Rd.4 – Bol d’Or 2026 – Qualifying

YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL SECURES 3RD PLACE IN BOL D’OR QUALIFYINGSeptember 28th, 2026

Yoshimura SERT Motul concluded the Bol d’Or qualifying sessions, for the last round of the 2026 FIM Endurance World Championship, with an impressive overall performance at the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France.

Following the two sets of qualifying held at Le Castellet, the #12 Suzuki GSX-R1000R secured third place on the starting grid, earning three additional EWC championship points in the process.

For the final round of the season, Etienne Masson rejoins the Yoshimura SERT Motul squad, lining up alongside Gregg Black and Dan Linfoot. The team heads into this finale aiming to compete at the front of the pack and finish the season on the top step of the podium for the fourth consecutive year at the Bol d’Or. Displaying a competitive pace throughout the qualifying sessions, the three riders confirmed the 2026 upgraded Suzuki’s performance on the famous French circuit. Black set the fastest time of the trio with a fastest time of 1:51.144, while Masson clocked a lap of 1:51.753. Linfoot completed the team’s performance with a best time of 1:52.767. The British rider suffered a crash during the first qualifying session, however, thankfully he was unharmed and there were no major consequences for the rest of the programme. Black and Masson delivered fast laps with consistency, helping to place Yoshimura SERT Motul amongst the front-runners.

Yohei KATO – Team Director

I’m happy to be starting the race from third position. Of course, if Dan hadn’t crashed, we probably could have moved up at least one spot on the grid, but that’s not the main thing. Our preparations went smoothly, and the whole team is approaching this race with confidence. We’re pleased with the work we’ve done, both on the bike and in the pits, and our team spirit is also very strong. We have all the ingredients needed to put on a great race. With the new Suzuki GSX-R1000R, our goal is clearly to go for a fourth consecutive victory at the Bol d’Or. We know the competition will be tough and the race will be long, but we’re ready to take on the challenge. We’re counting on the support of all our fans!

Damien SAULNIER – Team Manager

It was a pretty satisfying qualifying session. I think it would have been hard to do much better. Second place might have been within our reach, while first place was tougher to achieve given how strong the BMW was. Despite Dan’s minor crash, which probably cost us a few thousandths of a second, the whole team can be satisfied with the work we’ve done.

We’re scoring points in the championship and we’re also closing the gap on Yamaha. The race is still very long, and, as always at the Bol d’Or, it will be full of twists and turns and particularly demanding to manage. The weather forecast looks favourable however, with no rain expected, which should allow us to enjoy the race to the fullest. So, until 3 p.m. tomorrow, we’ll savour this third-place spot on the grid. There’s inevitably a hint of disappointment and frustration, as we would have liked to be a bit closer to pole position, but it’s still a very good starting position. Now it’s time to fight, with the goal of securing a spot on the podium for the fourth consecutive year. A big congratulations to all our riders and the entire technical team for the work they’ve done since the start of the week. We remain united, as we always do, and we’re now going to give everything we’ve got in the race. Looking forward to seeing you on the podium on Sunday!

Gregg BLACK – Rider Blue

We’ll be starting third on the grid, which is still a good position and, above all, we’re scoring points in the championship, which is the most important thing. We managed to get the best out of the bike and set some good lap times, with Etienne and I both clocking times in the 1:51 range. It’s a shame that Dan crashed, but it’s the combined total of the two best times that counts. We might just have been able to secure second place by a few thousandths of a second. In any case, the team has done a very good job. We have a competitive bike for the race, which seems both reliable and comfortable, and above all we have a very good pace, as we saw last night during the night-time practice sessions. That’s what will be decisive tomorrow. We’re starting third and our main aim will be to set a good pace. Of the three teams in contention for the title, I think we’re particularly calm as we head into the race. We can’t wait to get started!

Etienne MASSON – Rider Yellow

I’m inevitably a bit disappointed, because last year we started from pole position and this time we’ll be starting from third place. We’ve been struggling a bit with the bike’s set-up since the pre-Bol tests and we’ve tried quite a few things. Now, we’ve gone back to a base set-up we’re more familiar with and the feeling is immediately better. It might not be fully reflected in the lap times, but in terms of feeling, I’m really comfortable on the bike. It’s quite encouraging for the race and I think we can put in a strong performance. We’re starting third, not too far behind the two teams ahead of us, so we’ll be lying in wait. The race is still set to be a thrilling one, with strong competition, but I’m fairly confident. We’ve got a good set-up for the race and I’m now looking forward to taking part in it.

Dan LINFOOT – Rider Red

For me, qualifying obviously didn’t go as I’d hoped, as I ended up in the barriers. Nevertheless, the team did a very good job overall, and both Gregg and Etienne set times among the frontrunners, which means we’ll be starting from a good position. Of course, I would have liked us to score a few more points in the championship and for me to set a good personal best. Unfortunately, I crashed at turn 9 on my very first attempt. We’re currently analysing the data to understand exactly what happened. So I wasn’t able to set the lap time I’d hoped for but, as a team, we can be satisfied with this qualifying session. Above all, we know we’re very quick in race set-up. Our pace is good and we have a competitive and reliable bike, so we should be able to fight for the win.