Event preview: Unmissable EWC 2024 revved up for Le Mans

Big changes will bring big action to the FIM Endurance World Championship as one of the most wide-open seasons in recent EWC history revs up at Le Mans in France next week (18-21 April).

With multiple teams changing bikes or riders since the thrilling finale to the 2023 EWC title chase, the sport of motorcycle endurance racing just got even more unpredictable.

Although Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team will attempt to defend its EWC crown with an unchanged line-up of Niccolò Canepa, Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika, several rival outfits have all made significant changes ahead of the 47th edition of the 24 Heures Motos.

Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team

Yoshimura SERT Motul has recruited Dan Linfoot to replace Sylvain Guintoli, who joins BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team to take the ride vacated by KM99-bound Jérémy Guarnoni. Former MotoGP star Randy de Puniet also switches to KM99 with his former team, Kawasaki Webike Trickstar, adding Christian Gamarino and Róman Ramos to its attack.

Team Bolliger Switzerland’s commitment to young rider development continues following the signing of Alex Toledo. Martin Choy and Takeshi Ishizuka are new to Maco Racing’s 2024 challenge, while Motobox Kremer Racing and Wójcik Racing Team EWC have opted for all-German and all-Polish race riders with the Poland-based Wójcik organisation swapping Yamaha for Honda power.

BMRT3D maxxess Nevers steps up from the Superstock-based FIM Endurance World Cup to the top-level Formula EWC category and adds Jonathan Hardt to its line-up from 2023.

Yoshimura SERT Motul

While there have been myriad rider changes in Formula EWC, F.C.C. TSR Honda France relies on the same trio that claimed victory in last season’s 24 Heures Motos, Mike Di Meglio, Josh Hook and Alan Techer. Continuity is also the name of the game for the top independent team from 2023, Honda Viltaïs Racing, which again names Florian Alt, Leandro Mercado and Steven Odendaal as its riders. And it heads to the 24 Heures Motos on a high after topping the times during the Pre-Test earlier this month. Previously a Kawasaki stalwart, Tati Team Beringer Racing will be Honda-powered in 2024.

Tati Team Beringer Racing

Changes aplenty have been made in the FIM Endurance World Cup, in which all teams rely on tyres from official supplier Dunlop. Team 33 Louit April Moto has made three new rider signings for 2024 but retains Simone Saltarelli, part of its 2023 title-winning squad. Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore and Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda also have newcomers in their respective ranks.

TRT27 AZ Moto switches from Suzuki to Honda power and brings Isle of Man TT legend Michael Dunlop back to the EWC. Team Slider Endurance will also be Honda-equipped in 2024, the motorcycle of choice for the No Limits, National Motos, Mana-Au Competition and Wójcik teams.

Team 33 Louit April Moto

JMA Racing Action Bike, Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki, Team Players, Team 202 and Uniserv Moto82 Team continue their Superstock adventures, as do 3ART Best of Bike, ADSS97, Pit-Lane Endurance and Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team, which claimed FIM Endurance World Cup honours at Le Mans last year.

TCP Racing and Team Racing 85 have permanent registrations for the first time, while the EWC represents unchartered territory for Team Étoile from Japan. Meanwhile, Team Aviobike is bringing the Aprilia name back to the EWC in partnership with Nuova M2 and Revo Racing Project.

Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team

STEP-UP SUPERSTARS READY FOR FORMULA EWC ACTION
Three riders with recent experience in the Superstock-based FIM Endurance World Cup will step up to the headlining Formula EWC category in 2024. Christian Gamarino joins Kawasaki Webike Trickstar having helped Team 33 Louit April Moto win the Endurance World Cup in 2023. Takeshi Ishizuka and his Maco Racing team-mate Martin Choy are also moving up, as are Loris Cresson, Jonathan Hardt and Julien Pilot along with their BMRT3D maxxess Nevers team. Marco Fetz and Daniel Rubin are both Formula EWC newcomers thanks to Motobox Kremer Racing. Kamil Krzemień, Jurand Kuśmierczyk and Artur Wielebski have all been given a chance to progress by Wójcik Racing Team.

