24h Motos
YART-Yamaha Official EWC Team secured its third consecutive pole position at the 24 Heures Motos, along with a new lap record. The razor-thin gaps promise an intense, close-fought race.
A highly eventful morning session was marked by setbacks for the #12 Suzuki and the #5 Honda, but also by outstanding lap times from the #1 Yamaha and the #37 BMW, both dipping below the previous lap record. In the end, no team could beat YART’s average time, although BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team remains firmly in contention.
The blue-group riders were the first to head out on track. Just minutes after the session began, Naomichi Uramoto, riding the #76 BMW M 1000 RR for AutoRace Ube Racing Team, set the early benchmark with the first 1:34 lap of the day. No one could respond immediately, as a double crash at the Dunlop chicane brought out the red flags.
When the session resumed, things heated up. Karel Hanika, on the #1 Yamaha YZF-R1, set the fastest time and claimed a new lap record in 1:34.431, before immediately improving to 1:34.267. This stands as the fastest lap in 24 Heures Motos history, with the Czech rider in exceptional form all weekend. At the same time, Gregg Black, aboard the #12 Suzuki GSX-R1000R Yoshimura SERT Motul, crashed at the Esses. Meanwhile, the #5 Honda CBR1000RR-R F.C.C. TSR Honda France suffered a fuel leak, forcing a lengthy stop in the pits. Alan Techer rejoined but crashed in the closing moments, dealing Honda two consecutive setbacks. It was a much more positive morning for BMW, which moved the #37 into second place thanks to an excellent effort from Markus Reiterberger, just 0.031 seconds behind Hanika and also quicker than the previous lap record.
The second wave, reserved for the yellow-group riders, was just as intense. Marvin Fritz (#1 Yamaha), eager to reclaim the record, came close to his teammate Karel Hanika with a 1:34.403. Just fifteen thousandths of a second separated him from Corentin Perolari on the #5 Honda. Sylvain Guintoli (#76 BMW) also remained in close contention.
The red-group riders still had everything to play for, as pole position is determined by the average of the two best times from the two qualifying sessions. Hannes Soomer (#76 BMW) fully embraced his role, delivering two blistering laps, including a strong 1:34.488. YART-Yamaha (#1) could rely on its new Argentine rider, Leandro Mercado, to post a solid lap time. He delivered, although he couldn’t match Michael van der Mark (#37 BMW), the 2014 Supersport World Champion and former Superbike star. The Dutchman, in top form, clocked an excellent 1:34.273, just thousandths off the record. “I didn’t realize I was that fast! I had to overtake a rider in the final sector. I think the conditions were ideal for everyone, and we also have a very good bike,” he said. When the checkered flag fell, no one managed to beat his time.
The fourth riders’ session (green group) saw no improvements among the EWC teams. Bo Bendsneyder, for Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99, put his Yamaha at the top, nearly a second ahead of Enzo de la Vega (#11 Kawasaki).
The Superstock qualifying session began with a double crash involving the #44 Honda No Limits and the #53 Mana-au Competition at the Dunlop chicane, fortunately without serious consequences. On the timing sheets, BMW continued to shine with Team Étoile, Team Tecmas – Minerva Oil, and Champion-Hert Powered by MRP. During the yellow-group session, the #44 Honda suffered another crash. Meanwhile, Christophe Ponsson (#9 BMW Team Tecmas – Minerva Oil) moved into first place in the class, confirming BMW’s dominance in the category.
As laps went on, track temperatures increased, making conditions more challenging. Mathias Michaud, riding the #72 Suzuki Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki, crashed at the raccordement on his out lap, visibly frustrated. Up front, BMW maintained its momentum. Kaito Toba, a former Moto3 race winner, put the #25 BMW M 1000 RR Team Étoile at the top during the red-group session. The green-group riders only confirmed the trend, highlighted by a strong lap from Guillaume Antiga on the #9 BMW. Based on average times, the #25 BMW of Japan’s Team Étoile secured pole position in the Superstock class, notably thanks to an excellent performance from green-group rider Rei Toshima.
In the Production class, the #96 Yamaha Legacy Compétition had dominated proceedings since the start of the weekend. However, in this second session, blue-group rider Paul Barre (#199 Kawasaki ZX-10R ARTEC) surprised the field with an excellent lap time and a clear margin over the rest. Then local rider Alexy Négrier, on the #42 Kawasaki Green Team Lycée Sainte-Claire, impressed in the yellow group. In the next wave, the #144 Honda outperformed its rivals, while the highly anticipated #96 Yamaha still failed to deliver. In the end, the #144 Honda claimed pole position in Production, ahead of the #42 Kawasaki and the #96 Yamaha.
The #45 Metiss entered in the Experimental category enjoyed a trouble-free morning, marked by a very solid pace from Ludovic Rizza.
Top 5 – EWC class:
1. Yamaha #1 YART-Yamaha Official EWC Team – Karel Hanika / Marvin Fritz / Leandro Mercado – 1:34.335
2. BMW #37 BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team – Markus Reiterberger / Steven Odendaal / Michael van der Mark / Jérémy Guarnoni (reserve rider) – 1:34.368
3. BMW #76 AutoRace Ube Racing Team – Naomichi Uramoto / Sylvain Guintoli / Hannes Soomer / Jérémy Guarnoni (reserve rider) – 1:34.687
4. Yamaha #99 KM99 – Randy De Puniet / Florian Marino / Alessandro Delbianco / Bo Bendsneyder (reserve rider) – 1:34.947
5. Honda #5 F.C.C. TSR Honda France – Alan Techer / Corentin Perolari / John McPhee / Jordi Torres (reserve rider) – 1:35.006
Top 3 – Superstock class:
1. BMW #25 Team Étoile – Hikari Okubo / Motoharu Ito / Kaito Toba / Rei Toshima – 1:36.053
2. BMW #9 Team Tecmas – Minerva Oil – Soma Görbe / Christophe Ponsson / Chris Leesch / Guillaume Antiga – 1:36.824
3. Honda #77 Wojcik Racing Team #77 SST – Milan Pawelec / Mateusz Molik / Oscar Guttierrez Iglesias / Francisca Palomera Ibañez – 1:37.145
Top 3 – Production class:
1. Honda #144 ETH by 2V Racing – Jérémy Hérault / François Noël / Anatole Beaupère / Lylian Fontaine – 1:40.829
2. Kawasaki #42 Green Team 42 Lycée Sainte-Claire – Julien Bonnet / Alexy Négrier / Jules Blanc / Corentin Garcia – 1:40.882
3. Yamaha #96 Legacy Compétition – Jordy Manneveau / Pierre Gelas / Ludovic Hauser / Jonathan Hugot – 1:41.253
Experimental:
