- Sensational charge from German rider Fritz helps secure sixth Le Mans pole for YART
- Yoshimura SERT Motul second with Tati Team AVA6 Racing the top privateer in third
- Former world champion Black wowed by “incredible” pace among EWC heroes
- Hungarian Endurance Racing Team by Moto-Jungle tops Superstock order
- Green Team 42 Lycee Sainte Clare makes history as first Production category pole winner
Marvin Fritz set a sensational sub-record lap time to help Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team bag pole position for the FIM Endurance World Championship season-opening 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans.
The German’s 1m34.489s charge during Second Qualifying this morning broke the new benchmark recorded by Yoshimura SERT Motul’s Gregg Black less than 30 minutes earlier, when the Suzuki-powered rider lowered Niccolò Canepa’s standard of 1m34.708s from 12 months ago with a 1m34.551s effort around the 4.185-kilometre Circuit Bugatti.
“It’s amazing of course, first race of the year and first pole position of the year,” said Fritz after Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team claimed back-to-back pole positions at Le Mans and its sixth in seven attempts. “The team did an amazing job, the bike worked great, the Bridgestone tyres were amazing. And all of us could make this lap time or even faster. But I’m super-happy about the feeling of the bike, this is the most important for the race tomorrow because the competition is strong and for sure it will not be easy. It looks like we’ll have some rain in the race, but it’s the same for everyone and we’re well prepared.”
Of his new lap record ahead of the 48th running of the 24 Heures Motos, Fritz, who is partnered by Czech Karel Hanika and team newcomer Jason O’Halloran from Australia, said: “I had a good lap, not the perfect one, but overall, I’m happy with the pole position and five points in the pocket. It’s amazing [to have this new lap record]. Every year it gets faster and faster, we improve the bike, and the package gets better and better.”
Black’s run ensured Yoshimura SERT Motul – the reigning world champion team and last year’s 24 Heures Motos winner – secured second place on the starting grid for the upcoming day and night endurance epic in an average time of 1m34.869s compared to YART Yamaha’s 1m34.634s. Tati Team AVA6 Racingimpressed as the top independent outfit in third.
“It was a great qualifying for us,” said Black. “We didn’t get pole position but the last time we got pole position here it didn’t end well on the first turn and a lot of the time we’ve managed to win the race from this position. I had the lap record for a few minutes until Marvin managed to do a few thousands of a second better. The level of the competition is really high, and you can see the race pace out there is really fast, it’s incredible and it’s nice to see for endurance.”
Having been fifth in the provisional order after Thursday’s First Qualifying, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team gained one place to secure fourth spot followed by ERC Endurance, which is returning to the EWC after one season away and with BMW power. F.C.C. TSR Honda France was next up followed by Kawasaki Webike Trickstar, ELF Marc VDS Racing/KM99, MAXXESS by BMRT Pirelli Motul and Hungarian Endurance Racing Team by Moto-Jungle, which set the pace in the Dunlop-supplied Superstock category.
“After our performance in the Bol d’Or last year many would have said it was a one-time thing that we were so competitive in qualifying, but we did it again, we’re starting from pole position and leading the FIM Endurance World Cup,” said HERT rider Bálint Kovács. “The team has been working incredibly well. The guys have done an outstanding job developing the bike, and as riders, we’ve been able to prepare properly for the season. Of course, it’s an endurance race so being on pole position doesn’t mean that we’re going to win the race easily. The main goal is to finish the race because we don’t have much experience but, deep down we wanted to have the pole position.”
Team Étoile and TRT27 AZ Moto completed the Superstock top three in 11th and 12th overall respectively as Team Bolliger Switzerland, Team LRP Poland and Honda No Limits rounded out the top 15 as a record 41 permanent EWC teams took to the track.
Green Team 42 Lycée Sainte Claire made history by claiming the first pole position in the new-for-2025 FIM Endurance World Trophy, which runs exclusively on Dunlop tyres and has been developed to provide a more affordable and accessible entry to the endurance racing. Team Super Moto Racing was second with ARTEC third.
