YART’s EWC pole hat-trick revisited

Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team was unstoppable in FIM Endurance World Championship qualifying during the first three events of the 2024 season with three pole positions from three attempts. Here’s a reminder.

24 HEURES MOTOS (19 APRIL): EWC CHAMPION TEAM YART CHARGES TO 24 HEURES MOTOS POLE WITH NEW LE MANS LAP RECORD
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team made a flying start to its FIM Endurance World Championship title defence with pole position – and a new lap record – for the 24 Heures Motos (above). Niccolò Canepa, Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika combined in style on the 4.185-kilometre Circuit Bugatti to claim top spot ahead of Yoshimura SERT Motul and F.C.C. TSR Honda France, last year’s winner. In doing so, Austria-based YART has bagged five championship points, with points also shared among the remaining fastest four teams, which included fourth-placed Honda Viltaïs Racing and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in fifth. YART also set a new qualifying lap record after Italian rider Canepa set a 1m34.708s best during First Qualifying on Thursday. YART rider Hanika’s 1m34.878s, set in 2022 was the previous best time. “I’m really happy because the bike yesterday was unbelievable, the Bridgestone tyres, everything,” Canepà, 35, said. “We did a good choice yesterday to go all-in with the tyres and we set our best time because the conditions were really good and the lap time came. I’m especially happy because I’m not still 100 per cent fit due to my injury [in the Daytona 200 last month] but I am confident we can do a good race. My team-mates did an amazing job and also Max Neukirchner, our new crew chief.”

8 HOURS OF SPA MOTOS (7 JUNE): BACK-TO-BACK POLE TIME FOR EWC CHAMPION TEAM YART AS FRITZ BREAKS SPA LAP RECORD
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team claimed back-to-back pole positions in the FIM Endurance World Championship as Marvin Fritz underlined the Austrian squad’s dominant display with a new qualifying lap record at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (above). Having set the qualifying standard in the season-opening 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans in April, the EWC championship-winning team from 2023 was again out of reach in the battle for the pole position for the 8 Hours of Spa Motos. While Niccolò Canepa and Karel Hanika were fastest for YART among the Blue and Red rider groups respectively, it was Fritz’s performance that was particularly noteworthy with his 2m18.552s, set in First Qualifying, bettering Hanika’s qualifying lap record from 2022, a 2m18.845s. Fritz actually went even faster in Free Practice this morning, the 31-year-old clocking a 2m18.551s best, such has been his pace on the spectacular 6.985-kilometre Belgian track. F.C.C. TSR Honda France was second fastest with Suzuki-powered Yoshimura SERT Motul third quickest. “Of course we always have lots we can improve but the day started well because I make a lap record this morning,” Fritz said. “But I had a really good lap in qualifying. I didn’t have the best feeling with the front tyre so I always tried to use the rear tyre as much as I could. I expected to be faster but overall I’m pretty happy with the lap time and the new lap record, especially after I took it away from my brother-in-law [Karel Hanika], which is a pretty nice feeling. I’m super-happy about my team-mates, my team, the bike. I think we have a good feeling for tomorrow.”

45TH COCA-COLA SUZUKA 8 HOURS ENDURANCE RACE (20 JULY): YART YAMAHA WINS TOP 10 TRIAL TO CLAIM EWC SUZUKA 8 HOURS POLE
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team lined up for the 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race from pole position (above) after its dramatic victory in the Top 10 Trial, which set the first 10 positions on the starting grid for Japan’s round of the FIM Endurance World Championship. Marvin Fritz’s flying lap of 2m05.130s proved decisive after team-mate Karel Hanika crashed during his Top 10 Trial run. The German rider’s effort meant YART, which also included Niccolò Canepa in its line-up, could celebrate three pole positions out of three in this season’s EWC with the five points scored putting it ahead of Yoshimura SERT Motul in the race to win the 2024 EWC title. It was also Yamaha’s first Top 10 Trial success since Yamaha Factory Team triumphed in 2017 and came after YART had finished ahead in the combined qualifying classification after Friday’s running. Ducati Team Kagayama completed the Top 10 Trial in second position followed by Honda-powered Team HRC with Japan Post. “It was an amazing lap,” 31-year-old Fritz said. “At Spa I got the lap record but normally here at Suzuka Karel and Niccolò are a bit faster. But since last year I’ve got a really good feeling, especially in the third sector where I always struggled but it’s my favourite now. The bike was perfect, we work together like we all are a big family, and this is why we are always fast, all three of us. We were celebrating before Karel crashed because we knew the pole was sure, but we were happy when we saw he was standing up and fine. The bike was damaged, but the race bike is ready and we feel comfortable and confident.”