Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme : FIM Endurance World Championship

24 Hours of Le Mans 2010 - Musical chairs for riders as the season starts on the Bugatti race track!

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:06:00 +0100

All the favourites were back on the Bugatti race track this week for two days of testing, ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the first round of the 2010 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship scheduled for 17 and 18 April.

Yamaha Austria Racing Team is serenely carrying on its development work with Michelin and Igor Jerman, Gwen Giabbani and Steve Martin, three 2009 World Champions! On the track they met the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, nine times World Champion – including four consecutive years from 2005 to 2008. With Vincent Philippe, Guillaume Dietrich and Daisaku Sakai as a replacement rider, the SERT wants to score high at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They have been working very hard to enter the race in mid-April with the best set-up between the new Showa suspension and Dunlop tyres.

Like the SERT, Yamaha France GMT 94 Ipone is back chasing the title. They closed a deal with a new tyre supplier in the discipline: Bridgestone. Yamaha France GMT 94 has to schedule an intensive development programme on the 2010 R1. David Checa, Gregorio Lavilla and Kenny Foray, who made a strong impression last year on the Kawasaki GSR, will race the official Yamaha.

As a new challenger on the World Endurance scene, the team BMW Michelin is a true eye-catcher. But the BMW S 1000 RR was not the only thing people were talking about. Multiple FIM Endurance World Champion (with SERT) Matthieu Lagrive was not present alongside his teammates Sébastien Gimbert and Erwan Nigon. The incompatibility between BMW Michelin’s partners and the sponsors that personally supported Matthieu Lagrive for many years has led to a clash. BMW Michelin is now considering, amongst other options, to contract another world champion, Sébastien Charpentier.

A rider like Matthieu Lagrive could not stay long without a bike. From last Wednesday at Le Mans, he was pairing with Damian Cudlin (a former Yamaha Phase One Endurance rider, but that team won’t enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans) on the Honda BMP Elf 99. This new permanent team is managed by Michel Bartholemy, former Kawasaki team manager in MotoGP, with the support of EMS 99, a structure that was behind the team Acropolis when they took the third place at Le Mans 2008. Karl Muggeridge and Marc Fissette, as a replacement rider, are also announced on that Honda. So it seems that BMP Elf 99, who keeps a low profile for now, could make a strong impression with their very experienced riders. The team has already signed one of the best lap times, with Matthieu Lagrive in 1’39.0.

As a newcomer with the permanent teams, but already known for some great endurance results (7th at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 4th at the 2009 Bol d’Or), the Suzuki RAC 41 City Bike was also at Le Mans to test their GSX-R. The bike claims an extra 10 hp from last year and the team is entering three new riders: Greg Junod, Greg Black and Olivier Depoorter.

Although they can lay claim for the 2010 title, the Kawasaki of Team GSR is a strong contender for Le Mans victory. The official Kawasaki seemed to be very confident during these pre-season tests on the Bugatti race track. The work done on the suspensions and the development carried last winter with Pirelli gives them some claim for a podium towards the end of the season, as they did last year at the Bol d’Or. Julien Da Costa, Olivier Four, Gregory Leblanc and Thomas Metro will race the Kawasaki GSR.

The Honda Michelin Power Research Team was also back on track at Le Mans with William Costes, Josep Monge and Hugo Marchand. This season, the Honda won’t compete for the whole championship and will only be seen at Le Mans and the Bol d’Or.

In the Superstock class, the Yamaha LTG 57 was practicing with its new team: Nicolas Jaulneau, Kevin Denis and Adrien Ganfornina will race the bike with the support of Michael Lalevée. However, in that class, the most closely watched team is with no doubt the Junior Team Suzuki LMS, with Lucas de Carolis, Cédric Tangre, Baptiste Guittet and David Nivière. However, the Junior Team won’t enter the whole championship and therefore can’t clinch the FIM Superstock World Cup.

The next testing session for the 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place on 30 and 31 March.

2010 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:49:00 +0100

New manufacturers and entry record thrill!

World Endurance is in great shape for 2010! Beating the mellow international economic context, the 2010 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship takes an all-new dimension. The FIM is delighted to welcome this season thirty-two permanent teams: this highly busy starting grid constitutes a new record in the whole history of the Endurance World Championship.

FIM President Vito Ippolito added, “Despite the world economic crisis, our Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship is getting stronger day after day”.