BMRT3D maxxess Nevers

REA RETURNS ONE YEAR AFTER EMOTIONAL PARADE LAP
Gino Rea received a guard of honour from his fellow EWC riders before going on to complete a highly emotional parade lap when he returned to Le Mans last season for the 46th edition of the great race. The previous August, Rea suffered serious head injuries in a crash during practice of the 43rd Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, making his comeback all the more remarkable. The fact he’ll now be racing again is testament to the British rider’s refusal to give up during an arduous recovery.

“I’m extremely excited to be back under the wings of Wójcik Racing Team,” said the 34-year-old FIM Endurance World Cup contender. “It was in the colours of this team that I started my career in EWC. I’m excited to be racing together again while the team witches to Honda bikes. It’s been a crazy year of intense rehab, but I will do my best to help the team develop the bike using my experience.”

Gino Rea

EWC RIDERS SAID WHAT? 

Florian Alt (Germany), Honda Viltaïs Racing: “The clear target from the team is to achieve in every race a podium because we want to be in the top three at the end of the season. At Le Mans we have been really unlucky with some technical issues, which made us fall out of the podium. Now we really, really want to fight hard for the podium in Le Mans. Of course, at Bol d’Or we had the hat-trick, three years in a row, the third position, the victory and the second position last year so now we really want to be competitive at Le Mans.”

Marvin Fritz (Germany), Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team: “Le Mans is one of the hardest tracks physically for the body because you have not so much rest, you have the main straight and the back straight, but all the other parts are really physical. Then of course it’s always the question about the weather. We can have nice weather but it can rain and it can be cold, especially in the night. Then there’s the traffic because you have so many riders in the race and it’s so important to get through the traffic as fast as possible at any time of the race, it’s where you can win or lose the most time. Our goal is to win Le Mans. It’s still on my list to achieve but we have the potential to win, the team, the bike and the Bridgestone tyres are always doing an amazing job for us.”

Sylvain Guintoli (France), BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “It’s difficult, there’s a lot going on with the power management as well and the engine brake because it’s very much a stop and go track. The BMW is very fast, the engine is super-quick so we’re trying to make it as rider-friendly as possible for 24 hours. The Pre-Test was a great opportunity for us to dial everything in. The [changing] weather meant it was tough because you’ve got to adapt and you’ve got to try the different tyres, the different configurations with a fully wet track, drying track and the slicks as well with different temperatures because the temperature affects a lot the tyre grip and the longevity. So far over the history of the race no European manufacturer has ever won so it would be great to be the first one with BMW.”

Josh Hook (Australia), F.C.C. TSR Honda France: “There’s a lot of hard braking. What works for us is to set up a bike which is good in the braking areas so you have to use less effort in those areas. It can help you with the energy levels throughout the race and not pop you too quick. Our bike tends to work better in the night and obviously the body does too because you sweat a lot less and it’s a little bit easier physically. You’ve just got the problem of trying to stop your fingers from getting numb because you get halfway through a stint and you can’t feel your fingers! Generally the engine works better in the colder conditions, the lap times tend to come a little easier and it’s less physical. As long as we stay upright if there are tricky conditions, make the right calls in the pits when to use wets and when to use slicks, we can do very well in this race.”

Grégory Leblanc (France), Kawasaki Webike Trickstar: “The target is to fight for the victory because when you ride for a factory team honestly you fight for the victory. I won Le Mans five times with Kawasaki and I would like to win another time for the record. In the Pre-Test the track conditions were not perfect but I am confident because this track is not bad for the Pirelli tyres and the Kawasaki bike. However, in a 24-hour race we need to be lucky, we need no crash, no technical problems and if we have nothing we can finish on the podium. Le Mans is always special with the weather because in April we can have 30 degrees or the full race in rain but I prefer for the show and the fans that all is dry.”

Dan Linfoot (Great Britain), Yoshimura SERT Motul: “The conditions obviously play a part as it can get really cold and it’s the first race after not having ridden so much for five or six months. Our team brings a wealth of experience on the technical side to this race and also on the organisational side with the planning. All riders are in a great place, the team has made some steps with the bike and as long as we tick all the boxes and are prepared we should be in a great position for Le Mans.”

