2014 FIM Endurance World Championship
New season, new rules
The first practice for the Bol d’Or, curtain raiser of the FIM Endurance World Championship, started this Thursday at the Magny-Cours circuit in the department of the Nièvre. All the teams entered were invited to a final briefing on the new rules for 2014.
The main change concerns the points scales on the longer events. The points awarded at the finish remain the same for the first 20 to take the chequered flag, but intermediate rankings have been introduced for the 12 and 24 hour races.
“The ten first placed teams after 8 hours and 16 hours will receive a bonus of between 10 and 1 points,” explains FIM Road Racing Commission Coordinator Paul Duparc. “This scale is a way of rewarding the teams who make the running in the longest races of the FIM Endurance World Championship but whose finish doesn’t reflect their true performance. This new rule is in keeping with the spirit of Endurance and is a response to calls from many of the Championship’s stakeholders. Alongside the Team standings for the FIM Endurance World Championship we have also created a riders’ ranking to highlight the riders’ personal results and determine the best rider at the end of the season.
“The other major change is a restriction on the number of slick tyres for the teams entered in Formula EWC. In the interests of sustainability and by agreement with the manufacturers, the Teams will be entitled to a limited number of slick tyres in the qualifiers. A total of 45 tyres (front and rear), will be authorised for the 24 hour races, 23 tyres for the 12 hour races and 15 for the 8 hour races. In line with this policy, these restrictions will be extended in 2015, the aim being to give the manufacturers time to design products with better performances and a longer life.”
Pit stewards will be checking the tyres of each machine in Formula EWC. This tyre restriction does not concern the motorcycles in the Superstock category. This weekend there will be 480 stewards along the pit lane and on the circuit at Magny-Cours to ensure that this first race of the season takes place safely.