Honda Endurance Racing reveals new rider line up for the 2017 Bol d’Or
Bol d’Or
The Circuit Paul Ricard, France
Honda Endurance Racing is ready for the beginning of the FIM Endurance World Championship season, which kicks off with the Bol d’Or (15-17 September). For the prestigious 24-hour endurance race the team will feature a new rider line-up with Gregory LeBlanc and Yonny Hernandez joining Honda veteran Sébastien Gimbert.
The famous Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France will once again host the Bol d’Or, the opening round of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC). With big championship points on offer at the 24-hour race, Honda Endurance Racing will roll out their new rider line-up on the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 with the aim of securing the best possible result.
Endurance specialist and Honda stalwart, Sébastien Gimbert will line up aboard the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 for the fifth consecutive year and will provide valuable experience to his new team-mates at the Bol d’Or Gregory LeBlanc and Yonny Hernandez.
LeBlanc is no stranger to Endurance racing, the Frenchman is a four-time winner at the Bol d’Or and will be looking to add yet another win to his tally with Honda. Hernandez will bring a fresh approach to the EWC after making the move from Grand Prix racing where he previously enjoyed a five-year stint in the ultra-competitive MotoGP World Championship.
The three riders have enjoyed a successful pre-season test aboard the new Fireblade, where they were able to gain valuable lap time aboard their endurance machine and make various tweaks in preparation for the first round of the 2017/18 season.
This new season will see the famous Le Mans circuit host the 24 Heures Motos in April, before the championship heads to Slovakia and Germany before finishing at the Suzuka 8 hours next July.
Qualifying for the Bol d’Or will take place on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 September, with the race starting at 1500 local time on Saturday 16 September.
For all the latest news on the team follow @HondaRacingCBR on Twitter.
2017/18 FIM EWC Provisional Calendar*
16-17 September – Bol d’Or, France
21-24 April – 24 Heures Motos, France
12 May – 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring, Slovakia
9 June – Oschersleben 8 Hours, Germany
29 July – Suzuka 8 Hours, Japan
*Subject to change
Jonny Twelvetrees
Team Manager
Testing has gone very well and all three riders have settled in quite quickly, especially our two new guys Greg and Yonny. They’ve worked very well together in order to help each other out at different parts of the circuit. Based on all the feedback from the riders we’ve really made progress with the setup and by the end of the afternoon all the riders were feeling very comfortable with the bike. They were all within half a second of each other so they’re all pushing the bike to the same limit and everyone left the day smiling! It’s all been very positive and we’ll work a bit further on the setup: particularly suspension, geometry and a little bit of electronics. Overall a great day, all riders are happy with where we and now we aim to find a bit more time before we tackle the Bol d’Or.
Sébastien Gimbert 111
After the first day I am happy with the bike and everyone is working very hard. The lap time is not so bad and now we are looking to adjust the bike further. I’m happy because it’s the first time I work with my new team-mates Yonny and Greg, who are both very fast and for the Bol d’or I want us to push together for the best result. For me, I think is possible because we have good lap time on the endurance bike, is easy to work together and so I’m confident.
Gregory LeBlanc 111
We have had a very good day testing and it was the first time for me in this team and on this bike. We find a lot of good solutions for the bike and we made good progress lap by lap, so that’s very good and we find a good solution for the race. The setting is very good but of course is necessary that we continue to work as we will ride faster throughout testing, but this setting is a very good basis. For the Bol d’Or, I think is possible to achieve a very good result because the team and the bike is very good, also my team-mates are very fast and it is a pleasure to ride on the Fireblade. For me it’s a new challenge, a new team, because I ride for many years on another bike. It’s very interesting for me to change and ride the Honda, it’s an honour and a pleasure to join this team. I’m very happy because the bike is a very beautiful bike and the team is a very professional team. It’s very interesting to work with an English team as it is the first time for me. It’s also an honour to ride with Yonny and Seb because Seb has a lot of experience and has won many races in Endurance and Yonny, who has been riding MotoGP, is a very fast rider; it’s an honour to ride with these two guys.
