place in the championship on two occasions and also got to know his new team-mates Reiterberger and Mikhalchik. Guarnoni spent a season racing in the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) in 2014.
Jéremy Guarnoni
“I have a very good impression of the bike. The performance is really unbelievable, and I immediately felt good on it. I am also very happy with the team, which is very professional. I have a really good feeling about the mechanics, the crew chief and my team-mates. I already knew Ilya, Markus and Kenny as opponents, and now they are my team-mates. That is really cool. I am sure we can achieve great things next season, and I am looking forward to it.”
Jéremy Guarnoni
The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team is using the test in Almeria to continue work on optimising the #37 BMW M 1000 RR. New components and set-up solutions are being evaluated. Together with tyre partner Dunlop, the team is testing a range of tyre options. Guarnoni also has the option of using the testing to familiarise himself with the motorbike and the team.
Werner Daemen – Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team
“It has been a fantastic year for us, our first full year in FIM EWC. I am very proud of the whole team and everyone at BMW, as we finished second in the championship together. I think we really deserved that, especially the victory in the final race. We are now here testing for 2022 already. We have a lot to do over the next few days, but I am very happy with the set-up we have now. Markus, Ilya and Kenny are excellent guys and top riders. Jéremy Guarnoni is new to the team. I have been a fan of his since day one. He is a real endurance rider and a very good addition to the group. We have already had a lot of fun, which I feel is very important.”
Three race dates have already been confirmed for the 2022 season in the FIM EWC. The season starts on 16th/17th April with the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA), the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will take place on 4th/5th June and the 8 Hours of Suzuka (JPN) will return to the FIM EWC calendar on 7th August. Further race dates are yet to be confirmed.
Markus Reiterberger
“Firstly, after a good season in 2021, we know exactly what we need to work on. I am very pleased that we still have a test this year. That is very important for us, as it allows us to lay important foundations for the coming year. I am pleased to be able to welcome Jéremy – another strong rider and a former world champion – to the team. The first day of testing was really tiring for everyone, as it was very cold and there was a lot to test. We got through most of the programme, but there are still a few important things to do. The initial impressions are definitely promising. With the improvements we can still make, I believe we will be able to make up that one position we missed out on this season. I am very confident and pleased to be part of the team.”
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team
Ilya Mikhalchik
“It feels really good to be able to start preparations for 2022 this year. Firstly, I would like to welcome our new team member, Jéremy. I hope we can achieve some good results together. He is a very experienced endurance rider and I think we will learn a lot from each other. I am very happy to be riding with him in the team and on this bike. We have made a few improvements. I think we have a good overall package, with which we can win. We showed that in the last race. We are now testing a few things, to give ourselves an even better chance. I believe we have the potential to challenge at the top next year.”
Kenny Foray
“Our winter test is very early, but that is very good for us. The new bike is even better than the old one. It is really enjoyable to ride. I am hoping for a really good year for the whole team. If I am able to contribute to us improving, then I am definitely ready.”
The 2021 FIM Endurance World Championship took place over a five month season this year, running from June through to October, culminating with Yoshimura SERT Motul crowned as the 2021 FIM EWC champions. Here’s how it played out:
Yoshimura SERT Motul Team won the championship
With two wins, at the 24 Heures Motos and the Bol d’Or, the new Franco-Japanese Suzuki factory team Yoshimura SERT Motul took the 2021 world title ahead of BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. The factory BMW team wrapped up their second season with a brilliant first-ever win at the final in Most after two podiums at Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Estoril.
Third overall in the 2021 FIM Endurance World Championship, Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar had an outstanding season even though they did not win any of the races. Second at the 24 Heures Motos and the 12 Hours of Estoril, the French Kawasaki team fought Yoshimura SERT Motul to the very end for third place at the final in Most. At the Bol d’Or, Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar had been fighting for a podium finish when an engine problem forced them to retire.
Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar
Fourth in the world standings behind these factory teams, VRD Igol Experiences completed their finest season since their arrival in the EWC class. The Yamaha-supported independent team forged ahead of the other privateer teams. They fought a memorable battle with BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team for 3rd place on the podium at Estoril.
Having finished fourth in the EWC class at the 24 Heures Motos, fourth overall at the 12 Hours of Estoril and 3rd in the EWC class at the Bol d’Or, VRD Igol Experiences eventually conceded defeat at the 6 Hours of Most following mechanical woes. The winners of the 2016-2017 FIM Superstock World Cup, VRD Igol Experiences entered the FIM EWC Top 5 for the first time, ahead of two factory teams.
