2024 FIM Endurance World Championship
Circuit Bugatti Le Mans (4.185km)
Two-Day Test – April 2-3
After two days of testing with mixed conditions at Le Mans this week, Honda was on top, but it was not the F.C.C. TSR Honda that we expected to lead the charge.
The #333 Honda Viltais Racing entry, winner of the EWC Independent Trophy in 2023, topped the two-day test as they stepped up to the premier Formula EWC category. Their unchanged line-up features Florian Alt, Leandro Mercado, Steven Odendaal, and James Westmoreland on Pirelli rubber.
Defending FIM EWC Champions YART (Niccolo Canepa – Marvin Fritz – Karel Hanika – Robin Mulhauser) were second quickest on Wednesday afternoon but were more than half-a-second behind the Vilais Honda. YART run Bridgestone rubber.
Mandy Kainz – Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Team Manager
“It has been a very productive pre-season. While the weather was not ideal for this test, there is a good chance it will rain during the race, so it allowed us to work on our setup in both the wet and dry conditions. After missing the Rijeka test, it was great to have Niccolò back after his injury at Daytona, and he was immediately fast. The whole team worked really well over the two days; we focused on long runs and completed almost 300 laps despite the rain, so we have prepared as well as we can and feel ready to begin our title defence.”
The #37 entry of the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (Ilya Mikhalchyk – Sylvain Guintoli – Merkus Reiterberger – Hannes Soomer) ranked third on the time-sheets. After a long time with Suzuki, Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli rides with BMW this year. The team run Dunlop tyres.
Sylvain Guintoli
“It was a positive test. We got a lot of work done and had all the conditions that we could get. We had rain and then dry and then rain again, so we did a lot of testing in the wet as well which was good. The pace was good in wet and dry for everybody so it’s looking good and we managed to find some interesting solutions for the setup which was the idea of these two days. We’re happy with the progress and now I’m very much looking forward to the race in two weeks’ time. Hopefully we can fight for the win; that’s the objective.”
Fourth were KM99 Yamaha in Dunlops (Jeremy Guarnoni – Florian Marino – Randy De Puniet) ahead of Yoshimura SERT Motul (Gregg Black – Etienne Mason – Dan Linfoot – Atsumi Cocoro) on Bridgestone.
Last year’s 24 Heures Motos winners F.C.C. TSR Honda (Josh Hook—Mike DiMeglio – Alan Techer) was sixth quickest but less than half a second behind the second-placed YART squad. F.C.C. TSR Honda ride on Bridgestone rubber.
Josh Hook – F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“We’re a little disappointed with the weather conditions, as we weren’t able to achieve the desired lap time when the track dried. Additional dry laps would have been beneficial for us. However, we know now that we have a base setting that works here, and we always find something better during the race day. We always perform when we need to, and the team has done an excellent job. We just need to find a setting that all three riders are comfortable with and we can be consistent.”
The top-ranked Kawasaki entry was the Webike Trickstar entry in seventh. Christian Gamarino, part of the Team 33 Louit April Moto line-up that won the 2023 FIM Endurance World Cup, steps up to Formula EWC level with Webike Trickstar in 2024 alongside fellow new team recruit Róman Ramos, plus the vastly experienced Grégory Leblanc, a five-time winner of the 24 Heures Motos.
TATI Team Beringer Racing has swapped Kawasaki for Honda power in 2024 and finished testing this week in eighth place with Hugo Clere, Randy Krummenacher and Corentin Perolari.
Le Mans hosts the EWC season-opening 24 Heures Motos from 18-21 April, the first of four races counting for the FIM Endurance World Championship and the FIM Endurance World Cup in 2024. The event has attracted 47 entries covering eight different motorcycle manufacturers and 23 nationalities.
Following the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans in April, the EWC will visit Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium in June, Suzuka Circuit in Japan the following month and Circuit Paul Ricard in France for the Bol d’Or in September. The EWC’s 45th season will consist of two races run for a duration of 24 hours and two taking place over eight hours.
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)