Yonny Hernandez 111
It has been a new experience for me because everything is new, so I just focus on finding a good rhythm with the bike and the team. The bike is so different but I’m happy because I have this opportunity to ride in the 24 hours. I think it’s been positive and we work good together, improve step by step and now I want to try some different things to improve the lap times further. I want to do a long run and try to find a good rhythm for the race, a good pace and I look forward to my first race with this team.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
YART Remain the Same for 2017/2018 EWC Title Challenge
Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to confirm the rider lineup for the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team ahead of the opening round of the 2017/2018 FIM Endurance World Championship at the Bol D’or on the 16th-17th September. The YART team ended the season in third overall after battling at the front during the majority of races and finishing as the leading full-time team at the Suzuka 8 Hours. As they prepare for the first race of the new season the team will once again comprise of Broc Parkes, Kohta Nozane and Marvin Fritz.
YART enter the 2017/2018 season buoyed by their finish as the leading full-time Endurance team at the Suzuka 8 Hours and their excellent form shown in the last four races. A DNF at the Bol d’Or was not the start the team were looking for, but superb second-place finishes at the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans and the 8 Hours of Oschersleben, plus their fourth at the 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring, meant they went to Suzuka with an outside chance of lifting the title if other results went their way. The team did everything they possibly could to be in with a chance of winning, riding superbly to finish in fifth, but it was not to be as other results went against them and they ended the season in third overall, just 15.5 points behind the champions GMT94. The team are keen to carry their momentum into the new season and keeping a consistent line up will only add to their chances of challenging for the title.
Broc Parkes remains in the team for the sixth successive season on the YART Yamaha R1, having joined them in 2013. The 35-year-old Australian is a former runner-up in WorldSSP (2008) and after a strong finish to last season, will be looking to spearhead the team’s hunt for their first EWC title since 2009. He will be joined once more by the talented 21-year-old Japanese rider Kohta Nozane – fresh from his first victory in the JSB1000 class in the All Japan Road Race Championship – for his second year with the team after the young star impressed in his debut season. The 2016 German IDM Superbike Champion, 24-year-old Marvin Fritz, also returns for his second year in the team after some excellent performances during his rookie season in the EWC, as the trio of YART Riders look to build on the pace shown all last season and lift the Endurance World Championship title for the first time since 2009.
The 2017/2018 FIM EWC season consists of five rounds:
Bol d’Or (24h) – 16th/17th September 2017
24 Heures Motos (Le Mans) – 21st/22nd April 2018
8 Hours of Slovakia Ring – 10th/12th May 2018
8 Hours of Oschersleben – 7th/9th June 2018
Suzuka 8 Hours – 27th-29th July 2018
The YART Yamaha Official Yamaha EWC Team kick off their title challenge at the Circuit Paul Ricard for the first round of the season, the 24-hour Bol d’Or, in France on the 16-17th of September.
Mandy Kainz
YART Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
“We cannot wait for the new season as we are confident that we can continue our form that saw us finish this season so strongly. Our results in 2016-2017 have been very good, but we had quite a lot of bad luck, but finally, we have everything in place for the 2017/2018 season to allow us to fight for the championship. I am delighted to confirm our rider line up for the Bol d’Or. Marvin and Kohta have really proved themselves in their rookie seasons, and having Broc in the team with his experience, knowledge, and pace, brings it all together. We feel we are in a very strong position team-wise and we have been working on the bike to bring it closer the to the Yamaha Factory Racing Team machine to give our riders the best chance possible to become Endurance World Champions.”
Broc Parkes
YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
“This season was a learning year for the team, with two new riders in the championship for the very first time and also our first year with Bridgestone tyres. Considering this, we are delighted with how the season went, our overall pace and how the Bridgestone tyres worked. It is incredible to see how well we performed. At most races, we were battling at the front and it was only really some bad luck that prevented us from winning the title, but the good thing is we can be even stronger this season. Kohta and Marvin have four races under their belts now, they have ridden at night and completed a 24-hour race at Le Mans. Even though this will be their first Bol d’Or, the now know what to expect and we have more experience of working together, both of which are vital factors in endurance racing. We have a great relationship together, they are both such huge young talents, it has been brilliant to pass on my experience and knowledge to them, whether it’s in regards to setup, or just how to relax in-between stints. I am 100% confident we can put in a very strong title challenge this season, we just need a bit more luck than last year!”