VRD Igol Experiences
F.C.C. TSR Honda France, 5th in the 2021 overall standings, had a turbulent time of it this season. At Le Mans, the Japanese Honda team were lapping in 2nd place but dropped to 9th past the finish line as a result of an electrical problem followed by a crash. Their win at the 12 Hours of Estoril put the Honda team back in the running for the title but a mechanical problem forced them to withdraw at the Bol d’Or and put paid to their hopes of winning the world crown. A crash at Most distanced them even further from the 2021 overall podium.
YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team’s sixth place in the 2021 FIM EWC standings belies the performance of the Austrian factory team. The Yamaha #7 took pole position in three of the season’s four races. Yoshimura SERT Motul alone were able to get ahead of YART on the starting grid of the Bol d’Or. But YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team were almost never able to maintain their chances of winning to the end: they retired at the 24 Heures Motos and the Bol d’Or and crashed towards the end of the race at the 12 Hours of Estoril.
YART
Their epic duel with BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team for the win at the 6 Hours of Most was their finest performance. YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team finished second at Most, seven hundredths of a second behind the winner, with Marvin Fritz beating the lap record four times in the final half-hour of the race.
Seventh in the overall standings, Moto Ain made a noteworthy entrance into the EWC class after winning the FIM Superstock World Cup twice in a row. The French Yamaha-supported privateer team began by retiring at the 24 Heures Motos but caught up and scored important points with a 5th place at Estoril and 2nd place at the Bol d‘Or. A crash at Most prevented them entering the overall Top 5 in their very first season in the EWC class.
Moto Ain
Eighth in the 2021 classification, the independent German team Motobox Kremer Racing had their finest season since 2010, when they finished sixth. As is often the case, the orange Motobox Yamaha crossed the finish line in every race. The team delivered their finest performance at the Bol d’Or, finishing 9th overall and winning points for finishing 4th in the EWC class.
ERC Endurance-Ducati have been working on developing their Panigale V4R for endurance racing since last season. They began the 2021 season with a 5th place in the EWC class at the 24 Heures Motos. They finished in the Top 6 in the EWC class at Estoril and at Most. At the Bol d’Or, like half of the field, ERC Endurance-Ducati were forced to retire. But the Ducati earned its stripes as an Endurance machine this season.
Maco Racing Team, 10th in the 2021 overall standings, had a shortened season because of the pandemic in Slovakia. Maco Racing Team were absent in Portugal, but scored points in the other three races.
After a brilliant fourth place last season, Wójcik Racing Team had a difficult season in 2021 with crashes and mechanical problems and finished 11th overall. But the Polish Yamaha-mounted team claimed an excellent 5th place at the 6 Hours of Most.
Despite noteworthy performances in practice and the early stages of the races, Tati Team Beringer Racing did not manage to score big. The French Kawasaki-mounted team finished 12th this season. Although they were forced to withdraw more than once, Tati Team Beringer Racing posted the fastest race laps at the 24 Heures Motos and the Bol d’Or thanks to Alan Techer.
13th overall, Team LRP Poland on BMW scored points at the finish of all the races after retiring at the 24 Heures Motos.
Bolliger Team Switzerland finished 14th after a season disrupted by being unclassified at the 24 Heures Motos due to a technical error. The historic Kawasaki team started the season with a new squad managed by the team creator’s son. They righted matters with an 8th-place finish at Estoril.
17th and last in the classification after EMRT (6th EWC at the Bol d’Or) and GT Endurance (9th EWC at the 24 Heures Motos), 3ART Best of Bike had a particularly tough year after a good 2019-2020 season. 3ART Best of Bike scored only 13 points thanks to their 10th place in the EWC class at the 12 Hours of Estoril.
2021 FIM Endurance World Championship Points (Final)
Suzuki claimed the Endurance World Championship crown overnight at the final round of the 2021 Endurance World Championship (EWC) at the Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic. Its factory-supported Yoshimura SERT Motul team delivered a faultless and calculated race.
Yoshimura SERT Motul Team
The 2021 season confirmed the superiority of the Suzuki brand in the FIM EWC. With two dominating victories at the 24 Heures Motos and the Bol d’Or 24 Hours in France, the official factory team started the fourth round, and season finale, with a comfortable lead in the championship standings. However, the team of Gregg Black, Xavier Siméon and Sylvain Guintoli, still needed to secure a good result to take the title at the 6 Hours of Most.
Yoshimura SERT Motul Team
The team had a strong start when the super-cool and fast-starting Black grabbed the holeshot from third position on the grid. Without taking any unnecessary risks but keeping a strong pressure on the team’s opponents in the championship, the French-English-born rider finished his stint by placing the Suzuki in third position as he handed over to Siméon.
The excellent and smooth work continued with Black’s teammates Siméon and Guintoli putting in consistently-fast stints. As the hours passed, some racing incidents upset the order of the leaderboard for the team’s nearest challengers, but Yoshimura SERT Motul made no mistakes.
Yoshimura SERT Motul Team – Gregg Black
The three riders settled into a strong and comfortable third position and kept a steady pace, right up until the chequered flag fell, to take the third step of the podium. In doing so, they won the 2021 FIM EWC title in convincing style with a total of 175.5 points, some 42.5 points ahead of second-placed BMW Motorrad.
Suzuki has now won a total of 20 Endurance World titles; 16 with the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) and now the 2021 title with the new Yoshimura SERT Motul team. For the French-Japanese Yoshimura SERT Motul team, it is a crucial win in its first year of EWC participation.
Suzuki dominated the event as, in the Superstock category, the victory went to the GSX-R1000R #44 of No Limits Motor Team ridden by Luca Scassa, Alexis Masbou and Kevin Calia. The Italian team finished second in the FIM World Cup for Superstock entrants behind the BMRT 3D Maxxess Never Kawasaki squad.
Damien Saulnier – Team Manager
“We came to take the title and we hoped to get on the podium too. I have a thought for the #333 with whom we fought a great battle. At the finish there was emotion, joy and a deep gratitude for Yoshimura because this association led to impressive work. I am very proud of this team. We wanted to take as little risk as possible but still take our chances. The package with the bike, tyres and riders worked very well. Dominique Méliand entrusted me with the keys of the SERT and I am happy, in my position as team manager, to offer this team a second title.”
Yoshimura Suzuki Endurance Racing Team also won Bol d ‘Or this year
Yohei Kato – Team Director
“I am very pleased and honoured to win the championship in the first year of participation as the Yoshimura SERT Motul team. We vowed to fight in this Endurance World Championship on behalf of the Suzuki Factory Team. This season has proved to be a dream come true by winning two of the world’s most famous 24-hour races, namely, the 24 Heures of Le Mans and the Bol d’Or.
“This world championship title is the first for this new team and the 20th for Suzuki. Suzuki, Yoshimura and SERT will keep working together to improve the Suzuki GSX-R1000R into an even better package. The whole team will respect each other in the spirit of one for all, all for one. I think this is the best possible result to mark the continuation of our efforts!
“Thank you to all the Yoshimura, SERT and Suzuki fans who warmly supported the new Yoshimura SERT Motul team. We pledge to attract fans to an even better championship next year and Yoshimura SERT Motul will go all out to defend its title.”
Yoshimura SERT Motul Team won the championship
Xavier Siméon
“I had a small scare during the race on an oil stain. Crashing was forbidden in this race and I was lucky to save the bike in extreme circumstances. We had less pressure than at the Bol d’Or where we had to make up the points lost in Estoril. In Most, we could make a careful race which allowed us to win this title which rewards all the team’s work.”
Gregg Black
“SERT is probably one of the best teams in endurance racing for a long time. The association with Yoshimura has paid off because we have an incredible bike. The team has done a lot of work as well as Yoshimura and it is a pleasure for us to ride this bike. The team has also often shown a good racing strategy and that’s important because it’s not always the fastest on the track who wins the championship. So I am very happy to have worked with Yoshimura and my two new teammates.”
Sylvain Guintoli
“This season was like a dream because everything went according to plan. The most incredible thing for me was to win the 24 Heures Motos and the Bol d’Or – two events that I absolutely wanted to win one day. That’s why I had the idea to join Yoshimura SERT Motul. This title is fantastic because it rewards all the work done by everyone. We arrived here with the championship in mind but also the will to be on the podium, so the contract is fulfilled!”
2021 FIM Endurance World Championship Points (Final)
Turmoil at the start of the 6 Hours of Most initially saw BMW’s Ilya Mikhalchik drop back to sixth place, however he was soon able to work his way back towards the front of the field. After 15 minutes of racing, Mikhalchik was running second, behind Mike di Meglio on the F.C.C. TSR Honda, but the BMW man then moved to the head of the field on the M 1000 RR and set about opening up a lead.
