Le Mans, 6h: Yamaha leads BMW and Kawasaki / Endurance World Championship

Suzuki had led the race at Circuit Bugatti for several hours. When Gregg Black took second place on the Yoshimura SERT Motul machine, the Frenchman crashed in the final corner. The twelve-second lead over YART was history and after repairs and mechanics, the 17-time EWC world champion found himself in 18th place, four laps back. The team was also penalized for driving the wrong way after the accident.

Gino Rea crashed twice during his career. Both times the EWC returner was able to pick up his Honda (Wojcik Racing #777) and continue driving. In his next attempt, the Briton, who is returning to the EWC after a horrific crash at Suzuka in 2022, had to concede another crash. The 33 Louit April team also recorded a crash with Flavio Ferroni. The reigning Superstock champion also lost more than 20 minutes due to a critical service on the Kawasaki. Shortly after returning to the long 4.185 km track, the Kawasaki team had to give up.

Shortly after 7 pm, Randy de Puniet also hit his Yamaha from Team KM99. The Belgian team were in second place in the race at this point, but a skid cost them seven laps. At around 9pm, Ludovic Cirard crashed in the 1st corner in his Suzuki from the WERC Motors Events team, prompting the first round of the safety car because the track had to be cleared.

YART up

After a quarter of the race, Yamaha Racing Team Austria with Marvin Fritz took first place on his birthday. Together with Karel Hanika and Niccolo Canepa, the German controls the 24-hour race at the front. The BMW works team of Markus Reiterberger, Ilya Mikhalchik and Sylvain Guintoli is just one lap behind Mandy Kainz’s team, having set the fastest lap of the race up to that point in 1:35.904.

Behind Yamaha and BMW, Kawasaki is also in third place and in a promising position for the first points award after eight hours. Note: In EWC races over 24 hours, points are awarded to the top 10 after hours 8 and 16. The ten World Championships have one point each for the leader and another point for tenth place.

While Team Tati Beringer (Kawasaki) and former world champion of the soccer game Randy Krummenacher with Hugo Clere and Corentin Perolari is in 4th place, Yoshimura SERT Motul team follows in 6th place.

Tecma’s MRP BMW leads the Superstock standings at 9pm. Alongside Loic Arbel, Kenny Foray and Hannes Soomer, Jan Bühn always makes his rounds on the BMW M1000RR. The team, which was fifth overall at 9pm, has covered the distance without any problems so far, but is in a tough fight with National Motos Honda (V. Suchet, S. Suchet, Raymond).

Kevin Bolliger’s personal Kawasaki team competes at Le Mans with Nico Thöni, Pedro Nuno Romero Barbosa and Alex Toledo Romero and is in a good position after six hours of racing: 9th place.

Motobox Kremer is also working on the front in the 25th anniversary at Le Mans. Manfred Kremer, EWC’s longest-serving team boss, brought three young German talents, Daniel Rubin, Dominik Vincon and Marco Fetz, to the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ranked 13th at 9 p.m., the team is closing in on its 10th place target.

Le Mans, situation after 6 hours:

1. YART – Honda (Canepa, Fritz, Hanika), Honda YZF-R1, 216 Runden
2. BMW Motorrad World Endurance (Reiterberger, Mikhalchik, Guintoli), BMW M1000RR, + 1 lap
3. Kawasaki Webike Trickstar (Leblanc, Ramos, Gamarino), Kawasaki ZX-10R, + 3
4. Tati Team Beringer (Clere, Krummenacher, Perolari), Kawasaki ZX-10R, + 3
5. Tecmas MRP BMW (Fory, Bühn, Arbel, Soomer), BMW M1000RR (SST), + 4
6. Yoshimura SERT Motul (Black, Masson, Linfoot), Suzuki GSX-R1000, + 4
7. National Motos Honda (S. Suchet, V. Suchet, Raymond), Honda CBR1000 RR-R (SST), + 5
8. KM99 (de Puniet, Marino, Guarnoni), Yamaha YZF-R1, +5
9. Team Bolliger Switzerland (Thöni, Romero Barbosa, Toledo Romero), Kawasaki ZX-10R, + 5
10. Chromeburner RAC-41 (Lesch, Tessels, Raffin, Renaudin), Honda CBR1000 RR-R (SST), + 6

More:
13. Motobox Kremer Racing (Vincon, Rubin, Fetz), Yamaha YZF-R1, + 7
15. 3ART Best Bikes (Vietti-Ramus, Kemmer, Watanuki, Pot), Yamaha YZF-R1 (SST), +8
19. Honda No Limits (Nigon, Gabellini, Steinmayr, Masbou), Honda CBR1000 RR-R (SST), + 11
38. FCC TSR Honda (Hook, Better, Techer), Honda CBR1000 RR-R, +26
39. Metiss-JBB (Pons, Schmidt, Rizza, Akroyd), Metiss (EXP), + 28
OUT Racing Honda Viltais (Alt, Odendaal, Mercado), Honda CBR1000 RR-R