“It’s very good,” said Green Team 42 Lycée St Claire rider Julien Bonnet. “We’ve had some problems with the electronic system but for this morning it was really better, and the satisfaction is there for all the riders in our team.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Warm-Up provides the next track activity from 10h30-11h15 tomorrow (Saturday) with the 48th 24 Heures Motos opening the new EWC season from 15h00 CET.
RESULTS AND LIVE TIMING: www.its-results.com
WHERE TO WATCH: Click HERE soon to find out more.
EWC SPORTITY APP MEDIA CHANNEL: The EWC’s dedicated Sportity app media channel for the 2025 season is available using the password 2025EWCMEDIA. The app can be downloaded for free via the App Store or Google Play.
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More, from a press release issued by Yoshimura Sert Motul:
YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL SETS SECOND FASTEST IN LE MANS QUALIFYING.
Yoshimura SERT Motul set the second fastest time in qualifying today for the opening round of the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship, the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans (France).
Suzuki is the most successful marque at the 24 Heures Motos, with 15 wins to its name. Already competitive in the first qualifying session, the Yoshimura SERT Motul team riders confirmed their status as favourites during the final qualifying sessions which took place today on the Bugatti circuit.
The 48th edition of the legendary 24 Heures Motos will welcome 53 teams to the event and, once again, the Franco-Japanese team is fielding a quartet of riders who are both efficient and experienced. Frenchmen Gregg Black and Étienne Masson are joined by Japanese rider Cocoro Atsumi and British rider Dan Linfoot who, thanks to a serious shoulder injury sustained during testing, will serve as reserve rider for this first round of FIM EWC.
Wearing the blue armband, Black set the fastest time this morning in a fiercely contested first session. He took the lead in the final minutes with a superb time of 1.34.551, the best provisional time for all sessions combined, significantly improving on his performance of the previous day where he was second with a time of 1.34.949.
Penalised by two interruptions caused by competitors crashing, Masson in the yellow group did not have the opportunity to give his best in qualifying one. He was sixth with a time of 1.35.945. His bad luck continued in Q2 with another red flag stoppage. However, the Frenchman was eventually able to put in a fast lap which saw him set the second fastest time in 1.35.251.
Like all the other red-armband riders, Atsumi encountered more difficult weather conditions in the final qualifying session, with a few drops of rain falling on the Bugatti circuit. The Japanese rider finished second, putting in his best performance of the day on the very last lap. He did the same in Q1 when he put in a blistering last lap to lead the group with a best lap of 1.35.187.
Linfoot battled through the pain barrier to complete nine laps of the Bugatti circuit in the first qualifying session. Unfortunately, he could not finish the second qualifying dedicated to reserve riders.
With qualifying results based on the average times of the two fastest riders, the Suzuki GSXR1000R mounted team finished second in qualifying with a time of 1.34.869. This performance gave the team its first four valuable points in the championship.
Last year’s winner and undefeated in 24 Hours races since the 2023 Bol d’Or, Yoshimura SERT Motul will be taking to the grid in the best possible conditions for the 48th edition of the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans, which gets underway tomorrow, Saturday the 19th of April, at 3pm (local time).
Yohei Kato – Team Director
“Our team has done a superb job. Everyone is happy with the results, which is very positive and encouraging. We’re in second place and, of course, we’re keen to get the number one position, but this result is still very good for us. Tomorrow, the weather conditions will bring uncertainty, particularly on Saturday evening when rain is expected to fall. We’ll have to remain vigilant and attentive to make sure we don’t make any mistakes. If we’re lucky enough to seize a few opportunities, we’ll do so and win the race. That’s what we’ll be concentrating on.”
Damien Saulnier – Team Manager
“We’ve had a good week and everything has been rebuilt between the technical team and the riders. Of course, we’re disappointed not to have Dan Linfoot at 100% fitness because of his injury. However, the qualifying sessions were very positive. Cocoro had some very good test sessions. He’s constantly improving and working hard. There’s no doubt he’ll be up for the race. Second place in qualifying shows that we’re there and on the pace. Our team will be fast and competitive throughout the weekend, but it’s going to be a complicated race because the weather is likely to throw up a lot of twists and turns. We’ll have to be in the right place at the right time to get through the drops! We’ll see how the race turns out, but one thing’s for sure, we’re ready and confident.”
