New Suzuka look but same EWC aims for YART Yamaha

Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team will contest next month’s 44th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race with a new livery but with its aim of FIM Endurance World Championship success very much unchanged.

Based in Austria, the squad is on a high following its second-place finish in April’s 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans and its victory in last month’s 24H SPA EWC Motos, the first triumph for the team in a 24-hour EWC event since 2009.

YART’s strong form in the opening two events of the season means it will head to Suzuka one point ahead of defending champion team F.C.C. TSR Honda France in the provisional standings. And Team Manager Mandy Kainz is “obsessed” with making it three EWC podiums out of three in 2023.

“Since our first appearance at the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2004, I have been obsessed with standing on the podium,” Kainz said. “After a few fourth places, we were so close last year, until we crashed in the last hour lying P3 and ended up only seventh. For 2023 we will fight even more focused and harder and hopefully make it.”

Italian Niccolò Canepa, Germany’s Marvin Fritz and Czech Karel Hanika will ride for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team at Suzuka. The trio tested at the legendary Japanese track for two days last week and clocked the fourth fastest combined time.

ANDY KAINZ: “Since our first appearance at the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2004, I have been obsessed with standing on the podium”

A special livery for a special race: YART’s Suzuka livery explained
The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team’s #7 YZF-R1 will feature a special livery based on the new RS4GP bottle design. RS4GP is the flagship product of the Yamalube line of Genuine Yamaha engine oils. Yamaha Motor will provide technical support and operational assistance to YART during the Suzuka 8 Hours.

Shorter but no less demanding
While the 44th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race might be shorter in terms of length than the other EWC rounds, it’s no less demanding with the typically intense heat and humidity notable factors. This year’s race is due to start at 11h30 local time on Sunday 6 August following two days of practice and qualifying. The Japanese event counts as round three of the four-event EWC season.

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or visit the official Endurance World Championship website fimewc.com