Ilya Mikhalchik
The F.C.C. TSR Honda squad were looking strong but unfortunately a crash by Yuki Takahashi a couple of hours into the race put them behind the eight ball. Then an engine problem surfaced on lap 142 that forced Josh Hook to enter the pits where the team determined that it was not possible to continue the race.
F.C.C. TSR Honda retired with engine problems
Over the course of the six hour race, which included two lengthy safety car periods, Mikhalchik and Reiterberger only surrendered the lead briefly twice.
Having said that, the closing stages were not for the faint-hearted. The #7 Yamaha from the YART team was closing all the time, however Reiterberger kept a cool head, paced the race perfectly and just managed to defend the lead and take the team’s maiden victory. After six hours of racing Reiterberger took the chequered flag by just 0.070 seconds ahead of YART’s Marvin Fritz.
Markus Reiterberger
Markus Reiterberger – Team BMW – P1
“I think that was a really breathtaking race to the chequered flag. Ilya was on the bike at the start. He overtook everyone in the first stint and we took the lead. We fancied a five-stop strategy, but for that to work you need a safety car. That is very probable at this track, and that is exactly what happened. We managed to make one stop fewer than YART, for example. I think fuel consumption was the key to success today, and the fact that we rode flawlessly. I gave it everything in my last stint and rode against the clock. That was very tough, because Marvin Fritz was really pushing behind me. It was really very close, but I did it. I am grateful that we have finally won, as the whole team has more than earned it. This is the reward for the huge amount of hard work. Thank you to the team, BMW and everyone who has supported us. This is a really nice way to end the season.”
After six hours of racing the finish was this close!
Marvin Fritz – YART – P2
“We’re happy for second place because the team really deserved a good result. For sure I’m angry and disappointed in myself for losing by such a small gap because we really wanted to win here in Most. We had a tough start, an issue which, with the unfortunate timing of the safety car, saw us lose over two minutes in total. We worked hard as a team and my team-mates rode brilliantly to recover the gap. But despite those issues we ended the race 0.070 seconds behind them, so this shows the speed we had. We need to be positive because we were only a second behind Toprak’s World Superbike time here. Looking back it was a good weekend because we were fast in practice, had an incredible qualifying and we ended the race with the fastest lap and so close to victory so we need to take this motivation, work on the areas we are struggling in the most and come back stronger in 2022.”
6 Hours of Most
2021 was the second season in the FIM EWC for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. The new BMW M 1000 RR was used for the first time this year. The team finished third in the first two races, at Le Mans (FRA) and Estoril (POR). In race three, the Bol d’Or at Le Castellet (FRA), they were forced to retire with a technical issue but the team bounced back at the Most finale to secure the win and second place in the championship.
6 hours of Most winners – BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team
Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“Congratulations to the team, Werner Daemen and the riders on their fantastic victory in Most. The race was a thriller, just as the whole season has been extremely exciting. We have experienced impressive fightbacks, podiums and setbacks this year. After the Bol d’Or, we were no longer in contention for the title, however it was clear that the team would give it their all in the final race here in Most. We looked very good in the test and backed that form up in the race. We knew that we had the pace to finish on the podium. To take victory at the end of such a close race is simply fantastic. It was a fantastic job from Ilya and Reiti, who was so impressive in bringing home the win, and the whole team, which worked perfectly in the garage. That is a great way to end the season. We will keep working and know that we still have a lot of challenges ahead of us. However, this is a great basis, we have a superb team, and we now head into the winter and preparations for 2022 with great motivation.”
Markus Reiterberger and the BMW Team
The winners of the 2021 FIM Endurance World Championship were the Yoshimura SERT Motul Suzuki squad. The title holders rode a controlled race for third place at Most to secure the title.
Yoshimura SERT Motul Team won the championship
Yohei Kato – Yoshimura SERT Motul Suzuki Team Director
“I am very pleased and honoured to win the championship in the first year of participation as the Yoshimura SERT Motul team. We vowed to fight in this Endurance World Championship on behalf of the Suzuki Factory Team. This season has proved to be a dream come true by winning two of the world’s most famous 24-hour races, namely, the 24 Heures of Le Mans and the Bol d’Or. This world championship title is the first for this new team and the 20th for Suzuki. Suzuki, Yoshimura and SERT will keep working together to improve the Suzuki GSX-R1000R into an even better package. The whole team will respect each other in the spirit of one for all, all for one. I think this is the best possible result to mark the continuation of our efforts! Thank you to all the Yoshimura, SERT and Suzuki fans who warmly supported the new Yoshimura SERT Motul team. We pledge to attract fans to an even better championship next year and Yoshimura SERT Motul will go all out to defend its title.”
