Yoshimura SERT Motul will use its frustrating start to the 2023 FIM Endurance World Championship season – and its reputation for never giving up – as motivating factors for next month’s 44th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, according to Sylvain Guintoli, one on its three riders.
The Suzuki-powered team heads to its home round of the EWC from 4-6 August playing catch-up in the title chase after a crash in the 24 Heures Motos and technical issues in the 24H SPA EWC Motos left it 52 points behind Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team in the provisional standings after two rounds.
Guintoli, a 41-year-old former Superbike world champion, said: “The first two races have been really frustrating for us because we really had the potential to win. In Le Mans, unfortunately, somebody helped us to crash and we lost a lot of time. In Spa we were very, very fast but we had some small technical problems. We are quite annoyed with the start of the season and I hope we can do better in the Suzuka 8 Hours.”
The Frenchman continued: “The team always had a very strong fighting spirit, I could see this from the first time I joined Yoshimura in the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2017. Even when we are struggling nobody ever gives up and this is very important for endurance racing.
“We have a bike that is really powerful and we can overtake during the races. Most of the time we gradually get better during the race and we have seen this for many years. We start the practice and build up the pace, build up, build up and normally we are the strongest during the race so this is good for the confidence and we feel like we are going to be fighting in the front. Historically this is what happens so when the going gets tough Yoshimura comes better.”
Gunitoli will link up with Gregg Black and Étienne Masson in the Yoshimura SERT Motul line-up for the Suzuka 8 Hours. While Guintoli missed last year’s race through injury, Black partnered with Kazuki Watanabe to complete the podium, despite the handicap of being a two-rider pairing.
“It was a strong ride, especially with just two of us riding the bike, Kazuki and myself,” UK-born Black, 34, recalled. “It’s a hard race to be in and to be competitive in that race is always difficult and [last] year was the first year that I could be really competitive. I managed to lead for a little while and battle at the front and there were just two of us riding the bike. We finished third and that was a pretty good result and one of the best rides.
“We were quite far back on the grid [last year because] in qualifying we did a mistake with the choice of tyres so we were left quite far back. We got a good start and I managed to get up quite a few places to actually lead the race for a few turns, which was good.
“The objective will be to get a podium [again] and be as strong in the race, but hopefully it will be better this year with three of us riding and it won’t be as hard as last year.
“It’s always nice to see the Japanese fans, the Japanese people in the grandstands with all the colours, especially the red for Yoshimura.”
The 44th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race is due to start at 11h30 local time on Sunday 6 August.
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