Alessandro Delbianco (Italy), Pit-Lane Endurance: “The EWC is my big dream because I’m very passionate about endurance racing. The track is amazing but maybe the weather is not our friend in these days. But it’s okay, maybe it’s a very difficult for a 24-hour race but we try. The Bol d’Or in the night [for my EWC debut] was amazing and this place [Le Mans] with all the people will be another amazing experience. For sure we ride for making a podium because we are a good team with very good riders. We are all fast riders so why not?”

Michael Dunlop (Northern Ireland), TRT27 AZ Moto: “I don’t see a reason why I can’t be fast here. If we get the base good, I should be fast as well. I came here with the Honda 11 years ago and I was fast then, I was the fastest of the group. It’s a different ball game [to the Isle of Man TT] and that’s just the way it is. People think you’re racing at night [at Le Mans] but when you’re here it’s all lit up. When the place is full of people and the lights are on it’s not really night. But it’s not the night that’s the problem but the freezing cold. The last time I was here it was minus three and we had to stop it for an hour or so before we got going again because of the cold.”

Théo Vigneron (France), Uniserv Moto82 Team: “The new rule means we will have four riders in Superstock and maybe it will be easier for us because, financially, we all pay and also on the track. For 24 hours it’s quite hard. With three riders it’s a real race but with the new rules we are trying four riders. I ride once at Le Mans but as a fourth rider, so not running in 2022. It was a great experience but after competing in the French Endurance Championship last year, this year I wanted to go back again in the EWC. It’s a new team for me but it’s a pleasure to be with them and the goal is to finish the race.”

PROVISIONAL KEY EWC TIMINGS

Wednesday 17 April
15h00: Parade from Circuit Bugatti to Place des Jacobins, Le Mans
16h00 (approx.): Official team and rider presentation (Place des Jacobins, Le Mans)

Thursday 18 April:
10h00-12h00: Free Practice
16h00-16h20: First Qualifying (Blue Riders)
16h30-16h50: First Qualifying (Yellow Riders)
17h00-17h20: First Qualifying (Red Riders)
17h30-17h50: First Qualifying (Green Riders)
20h30-22h00: Night Practice

Friday 19 April:
10h20-10h40: Second Qualifying (Blue Riders)
10h50-11h10: Second Qualifying (Yellow Riders)
11h20-11h40: Second Qualifying (Red Riders)
11h50-12h10: Second Qualifying (Green Riders)
12h15-12h25: Pole position photo sessions
12h45: Post-qualifying press conference (Briefing Room 305)

Saturday 20 April:
10h30-11h15: Warm-up
15h00: Start of 47th 24 Heures Motos

Sunday 21 April:
15h00: Finish of 47th 24 Heures Motos
15h10: Podium ceremony
15h30: Post-race press conference (Briefing Room 305)

24 HEURES MOTOS ESSENTIALS
Where: Bugatti Circuit
Location: Automobile Club de l’Ouest – Circuit des 24 Heures, 72000 Le Mans, France
When: 18-21 April 2024
Track length: 4.185 kilometres
Race distance: 24 hours

BEST LAPS:
Qualifying: Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team (Karel Hanika, 1m34.878s, 2022)
Race: BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (Illya Mykhalchyk, 1m36.751s, 2023)

IN 100 WORDS:
Rather than the 13.626-kilometre Circuit de La Sarthe, the traditional EWC curtain-raiser takes place on the 4.185-kilometre Bugatti Circuit. The demanding layout comes complete with the famous Le Mans start/finish straight, Dunlop Esses and Ford Chicane, while a twisty infield ensures there’s little respite. Riders also face the prospect of shorter daylight hours and colder temperatures during the night and early morning. Although the inaugural 24 Heures Motos took place in 1978, when Jean-Claude Chemarin and Christian Léon rode a Honda to victory, the ACO staged its first motorbike race in 1912, long before the Bugatti Circuit’s September 1966 inauguration.

For more info check out our dedicated Endurance World Championship News page Endurance World Championship

or visit the official Endurance World Championship website fimewc.com

©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of Endurance World Championship/a>