Yoshimura SERT Motul Suzuki won the championship
That fight for third place on the podium between Yoshimura SERT Motul and Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar was almost as exciting as the nail biting fight for victory between BMW and YART. The Franco-Japanese Suzuki team (Gregg Black, Xavier Simeon and Sylvain Guintoli) fended off the attacks of the Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar (Jérémy Guarnoni, Erwan Nigon and David Checa) squad to the very end. The factory Kawasaki team wound up the third in the championship.
Wójcik Racing Team (Gino Rea, Sheridan Morais and Dan Linfoot), who ran strongly nearly the front of the field throughout, finished 5th at Most. It was their best result following a tough season.
ERC Endurance Ducati #6
ERC Endurance-Ducati (Etienne Masson, Lorenzo Zanetti and Mathieu Gines) made progress at every race this season and were 6th at the finish ahead of the first Superstock machine, the No Limits Motor Team Suzuki (Luca Scassa, Kevin Calia and Alexis Masbou).
The Czech team TME Racing took 2nd place in the Superstock class after a superb race among the Superstock front-runners. Energie Endurance 91, 3rd in the Superstock class, climbed on to the podium in class for the first time.
BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers, the winners of the FIM Superstock World Cup at the Bol d’Or, were forced to withdraw from the season finale. Thanks to their category win at Most, No Limits Motor Team claimed the runner-up spot in the FIM Endurance World Cup.
Anthony West joined the MACO Racing squad for the event and qualified well but ultimately the team finished 20-laps behind the leaders, in 17th place, but West demonstrated enough pace to have potentially put in a top ten result and acquitted himself well. Westy did go down on oil after a competitor’s bike blew an engine but no oil flags were displayed, which sent Westy down the road at over 250 km/h but the team repaired the bike in order to finish the race and secure tenth place in the championship.
Anthony West (#14) showed good enough pace for a top ten result but it was not to be. West was certainly strong enough to throw his hat in the ring for a good seat in 2022 if we wants to continue in the FIM EWC
2021 6 Hours of Most Race Results
Pos
Team…………………………………………………………………………………….
Bike
Class
Laps
Best Lap
Pit Time
1
BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM
BMW
EWC
213
1m34359
4m09.907
2
YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC
Yamaha
EWC
213
1m33.875
5m20.754
3
YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL
Suzuki
EWC
212
1m34.963
4m02.456
4
WEBIKE SRC KAWASAKI FRANCE TRICKSTAR
Kawasaki
EWC
212
1m35.174
3m55.436
5
Wójcik Racing Team
Yamaha
EWC
211
1m34.990
5m48.958
6
ERC Endurance Ducati
Ducati
EWC
211
1m35.121
8m01.306
7
No Limits Motor Team
Suzuki
SST
208
1m35.912
5m38.376
8
TME Racing
Yamaha
SST
207
1m36.567
7m22.639
9
ENERGIE ENDURANCE 91
Kawasaki
SST
203
1m37.809
6m12.422
10
Team Aviobike
Yamaha
SST
203
1m38.430
6m50.615
11
JMA MOTOS ACTION BIKE
Suzuki
SST
202
1m38.787
6m04.899
12
FALCON RACING
Yamaha
SST
202
1m38.717
5m58.161
13
Motobox Kremer Racing #65
Yamaha
EWC
202
1m38.787
6m05.798
14
TATI TEAM BERINGER RACING
Kawasaki
EWC
201
1m36.268
1m:27.102
15
Team Bolliger Switzerland #8
Kawasaki
EWC
201
1m35.841
1m:27.761
16
TEAM 18 SAPEURS POMPIERS CMS MOTOSTORE
Yamaha
SST
198
1m36.718
1m17.903
17
MACO RACING Team
Yamaha
EWC
193
1m36.097
3m:44.384
18
TRT27 BAZAR 2 LA BECANE
Suzuki
SST
190
1m39.765
20m49.854
19
Wójcik Racing Team 2
Yamaha
SST
181
1m37.460
54m52.827
20
Team LRP Poland
BMW
EWC
176
1m37.276
49m22.820
21
MOTO AIN
Yamaha
EWC
172
1m35.278
1m10:14.149
22
BMRT 3D MAXXESS NEVERS
Kawasaki
SST
174
1m37.061
12m27.724
23
VRD IGOL EXPÉRIENCES
Yamaha
EWC
145
1m35.422
24m05.223
24
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
Honda
EWC
142
1m35.158
20m21.202
2021 FIM Endurance World Championship Points (Final)
YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team were the only team to have three riders come in under the 1:33 mark at Most overnight. Thus of course it is YART that claimed pole position once again with the Austrian team ahead of BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and Yoshimura SERT Motul, the current standings leader.
