14 April 2023
Karel Hanika starts the 24 Heures Motos hoping it’s a case of no pole, no problem in the FIM Endurance World Championship.
The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team rider was the qualifying star at Le Mans last season but his Austria-based squad had to make do with P2 for the EWC season opener.
“We are delighted to start from second position,” Czech Hanika said. “The whole team worked hard this week, and despite tricky conditions during qualifying, we had a great strategy and managed to get the best result possible. It was enough for P2, and we only just missed out on our fourth pole position in a row at Le Mans, but as always in endurance, the race is much more important than qualifying.
“My first session went well, I set the best lap time in the wet, but my team-mates did excellent lap times in the mixed conditions to secure second on the grid. We are focused on the race and want to fight for victory, but know that the most important thing is to reach the end of the race to score as many points as possible. The team has done a great job, and I cannot wait to start the race.”
28 March 2024
Team 202 will fly the flag of the National Police Motorcycle of Club of France during the upcoming FIM Endurance World Championship season.Florent Parret’s Superstock outfit, which has raced in the EWC since 1998, once again features serving police officers Sofian Lhuillier and Gilles Minutello – along with Parret – in its line-up.And after placing 31st overall and 19th among the Dunlop-equipped Superstock category contenders in last year’s 24 Heures Motos, the Yamaha-powered outfit is hoping to make more progress when the Le Mans event opens the 2024 EWC season next month.“Sofian and Gilles had never participated in the 24 Heures Motos and their knowledge of motorcycle racing was limited,” Parret told 24h-motos.com. “The goal was for them to gain experience. During the race, we had three crashes. Despite this, we consider that the result of the race is satisfactory, because we wanted to take the chequered flag.“We are more relaxed than last year because Sofian and Gilles know what to do and know their limits. Thanks to the experience gained, they will gain speed. They will again approach the race with great caution because endurance is a demanding discipline. If we do not experience hazards, by definition, we should gain places in the ranking. Our goal is to do better than in 2023 by getting closer to the top 20 in the general ranking.”Team 202 has prepared for the 2024 season with tests in Spain and France. It will also take part in the Pre-Test for the 24 Heures Motos from 2-3 April.
27 March 2024
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team will defend its FIM Endurance World Championship crown carrying the number one on its R1.Although championship-winning teams usually use the number one during their title defence, it wasn’t previously an official requirement in the EWC – until the rules were updated for 2024.According to the regulations from EWC governing body Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, “the world champion of the previous season will wear number 1 during the current season”.However, in the event of YART being unable to defend its EWC title in 2024, it can revert to its traditional number seven in 2025 as “its former racing number will be protected during the period it wears the 1”, in line with the regulations.Marvin Fritz, who partnered Niccolò Canepa and Karel Hanika to the 2023 EWC title, said: “This is something we were dreaming of for a long time and we can’t wait to start the new season with the number one on our bike.”The 24 Heures Motos opens the 2024 EWC season at Le Mans in France from 18-21 April. Click HERE for ticket information. Photo: Facebook.com/MarvinFritz.2
26 March 2024
Rookie squad TCP Racing will embark on its first full FIM Endurance World Championship campaign with a firm focus on promoting young talent.Managed by ex-racer Peter Polesso, TCP Racing has recruited young French foursome Alan Agogue, Maxence Chachuat, Marcus Delestre and Felix Peron to ride its Yamaha in the Superstock-based FIM Enurance World Cup.“We are extremely proud of our team because everyone here is passionate with one goal: to make this project a success,” Polesso said. “A huge thank you to our supporting sponsors.”Peron said: “I want to thank the team and especially Peter Polesso for the confidence given. It's an honour to wear the colours TCP Racing, endurance is a team sport and I'm proud to be a part of it.”Delestre added: “Very happy to be part of this young dynamic and professional team led by Peter Polesso. I’m very grateful he trusts me to make my debut in such a mythical championship.”The 47th 24 Heures Motos, based at Le Mans in France, opens the new EWC season from 18-21 April. Visit FIMEWC.com soon for more on TCP Racing.Photo: Go2Creation