The FIM commitment towards the championship and all the organiser’s efforts has been rewarded not only by a stronger interest from the teams, but also from bike manufacturers and tyre suppliers. BMW joins the championship with great ambition, as four permanent teams will race on the new S 1000 RR, like the official Michelin BMW team and the semi-official Penz13.com. Amongst permanent teams newcomers and strong contenders for the 2010 title, we are pleased to welcome back two world champions: the SERT, Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and the Yamaha France GMT 94. The Spanish from Yamaha Folch Endurance and newcomers Honda BMP Elf 99 are also great challengers.

The competition will also be on the tyres suppliers’ side, as Japanese manufacturer Bridgestone is joining the battle alongside three other brands, Dunlop, Michelin and Pirelli.

The thirty-two permanent team will take part in the full series of the 2010 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship (Suzuka 8 Hours remains a facultative race), which will start on the 17th and 18th of April in France with the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

2010 Calendar

Date	Title	Country
Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th of April	24 Hours of Le Mans	France
Saturday, 22nd of May	8 Hours of Albacete	Spain
Sunday, 25th of July	Suzuka 8 Hours	Japan (only Formula EWC)
Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th of September	Bol d’Or (24 Hours)	France
Saturday 13th of November	8 Hours of Doha	Qatar

2010 contracted teams provisional entry list

All the 2009 World Endurance in 175 pages

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:57:00 +0100

The new edition "Endurance 2009" will be published at the end of December.
As a limited edition, Endurance 2009 is available only on reservation.

The 175 pages, Endurance 2009 makes you relive the whole season of the world championship of Endurance with its spectacular or unpublished pictures by David Reygondeau, including all the big moments, the little stories as well as all the results of the six events of this 2009 season brought to you by Valérie Moreno.

Included in this edition, you will also find the best twenty-four teams of this 2009 season in Formula EWC and in Superstock.

Endurance 2009 can be purchased for 45 Euros (+ shipping charge)

Reservation. David Reygondeau, tel. : +33 6 89 33 46 50 ; email : david@reygondeau.com

2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship - Doha Award Ceremony in Qatar

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:21:00 +0100

2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship Award Ceremony took place Sunday November 15th at Doha Intercontinental Hotel in Qatar the day after the last round, which was held on the Losail Circuit.

Nasser Khalfa Al Attiya, QMMF President and Losail International Circuit General Manager, as well as Claude Danis, FIM Road Racing Commission President, rewarded the 2009 three best teams in the Formula EWC and Superstock class during this official ceremony which joined all the teams engaged in the 8 Hours of Doha.

On stage with their motorcycles, the Yamaha Austria Racing Team, 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Champion, and the Qatar Endurance Racing Team, Superstock FIM World Cup winner, were particularly applauded.

The podium teams in Formula EWC and Superstock class:

2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship (Formula EWC)
1. Yamaha Austria Racing Team (Yamaha/AUT)
2. Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers (Suzuki/FRA)
3. Bolliger Team Switzerland (Kawasaki/SUI)

2009 FIM World Cup (Superstock)
1. Qatar Endurance Racing Team (Suzuki/QAT)
2. Endurance Moto 45 (Suzuki/FRA)
3. Qatar Endurance Racing Team Junior 1 (Suzuki/QAT)

Yamaha Austria victory at Doha ahead of Phase One Endurance and Bolliger Switzerland

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:54:00 +0100

The 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Champions ended up the season in the best possible way by taking another victory at the 8 Hours of Doha, the last round of the championship. Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Gwen Giabbani took victory with one lap gap over the Yamaha Phase One Endurance. The British Yamaha of James Ellison, Pedro Vallcaneras and Glen Richards did a faultless race. Starting from pole position, Phase One Endurance had always been in YART's tail for eight hours and signed in Doha their best result of the season.

The same applies for Bolliger Team Switzerland. The Kawasaki ridden by Horst Saiger, Eric Mizera and Patric Muff had been holding tight to this third place and managed to hold back the pressure from Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers. The stake was big between these two teams: a spot onto the third place of the podium was synonym of a place of 2009 Endurance World Vice-champion! On the Suzuki 18 Sapeurs Pompiers, Stéphane Molinier, David Brière and Jérôme Tangre finished in fourth place and gave for two points only the 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World vice-champion title to Bolliger Switzerland.

