YART reveal livery for Suzuka 8H
The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team, which currently competes in the Endurance World Championship (EWC), will spearhead the Yamaha challenge at the 2024 Suzuka 8 Hours.
In addition to providing technical support for the YZF-R1, Yamaha will assist the YART management team during the lead-up and race. Together, Yamaha and YART are aiming to win the 2024 EWC title and take a first-ever podium finish at the Suzuka 8 Hours, which is a long-held dream for YART.
The team will compete on a YZF-R1 adorned with a special Suzuka 8 Hours livery featuring a Yamalube logo, which refers to Yamaha’s genuine oil and chemical brand, which is also part of the team name.
Niccolò Canepa from Italy, Marvin Fritz from Germany, and Karel Hanika from the Czech Republic will ride the YZF-R1. Mandy Kainz will manage the team.
In the 2023 Suzuka 8 Hours, YART was in 2nd position before experiencing an issue that resulted in a 22nd place finish. However, after finishing 2nd in Round 1, winning Round 2, and taking 4th at the final round, they were successful in lifting the 2024 EWC title. It was the first title since 2009 for the team and first title since 2017 for Yamaha.
As defending champions in 2024, so far they have made a solid start toward winning back-to-back titles with a 3rd place finish in the season-opening 24 Heures Motos race in France.
At the following round, the 8 Hours of Spa Motos in Belgium on June 8, they qualified in pole position and stayed ahead of their rivals in the race to take the win and retain 2nd overall in the standings while narrowing the gap to the leaders to a single point.
A first-ever podium at the upcoming Suzuka 8 Hours will see YART ideally placed to repeat their title-winning feat at the Bol d’Or in France on September 14-15.
The 45th “Coca-Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race will be held on July 21, 2024.
2024 FIM Endurance World Championship Points
- Yoshimura SERT Motuk Suzuki 88
- YART Yamaha 87
- Tati Team Beringer Honda 54
- BMW Motorrad 53
- Team Bolliger Switzerland Kawasaki 43
- Kawasaki WeBike Trickstar Kawasaki 39
- BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers Kawasaki 38
- Motobox Kremer Yamaha 33
- KM99 Yamaha 29
- F.C.C. TSR Honda France 26
2024 FIM Endurance World Championship Calendar
- 24 Heures Motos (Le Mans, France): 18-21 April (FFM)
- 8 Hours of Spa Motos (Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium): 6-8 June (FMB)
- 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, Japan: 18-21 July (MJF)
- Bol d’Or (Circuit Paul Ricard, France): 12-15 September (FFM)