Marvin Fritz
YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
“This season has been mine and Kohta’s rookie season and my first-time riding on Bridgestone tyres. Plus, we had to learn most of the tracks and it was also my first-time riding in the dark at Le Mans. Considering all of that, we had an amazing season! We were the fastest team in most of the races, but we just didn’t have any luck. We led at Le Mans, Oschersleben, and Slovakia where we were incredibly unlucky to have the issue with our chain when we had a race-winning lead. I hope that this season we can have a bit more luck. To have Broc and Kohta as teammates again is great. Broc is so strong on the bike and has lots of experience, plus we have very similar riding styles, so our settings are pretty similar on the R1. Kohta is super quick, a MotoGP test rider, and we are all really good friends. We can, of course, improve this year as it is our second season on the Bridgestone tyres and now Kohta and myself know the tracks. We feel a lot stronger and more prepared than last year, so we are ready for the new season.”
Kohta Nozane
YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
“I’m really happy to once again be able to race with YART full-time for another EWC season. I’d also like to thank Team Manager Mandy Kainz and Yamaha for giving me another great opportunity to race on the world stage. Last season, the environment was entirely new for me and I was riding on circuits I’d never been to before. I also wasn’t able to show what I felt I could do at my home round of the Suzuka 8 Hours and we weren’t able to take the title, so it was a painful reminder of how far I still have to go as a rider. But I’ve been able to take two wins in the All Japan JSB1000 class this season, so it’s undeniable that racing and gaining experience in the EWC has helped me improve. The upcoming 2017-2018 season will be my second time in the championship, so I won’t be able to make any excuses this time. No matter the event or circuit, I want to be fast, race hard for the team and my teammates, and help bring YART the title so I can show everybody how far I’ve grown as a racer.”
More, from another press release issued by Yamaha:
Consistency Key for Reigning EWC Champions GMT94
Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to confirm the rider lineup for the GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team ahead of the opening round of the 2017/2018 FIM Endurance World Championship at the Bol D’or on the 16th-17th September. GMT94 dominated the 2016/2017 season as the Yamaha R1 proved to be the machine to beat, winning three races in a row on their way to lifting the title at Suzuka. The reigning Endurance World Champions will remain unchanged for the new season, with David Checa, Niccolò Canepa and Mike Di Meglio returning to defend their crown.
Endurance racing is the ultimate test of man and machine and GMT94 were the dominant force during the 2016-2017 season on the Yamaha R1. After finishing ninth at the Bol d’Or and missing out on some valuable stage points, the team trailed the championship leaders by 47 points but bounced back incredibly by winning the next three races in a row at Le Mans, Oschersleben, and Slovakia to reduce the deficit to the leaders SERT to just one point. This gave them the chance to be crowned Endurance World Champions at the Suzuka 8 Hours, all they had to do was finish ahead of SERT and in the points. Despite the immense pressure at the season finale, they rode a faultless race to finish in 11th, crucially ahead of SERT, to secure their third Endurance World Championship, adding to the titles they won in 2004 and 2014. Unsurprisingly, the team remains unchanged for the 2017-2018 season as they look to defend their title and be crowned Endurance World Champions for the fourth time.
The endurance legend David Checa returns to ride for GMT94 for his 16th consecutive season with the team. He has been ever-present in the team since 2003, lifting the title with them in 2004, 2014 and in 2017, in the process making history by becoming the first Spanish and Yamaha rider to be crowned Endurance World Champion three times in his career. Niccolò Canepa also made history last year as he became the first Italian to be crowned an Endurance World Champion. The 29-year-old former MotoGP rider joined the team in 2016 and helped them to finish as runners-up in the championship during his debut season, before going one better in his second year. Mike Di Meglio joined GMT94 for the second race of the 2016/2017 season at Le Mans as a replacement for Lucas Mahias, who left the team to ride for Yamaha in WorldSSP. The 29-year-old French rider immediately made an impact in the EWC by becoming the first rider in the championship to emerge victorious in his first three races. Denied the chance to be crowned Rider’s champion along with his teammates at Suzuka – due to the fact he missed out on the points at the Bol d’Or – Di Meglio’s aim for the 2017/2018 season is to become the first Grand Prix World Champion (2008 125cc World Championship) to also go on to lift the Endurance title.