The Suzuki Qatar Endurance Racing Team of Mashel Al Naimi, Rashid Al Mannai and Anthony Delhalle also accomplished their mission. The QERT finished in fifth place and took Superstock victory. The Qatar also took it all, as the two machines of QERT Junior are also on the Superstock podium. The Suzuki Endurance Moto 45 of Alexandre Lagrive, Adrien Ganfornina and Nicolas Jaulneau did all their best but could not access to a podium. However, Endurance Moto 45 keeps their second place at the Superstock FIM World Cup. With their Doha result, the Suzuki QERT Junior 1 finished the season at the third place of the FIM World Cup.

The Suzuki No Limits finished in sixth place. That's a very well deserved result, as Ivan Goi and Emiliano Bellucci had to do all the shifts on their own, since Victor Casas was injured at his hand from the qualifying sessions.

Sixth on the starting grid, RT Racing Team Moto Virus finished in tenth place and sixth in EWC. The Franco-Italian Suzuki had to come back into the pits from the first lap as a brake master-cylinder was damaged after a collision with the Suzuki Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers, their direct competitor for a final vice-champion position. RT Racing Team finished the season at the fourth place of the world championship.

For the Michelin Power Research Team, the season was definitely difficult. After being one of the race leaders with YART and Phase One Endurance, the Honda Michelin had to move back into the classification as they lost eight laps to replace a crankshaft screw. Just after mid-race, some overheating problems brougth them more delay. Michelin Power Research finished in twelfth place and sixth in EWC.

Some other teams could not make it to the end. BK Maco Moto Racing did very well during the qualifications and the beginning of the race, but had to give up prematurely. First delayed by some rear wheel axle problems, the Slovak Yamaha had then to give up after one and half hour of race as Jason Pridmore crashed heavily. With a broken collarbone, he could not bring back to the pits a bike that was too much damage to carry on racing.

In the retirement club was also AM Moto Racing, after some mechanical problems; the Suzuki started the race in the top 5, however. Amadeus X-One also retired with an overheating engine, just two hours from the end of the race. The Italian Yamaha managed to keep a spot in the top 10 from the beginning of the race.

Early race contender Honda RMT 21 Racing Germany was also delayed at mid-race by a back wheel problem. The Honda, ridden by Olivier Depoorter and Arie Vos won't make it under the chequered flag, as the Kawasaki Cordoba Patrimonio de la Humanidad.

The 8 Hours of Doha are closing the race season. The price giving ceremony of the 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship will take place tomorrow Sunday at Doha.

Results

Results overall

Provisional standings World Championship

Provisional standings World Cup

YART leads ahead of Phase One Endurance and Bolliger Switzerland

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:13:00 +0100

Since few hours now, there is a leading trio which is solidly racing in front of the rest of the pack at the 8 Hours of Doha. The leader is the recently crowned 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Champion, Yamaha Austria Racing Team, with Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Gwen Giabbani. YART leads with a short gap over the British Yamaha Phase One Endurance, who had barely seen in such a great position this year. For the last race of the season, Phase One Endurance had recruit James Ellison, a very fast rider; Ellison is one of the big guys of the British Superbike and helped Phase One Endurance to start the race from pole position.

Bolliger Team Switzerland is also doing a great race with Horst Saiger, Eric Mizera and Patric Muff. They hold thight their third position. A podium at the 8 Hours of Doha would be a great result for Bolliger Team Switzerland, as they could then finish the season at the second place of the world championship. However, the Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers has the very same target.

At 5 pm local time, the Suzuki 18 of Stéphane Molinier, Jérôme Tangre et David Brière is just behind the Kawasaki Bolliger. A little bit further in the world championship, but still highly motivated is the Suzuki AM Moto Racing Competition on Suzuki, with Fabrice Auger, Cédric Tangre and Julien Millet. They are also involved into a battle for a final podium.

In fifth place, the Suzuki Qatar Endurance Racing Team is once again the best Superstock machine so far. At mid-race, the three QERT machine are probably going to take it all. For now, the only one who can pretend to clinch a spot onto the Superstock podium is the Suzuki Endurance Moto 45.

The Honda RMT 21 Racing Germany was a contender earlier in the race, but was then delayed by a slow puncture. They are in seventh position at 5 pm. Sixth on the starting grid, RT Racing Team Moto Virus had to come back into the pits after the first lap, to change a brake master-cylinder damaged after a collision with their main competitor for a final second place at the 2009 championship, the Suzuki Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers. RT Racing Team is currently in fourteenth place at 5 pm.