Karel Hanika – YART
On Saturday YART will have to attempt to convert this into a win after a tough season during which they were forced to withdraw twice and crashed at the end of the race at Estoril.
Mandy Kainz – YART Team Manager
“It’s been a long but good day for us. We secured another pole position, five from the last six races! I think we are well prepared for Saturday’s race. We came to Most as the team to beat and there was a lot of expectation on us to get pole position. To be honest I wasn’t so sure because we haven’t been here with the Bridgestone tyres, but they are working really well with the R1 here at Most. All three riders rode incredibly well but especially Niccolò who has been really sick over the last few days, I didn’t expect him to ride today if I’m honest! But he rode really well and like Karel and Marvin put in a brilliant lap time. All three riders managed more or less the same lap time and we were the only team to have all three riders in the 33’s, which is a confidence boost for us! The 6 Hours will be a sprint compared to the usual races this season with two 24-hours and the 12-hour, but I think we have the right bike, tyres and for sure the right riders, but all we can do now is prepare as well as we can and we’ll see what happens on Saturday.”
YART – Niccolo Canepa, Marvin Frizt and Karel Hanika
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, who once again had to do without Javier Forés after his crash during testing at the Bol d’Or, will start from 2nd on the grid with riders Markus Reiterberger, who posted the day’s fastest lap of all, a 1m33.191s, Ilya Mikhalchik and Kenny Foray.
Markus Reiterberger – Team BMW Rider
“So far, the days here in Most have been really good, and the qualifying sessions also went very well. We set the fastest qualifying lap of the entire field, which is something I am very proud of. We have consistently improved the bike, which is now in very good condition, both for a flying lap and over the full race distance. I really like the track in Most. It is very cool, but the conditions are superb for fast laps. We are excellently equipped for the race. We hope we get off to a good start, that the weather plays ball, and that we get through the race without any problems. Then we will really have a chance to challenge for the win.”
Markus Reiterberger set the quickest time of the day
After a working session in the first qualifying, Yoshimura SERT Motul’s Gregg Black, Xavier Simeon and Sylvain Guintoli posted the third-fastest time of the afternoon.
Damien Saulnier – Team Manager SERT
“The days were very busy and intense. But the results are there. This third place in qualifying is almost like a pole position; we are the first of those who have never ridden at Most! The Bridgestone tyres work well here, the riders and the Japanese technicians are satisfied, so everyone is happy. Now we remain very focused on the race. We will have to manage our lead, without making any mistakes. It would be a big mistake to think that it is a foregone conclusion. We are all well aware of that.”
Gregg Black – SERT
F.C.C. TSR Honda France will start from 4th on the grid on Saturday morning ahead of Poland’s Wójcik Racing Team in their YZF-R1, who seem very much at ease at Most.Hook was the quickest of the Honda squad but all three riders were very close on times.
Josh Hook was the quickest of the Honda riders
Then it is Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar and VRD Igol Experiences. The independent French team, who might still be able to wrest the 2021 title from Yoshimura SERT Motul, are preparing to race and seize their chances depending on what happens during the race.
Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar – David Checa
Moto Ain, ERC Endurance-Ducati and Tati Team Beringer Racing round off the Top 10 on the starting grid.
Team 18 Sapeurs-Pompiers CMS Motostore, who are 11th on the grid, were the fastest Superstock team in qualifying with riders Hugo Clère, Johan Nigon and Philip Steinmayr (who has replaced an injured Bastien Mackels).
Maco Racing will start from 12th with only two riders, Anthony West and Ondřej Ježek. Westy was 1.5-seconds faster than his team-mate, but two-seconds off the pace of pole sitters YART.
Anthony West (#14) chasing the pole setting YART entry ridden here by Karel Hanika
On Friday the track will be taken over by cars competing in the FIA WTCR races. Motorcycles will return to the track on Saturday.
2021 FIM Endurance World Championship 6 Hours of Most Qualifying Results
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