Gregg Black – Rider
“Qualifying went very well. We’ve had what I’d call a perfect week. We’re second on the grid and, in the past, this position has brought us good luck as, when we’ve started from pole, we always had problems in the race. Despite everything, we tried hard to get the pole position and I managed to beat the absolute track record of 1.34.5, these are incredible lap times here at Le Mans. We never thought we’d be able to go that fast, so I’m really satisfied with the work the team did over the winter to bring us some new set-ups. Now the race will be different. The official tests took place in the dry, where we were very comfortable, but we saw during the first free practice sessions that we could also perform well in the rain. It’s going to be a very long race, so we need to be regular and opportunistic.”
Etienne Masson – Rider
“Our qualifying sessions went well overall. I was really unlucky in my first qualifying session, which was disrupted by red flags. I never had a very clear track, so that was very frustrating for me. However, Gregg and Cocoro set good times. Today, we had one qualifying tyre left and the team decided to give it to Gregg because he felt he could improve a bit. And that’s exactly what he did – he rode really well! As for me, I started off with a slightly used tyre, but that still enabled me to ride fast and improve my time. All in all, the results are positive; we’ve got a good bike for the race and the whole team is on top form.”
Cocoro Atsumi – Rider
“For my first session, I benefited from a new qualifying tyre and I set 1.35.1, which is my personal best. I’m really pleased. The bike was very good too. In the second qualifying session, we battled for pole position. I tried to improve on my personal best, but the conditions weren’t ideal because of too much traffic. That made it difficult for me to set my pace. But in the end, what I’ve learnt is that I’ve made progress on each of my outings and recorded a lot of important information. That definitely gives me confidence for the race.”
More, from a press release issued by Honda France:
F.C.C. TSR Honda France qualifies sixth for the 24 Heures Motos.
Tati Team AVA6 Racing start from third, five Honda-powered teams claimed positions in the top seven in the Superstock category.
The 48th edition of the 24 Heures Motos, the opening round of the 2025 FIM EWC season, will take place from 17 to 20 April on the iconic 4.185-kilometre Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, featuring eleven Honda-powered teams.
Two-time world champions F.C.C. TSR Honda France, riding the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, enter the 2025 race with the ambition of winning again the world title with a refreshed rider lineup made up of Frenchmen Alan Techer and Corentin Perolari and Japanese rider Taiga Hada. Former Superstock World Champion Loris Baz also joined the team as a reserve rider.
On Thursday, following the free practice session, the first qualifying session was held in ideal conditions on a dry track. Techer was the first rider to take to the track for F.C.C. TSR Honda France in the blue group and recorded a best lap of 1:35.568, placing him 5th in his session. He was followed by Corentin Perolari, who posted a 1:35.945 to secure also the 5th place among the yellow group riders. Taiga Hada completed his session in 14th place with a time of 1:37.850 and Loris Baz took the 5th place with a time of 1:38.669 in his group.
Cloudy weather and lower temperatures during the second qualifying session prevented the F.C.C. TSR Honda France riders from improving the overall lap times.
Based on the average of the two best laps from both qualifying sessions, the F.C.C. TSR Honda France team was credited with a time of 1:35.757 and will start the race from the 6th position. Weather conditions are expected to be particularly wet, however the Honda #5 team remains determined to aim for the top of the standings and to collect as many championship points as possible.
Tati Team AVA6 Racing concluded the combined qualifying sessions with an average lap time of 1:35.127, securing 3rd place on the grid aboard their Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.
This season’s lineup features Hugo Clère, Randy Krummenacher, and Martin Renaudin. After a productive winter of preparation, the team enters the race with strong confidence. Their consistent race pace, combined with the exceptional performance, reliability, and consistency of the Honda #4, provides the team full determination for a strong result.
In the Superstock category, five Honda-powered teams claimed positions in the top seven.
TRT27 AZ Moto has posted the third-best lap time in its category, clocking in at 01:37.096. The Honda #27 counts with the same trio of riders who secured a spot on the podium at the 2024 Bol d’Or Superstock race: British riders Tom Oliver and Tom Ward, alongside Finnish Superbike champion Eemeli Lahti.
The team is thrilled with the bike’s performance and the excellent teamwork between the three riders. With their solid preparation, TRT27 AZ Moto is aiming for a strong result in the 24-hour race.
