YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL WINS THE BOL D’OR

Yoshimura SERT Motul won the final round of the 2023 FIM Endurance World Championship in convincing style at the Bol d’Or on Sunday the 17th of September. The victory raised the team’s final championship standing to second overall.

After a season marked by bad luck, Yoshimura SERT Motul was keen to end the race year on a high and conclude the Bol d’Or with a convincing result to reflect its true competitiveness.

This unwavering determination was shown throughout qualifying sessions, when the #12 Suzuki GSX-R1000R ridden by the French trio of Gregg Black, Sylvain Guintoli and Etienne Masson set the second fastest time.

The race got underway at 3pm CET on Saturday 16th September on a track made tricky by a rain shower that had fallen shortly before the start. Despite the precarious track conditions, Gregg Black once again got hole shot and was completing the first few laps in the lead.

As the hours passed, an intense battle began between the main rivals with the three leading machines swapping positions at every refueling point.

Although the track was drying, the wind made conditions very tricky on the challenging Paul Ricard circuit. As the night wore on, none of the leading machines managed to gain a decisive lead. Despite a minor slip-up by Black early at night, the GSX-R1000R kept its chances alive and kept up the pressure on its rivals.

In the hands of Black, Guintoli and Masson, the Yoshimura SERT Motul was a consistent and reliable performer both on the track and when refueling. The team led at both important points-scoring eight- and 16-hour marks, pocketing an additional 20 bonus points in the process.

Remarkably efficient since the start of the event, team managed to open a significant gap at daybreak. However, in endurance racing, nothing is ever decided before the checkered flag falls.

This 86th edition of the Bol d’Or was to demonstrate this with three and a half hours to go, when an oil slick caused the simultaneous crash of eight bikes, including the one ridden by Black. Remarkably, the damage to the GSX-R1000R was minimal. The Franco-British rider returned to the pits without wasting any time and retained command of the race.

During the night, Guintoli was struck with physical condition that prevented him from doing his stints. From early morning onwards, Black and Masson had to continue as a two-rider outfit – they both rode quickly and smoothly.

Despite several setbacks, Yoshimura SERT Motul crossed the finish line as the undisputed winner, seven laps ahead of its closest rival. The team won thanks to the unfailing determination of its riders and its domination on the track and in the pits. This crucial victory enabled them to snatch second place in the final championship standings.

Yohei Kato – Team Director

Now the pressure is easing off, I’m very happy with this result. We led for most of the race. We were really worried that something might happen to us again, it was very stressful. But we have an excellent team. We’ve finally achieved a good result this season. I want to thank all the members of the SERT team, YOSHIMURA, Motul and other valuable partners and all the fans who support us. Suzuki is still winning in competition, here in the Endurance World Championship, and we will continue to fight.

Damien Saulnier – Team Manager

Our season has been very complicated so far. At Le Mans, Spa and Suzuka, we had the means to be at the front, but we just couldn’t manage it in those three races. At the Bol d’Or, everything finally ended well. As far as the title was concerned, it was still mathematically possible to take it, but our hopes were still very slim. So this victory is good for our morale and it will help us prepare for the 2024 season. I’d like to thank the whole team, who did a great job throughout the week, and of course the riders who gave their all to offer us this victory. Finally, I have a very special thought for our mechanic Polo, who is retiring this season after 43 years with the SERT.

Gregg Black – Rider Blue

It’s been an incredible race with lots of twists and turns, especially for me. I started on a wet track, crashed at the beginning of the night, had to continue the race only with Etienne from early morning and then crashed again after 20 hours. It was a crash by 8 riders who were on oil and there was a big risk of being hit. In short, this race really hasn’t been easy, but it ends with a victory which is all the more satisfying. I’d like to congratulate my team-mates and the whole technical team, who did a fantastic job.

Sylvain Guintoli – Rider Yellow

Of course, I’m very happy to win the Bol d’Or but at the same time I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to help my team-mates all the way to the end, because I know that 24-hour races are particularly demanding. I gave everything I could during the first six stints but with unexpected physical issue, it was too complicated for me to go any further. Gregg and Etienne did a great job to take the bike to victory. It’s a good way to end the season and for me to turn the page on this great adventure with the team.

Etienne Masson – Rider Red

I would like to congratulate Sylvain because he held his role as long as possible despite his sudden health issue. Obviously, it became more complicated to continue with just Gregg and I, but we were physically prepared. I also know that I’m in the most tenacious team on the field. Yoshimura SERT Motul crews never give up until the finish, and Gregg and I had to do the same. Bringing a victory feels really good, it rewards the efforts of the whole team.

　

Qualifying

Pos.	Team	Machine	Avg. Best Lap
1	BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM	BMW M1000RR	01:51.658
2	YOSHIMURA SERT Motul	SUZUKI GSX-R1000R	01:51.665
3	F.C.C.TSR Honda France	HONDA CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP	01:51.864

Final

Pos.	Team	Machine	Laps
1	YOSHIMURA SERT Motul	SUZUKI GSX-R1000R	717Lp.
2	HONDA VILTAiS RACING	HONDA CBR1000RR	710Lp.
3	BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM	BMW M1000RR	709Lp.

Ranking

Pos.	Team	Machine	Point
1	YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC	YAMAHA YZF-R1	181P
2	YOSHIMURA SERT Motul	SUZUKI GSX-R1000R	161P
3	BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM	BMW M10000RR	160P
4	F.C.C. TSR Honda France	HONDA CBR1000RR-R	149P
5	HONDA VILTAIS RACING	HONDA CBR1000RR	127.5P
6	Kawasaki Webike Trickstar	Kawasaki ZX-10R	106.5P
7	TATI TEAM BERINGER RACING	Kawasaki ZX-10R	57P
8	MACO RACING team	YAMAHA YZF-R1	54.5P
9	Team LRP Poland	BMW S1000RR	49.5P
10	KM99	YAMAHA YZF-R1	48.5P