EWC

YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL SUZUKI SET FOR ESTORIL EWC


Team Suzuki Press Office – July 14.

The second round of the FIM Endurance World Championship, the 12 Hours of Estoril in Portugal, takes place on Saturday July 17th and Team Yoshimura SERT Motul Suzuki is the favourite following a brilliant victory at the 24 Heures Motos.

After having dominated the opening round at Le Mans in France last month, the Yoshimura SERT Motul team arrived in Portugal this week leading the series on 64 points and a 16-point lead over its rival in the standings. All the members of the Franco-Japanese team are approaching this new meeting with a boosted state of mind on a circuit that they appreciate and where SERT won its 16th World Championship Crown in 2020.

Located near Lisbon, Estoril is one of the most technical tracks on the EWC calendar. Inaugurated in 1972, it has hosted world motorsport championships such as Formula 1 and, since 2000, MotoGP.

In endurance racing, after hosting the Estoril 1000km in 1987 and the Estoril 8 Hours in 2000, the Portuguese circuit marked its return to the EWC last year by concluding the season.

This 4,182-metre-long, winding and hilly track is unanimously appreciated by the riders but it also puts a lot of strain on the mechanics, especially as the outside temperature is often high. The qualities of the Suzuki GSX-R1000R, combined with the experience of the technical team and the talent of the riders Gregg Black, Xavier Siméon and Sylvain Guintoli, will therefore be key assets of the Yoshimura SERT Motul team this weekend.

The 31 teams competing in the Portuguese round will take part in free practice sessions on Thursday morning from 11am (local time). The first qualifying sessions will take place in the afternoon, from 16:00 to 17:20 (local time).

The second series of qualifying sessions, which will determine the starting grid position for the race, will begin on Friday at 9:00 am local time.

Xavier Siméon:

“After our victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, we are starting from scratch again We have to keep our feet on the ground because the competition will be very strong once again. We have a lot of work ahead of us as this is the first time we will be riding here on Bridgestone tyres. But we are all confident. The technical team, the bike and the riders form a package that works very well. We will have to stay focused all the way to the end though, as we are of course aiming for a podium finish once again.”

Gregg Black:

“It's a great event and we're happy to be back at this circuit where we won the title last year. The race will be shorter than in Le Mans, of course, but it won't be any easier. Our first mission is to score as many points as possible in order to consolidate our leadership in the championship.”

Sylvain Guintoli:

“It's a pleasure for me to come back to Estoril. It's been a long time since I last raced here but I have very good memories of the Portuguese track. The weather conditions are very good and that's always good for an endurance race. Our team is leading the championship and we will do our best to stay there!”

Pre Qualifying images from Estoril (@David Reygondeau/ GoodShoot): CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS




 For more stories about Xavier Simeon, Click Here. For photos, Click Here.

For more stories about Gregg Black, Click Here. For photos, Click Here.

For more stories about Sylvain Guintoli, Click Here. For photos, Click Here.

Follow Team Suzuki Racing
Powered by Midlands Performance© Suzuki Motor Corporation 2004-2022
Top