TRT27 AZ Moto was closely followed by Honda No Limits, Slider Endurance, Dafy-Rac 41-Honda, and the 2024 FIM Endurance World Cup winner, National Motos Honda FMA.
The 48th edition of the 24 Heures Motos will begin at 3:00 PM (CEST) on Saturday, April 19th, and finish at 3:00 PM (CEST) on Sunday, April 20th.
Alan Techer: “The qualifying sessions are over. We showed that we can be fast, even if we’re not the fastest. The most important thing for us is to have a good bike for the race, which is likely to be very complicated because of the weather. We were lucky enough to do a few laps on a wet track on Tuesday morning and the bike felt great. In the dry, too, the bike’s going well and all three of us are managing to be consistent, so that’s a pretty good thing. I think it’s going to be a waiting race with a lot of pitfalls to avoid. Even though there have been quite a few changes in the team, whether it’s the riders or the mechanics, things are going pretty well. It’s not easy doing your first race in an official team, so whenever I can, I try to help both Coco and Taiga to make sure everything goes smoothly.”
Corentin Perolari: “We really worked on our race pace, with a full tank on the bike and all three riders on the same tyres. In fact, we didn’t use any qualifying tyres today. For my part, I rode at a very good pace. This weekend, they’re forecasting very mixed weather, and the most important thing will be to stay on our wheels. These conditions put all the teams back on the same level, and anything can happen. The different tyre manufacturers can also make a difference. If it rains, it’ll be less physical, but it’ll be more mental tiredness because we’ll have to concentrate all the time. I like the night, but I’ve never had the chance to ride at night in the rain, so it could be a discovery.”
Taiga Hada: “I had a good feeling. After the preparatory tests and the practice sessions at the beginning of the week, I feel more comfortable. I’m working step by step, which has enabled me to make progress. I’m used to the Suzuka 8 Hours, but this is the first time I’ll be doing a 24-hour race. I’m used to racing in the rain, but it’s going to be a tough race. It’s especially important not to crash.”
More, from a press release issued by Aviobike WRS :
24 Heures Le Mans, challenging start. The team Aviobike WRS is 13th SST class in Qualifying.
A busy start for the Aviobike WRS team, which is working with a new project and a new bike. The #111 bike will start from the 26th position on the grid for a race that promises to be very challenging, even from a weather point of view.
The Aviobike WRS team has arrived in France for the 24Heures Motos 2025. After the parade in the city and the traditional photos, the team immediately started working on the track.
Thursday was very intense for the teams at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans: free practice in the morning, the first qualifying session in the afternoon and a night session to end the day. The Aviobike WRS team decided to concentrate exclusively on race preparation, familiarising themselves with a completely new bike, especially the electronics and the fuel tank. The riders on the Panigale V4 therefore took all the sessions on Thursday with caution and without really pushing.
For Friday’s second qualifying session, the drivers took to the track from 10.20am in the usual colour scheme. Matteo Ferrari clocked a 1:38.714 in the Blue Rider session, a tenth of a second slower than his time in Q1 yesterday. Luca Bernardi, on the other hand, improved his time in the Yellow Rider session with a 1’39.229. Alberto Butti’s Red Rider qualifying session lasted just three laps and was prematurely ended by a crash in turn 5. This meant that Akito Haga was unable to participate in his Green group session.
The average of the two best times, signed by Ferrari and Bernardi, is 1:38.921and allows Team Aviobike WRS to start from the 26th position on the grid. The 24Heures Motos will start tomorrow, Saturday 19th April at 15:00.
Giovanni Baggi statement: «It has been an intense week from the start and that’s the price you have to pay when you start a new project: the bike, the team and the riders are all new. My ten years of experience in this championship teaches me that it is an intense and complicated discipline and that you have to see the glass half full, because we have a great project and great partners. We have to learn from the negative points for the next races. In terms of performance, we are definitely below the level we can reach, both chronometrically and technically. Among our riders we have two very strong veterans and two riders who are new to this discipline and need to break in. Unfortunately, qualifying ended with a crash, but that’s part of the sport. Now we will keep calm, fix what we can and prepare for a race that we know will not be easy, also because of the weather conditions, with rain expected»