The 2017/2018 FIM EWC season consists of five rounds:
Bol d’Or (24h) – 16th/17th September 2017
24 Heures Motos (Le Mans) – 21st/22nd April 2018
8 Hours of Slovakia Ring – 10th/12th May 2018
8 Hours of Oschersleben – 7th/9th June 2018
Suzuka 8 Hours – 27th-29th July 2018
The GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team begin their title defence at the first round of the season, the 24-hour Bol d’Or, at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France on the 16-17th of September.
Christophe Guyot
GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team Manager
“We enter the new season with the same riders, the same team and the same bike! Consistency is key! For the Bol d’Or we will have updated the suspension and made a few tweaks on the bike and the goal is to win the race. Last year, we finished the Bol d’Or in ninth after two crashes, which meant we were playing catch up for the rest of the season. Therefore, the goal is to win and get our title defence off to the best possible start. We will build a good strategy and implement it as you have to do at all endurance races. The target was always to keep the same riders for the new season. After Mike’s first race at Le Mans, we knew he would be a good fit alongside David and Niccolò. The guys are like three brothers, each one brings different things to the team and their skills complement each other. I know they will enjoy staying together and fighting to defend their title!”
David Checa
GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
“I am excited about the new season. It will not be easy, especially as it feels as though we have only just finished and we are starting again all already, we didn’t even have time to celebrate. It is easy when you are champions to rest on your laurels and it is hard to stay mentally and physically strong and remain focused, so this has been our target. It is great to have the team confirmed for the Bol d’Or. I enjoy riding with the guys and I feel we have a very strong team to try and defend the title. I am so happy to have won the title and we know that for the Bol d’Or, the Dunlop tyres work really well. The target is to go out and win again as we are used to winning now. The package for Bol d’Or is perfect. I think we are in a very good position to win the race and I hope we can have a nice fight with YART once more, as that is what the spectators want, just like at Le Mans! The competition is even stronger this season so we must raise our level even more and it will be difficult, as always, because you can never predict what will happen in endurance racing.”
Niccoló Canepa
GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
“I will never forget the podium at Suzuka, to be crowned Endurance World Champions in front of 100,000 fans, it was a very special season! The calendar is really strange because we are racing again after just one month but after an amazing season for the team, it is much better for us to be getting back into action, instead of having a long break, because we are in a groove and the bike will be even better this year! Last year at the Bol d’Or we qualified on pole, but we had bad luck and finished ninth. This year, we are determined to enter the new season with a good result, as in the last two years, we have started the championship with a bad race. If we can get off to a good start, it will make it a lot easier, knowing how strong we can be at the other tracks. Last year our pace was very consistent at the Bol d’Or, if it wasn’t for the two crashes, we would have been fighting for the win. It will be the first time for Mike at the track, so we will conduct a test beforehand so that he is ready to hit the ground running. David and Mike are the best teammates ever, the atmosphere in the team is fantastic, as first of all we are friends and then we are teammates. We know that we are all fast and we completely trust and respect each other, which is the most important thing in endurance, so I am very happy to start the season with the same team. Mike had an amazing debut season, winning his first three races, and David is a real legend in the sport. I love racing with them, I couldn’t ask for a better team and I am proud to be a part of it.”
Mike Di Meglio
GMT94 Yamaha Official EWC Team
“It was amazing to be crowned champions at Suzuka but the preparations for the new season began straight away because we obviously want to continue in the same way! It was a fantastic season for me personally and, thanks to the team, I won my first three races! This season we need to push on even more, as YART and all of our rivals will be stronger. We have already made plans to improve the bike and we will test at Paul Ricard as it is my first-time racing at the Bol d’Or. It looks like a nice and fast track. I am very happy to have the same teammates this season because there is a fantastic atmosphere in the team. Sure, I was not actually a world champion because I missed Le Mans, but they treated me like one and made me feel an essential part of the team. I really enjoy riding with David and Niccolò and I believe we can win another title this year. It really is a fantastic team, we are good friends and the communication between everyone is excellent which is crucial in endurance racing. It would be great if we could defend the title this season, as I have the chance to become the first Grand Prix World Champion to also become an Endurance World Champion. Grand Prix racing is very different, you ride for yourself. I love endurance as you are racing as a team, plus when it is a 24-hour race like at the Bol d’Or it is the ultimate test of man and machine, and after we did so well at Le Mans, I cannot wait to get started!”