The race started at 1 pm under a very bright sun. The pace was instantly very fast, as all the contenders for victory were in the same group after the first lap, even Gwen Giabbani, who started from ninth place on the grid on the Yamaha Austria Racing Team. Hugo Marchand did the holeshot on the Honda Michelin Power Research Team ahead of the Yamaha Phase One Endurance with James Ellison, the Yamaha Austria, the Yamaha BK Maco Moto Racing with Dani Ribalta and the Honda RMT 21 Racing Germany with Olivier Depoorter.

In that group, the first machine to have troubles was the Yamaha BK Maco Moto Racing, who had to come back twice to the pits to solve a rear wheel axle problem. Towards the end of the first shift, the Honda Michelin had to come back to the pits for a while, as an oil leak was suspected from a broken screw in the crankshaft. The Yamaha BK Maco Moto Racing and the Honda Michelin had then to joined back the race at the back of the pack.

The Honda Michelin is in thirteenth position at 5 pm. Unfortunately, the last race of the season did not last long for BK Maco Moto: after half an hour of race, Jason Pridmore had a serious crash and was found with a broken collarbone. That was over for the Slovakian Yamaha.

The sunset just came over the Losail racetrack. The arrival will be done at 9 pm local time (GMT + 3).

To follow live results, log on www.ris-timing.be

Standings after 4h race

8 Hours of Doha - Phase One confirms at warm up

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:02:00 +0100

Phase One is in great shape since they took the pole position yesterday with an incredible hot lap of James Ellison. The British team confirmed this morning that they want to forget all about a season that was marked by technical problems, crashes and retirements. The Yamaha Phase One Endurance signed once again the best time this morning with a lap in 2'02.220.

Yamaha Austria Racing Team is getting more focused and signed the second best time of the warm up. After the Superpole mistakes yesterday, which sent them back to the ninth position on the starting grid, the 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Champion has only one target: the victory.

The Suzuki Qatar Endurance Racing Team is also ready for the show. Although they had already clinched for the second time in a row the FIM World Cup in 2009, their goal remains to score the best result as possible on their home racetrack. The QERT and the QMMF, Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, have even greater ambitions. Mashel Al Naimi, the best Qatari rider, should compete next year in the new Moto2 class in FIM Road Racing World Championship.

Many top teams are also in the right position. The Honda Michelin Power Research Team will start from the second place on the starting grid this afternoon. In the top ten of the warm-up are also BK Maco Moto Racing, third on the starting grid, RMT 21 Racing Germany, Bolliger Team Switzerland, AM Moto Racing Competition, the Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers and Amadeus X-One. RT Racing Team Moto Virus should also have been there, but a problem with a gear shifter delayed them this morning.

The 8 Hours of Doha will start this afternoon at 1 pm, local time (GMT + 3). The sunset comes around 5 pm over Losail and the arrival is at 9 pm.

To follow live results, log on www.ris-timing.be

WARM UP

First qualifications at Doha - YART leads Michelin and Maco Moto

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:35:00 +0100

Yamaha Austria carries on and took the best from the first qualification session at the 8 Hours of Doha. With a 2'03.293 best lap, calculated from the average best of their three riders, Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Gwen Giabbani, YART is leading their everlasting challenger, the Honda from Michelin Power Research Team of William Costes, Josep Monge and Hugo Marchand, who did a 2'03.434 best lap. The best individual lap was signed by Steve Martin on the Yamaha Austria, in 2'02.032. The Australian rider was the only one to ride below the 2'03 bar today in Doha.

Behind the two leaders stands the Yamaha BK Maco Moto Racing. They managed to score the third lap time today as Jason Pridmore signed a fantastic 2'03.464 lap. BK Maco Moto leads two other permanent teams, who are willing to end the season on a positive note: the Team Bolliger Switzerland on Kawasaki and the Team Phase One Endurance on Yamaha. In sixth place is the French Suzuki from Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers.

Despite Anthony Delhalle’s crash this afternoon, the Suzuki Qatar Endurance Racing Team remains the fastest Superstock team. In that class, the Suzuki QERT is leading two other Suzuki, the one from QERT Junior and Endurance Moto 45.

In the second position of the provisional Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship, the Suzuki RT Racing Team is not doing too well today. The Franco-Italian team is short of spare parts after a crash today and is also facing some set-up issues and technical problems.

The second qualifying session will take place tomorrow morning and the Superpole tomorrow-early afternoon. Tonight, the teams will have the opportunity to enjoy the freshness of the Qatari night, during the nocturnal riding session.

The start of the 8 Hours of Doha is scheduled for Saturday at 1 pm, local time (GMT + 3).

To follow all the live results, log on to www.ris-timing.be

A 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship new picture gallery is available on www.fim-live.com/fr/fans-zone/galerie-fim

Provisional Grid

8 Hours of Doha - Yamaha Austria dominates free practice

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:42:00 +0100

Recently sacred 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Champion after the latest Bol d'Or, Yamaha Austria Racing Team still has the same motivation and the same thirst for victory at the 8 Hours of Doha, the last round of the 2009 season. The YART has dominated the free practice session this morning on the Losail racetrack.

Under a bright sun and with a temperature over 30 °C, Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Gwen Giabbani signed the best lap in 2'02.965, despite a crash. They are the only team to lap below the 2'03 bar. Behind the 2009 World Champions, four teams are riding within a very narrow margin: the Yamaha Maco Moto Racing Team, the Honda Michelin Power Research Team, the Kawasaki Bolliger Team Switzerland and the Suzuki Qatar Endurance Racing Team, the first machine in the Superstock category and 2009 FIM World Cup winner.

Behind and still in a good position are the British Yamaha Phase One Endurance, the French Suzuki AM Moto Racing Competition, the Italian Yamaha Amadeus X-One, the German Honda RMT 21 Racing Germany and the French Suzuki of Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers. The QERT Junior Team took the second best time in the Superstock class.

The race promises to be very challenging. The rivalry will carry on this afternoon with the first qualification sessions and the day will finish with the night sessions, on the perfectly illuminated Losail racetrack.

To follow all the live results, log on to www.ris-timing.be

A 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship new picture gallery is available on www.fim-live.com/fr/fans-zone/galerie-fim

Free practice 1

Free practice 2

8 Hours of Doha: Rendez-vous on 14th November for the final round in Qatar

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:37:00 +0100

The 2009 Qtel FIM Endurance World Champion crown has already been given to the Yamaha Austria Racing Team. So has the 2009 FIM Superstock World Cup to the Qatar Endurance Racing Team. However, the runner-up teams still have great expectations from the final round on the Losail racetrack in Qatar. Thirty points are up for grabs for victory and, if YART and QERT are still seen as the favourites in their own classes, their competitors surely won’t miss the last chance to improve their championship standings.

In the Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship, the runner-up position is still open. There is only a six points margin between the Suzuki RT Racing Team Moto Virus, the Suzuki Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers and the Kawasaki of Bolliger Team Switzerland. So the three of them can still expect to be the 2009 vice-champion. Behind them, the Yamaha Amadeus X-One and the Suzuki No Limits can also make a good impression and significantly improve their championship position with a podium in Doha. Amadeus X-One is offering a ride to Alessandro Polita, a World Superbike Italian rider who had previously great results in Superstock 1000.

We’ll also have to deal with experienced, yet unlucky teams. The Honda Michelin Power Research Team, who is currently in sixteenth place in the championship, is still a strong contender for a Doha victory. The Yamaha BK Maco Moto Racing, who scored a third place last year in Doha, will do their best to end the season on a positive note. Same applies to the Suzuki AM Moto Racing Competition and the Yamaha Phase One Endurance which, to pair with Pedro Vallcaneras in Doha, signed two British Superbike riders: Glen Richards and second of the 2009 BSB, James Ellison. On the Honda RMT 21 Racing Germany, we’ll see Arie Vos and Warwick Nowland next to Olivier Depoorter.

A Yamaha Austria Cup Team will be at the starting line with the best three Austrian riders from the 2009 Yamaha R6 Cup.

In the Superstock class, the championship second place is still open for the Suzuki Endurance Moto 45, the favourite, and the Kawasaki Cordoba Patrimonio de la Humanidad, which is doing very well for their first world endurance season, and the Yamaha LTG 57 Zone Rouge. The QERT, winner of the FIM Superstock World Cup, will also have the support of two Junior QERT machines, raced by the best Qatari riders.

Free practices will start on Thursday, 12th of November in the morning on the Losail racetrack, and the qualifying session will take place in the afternoon. The start of the 8 Hours of Doha will be given on Saturday 14th of November at 1 pm (GMT + 3) for a nocturnal arrival at 9 pm.

Entry List

Provisional classification World Championship

Provisional classification World Cup