Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme : FIM Endurance World Cup

Everything about World Endurance in 2011 !

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:03:00 +0100

The edition "ENDURANCE 2011" will be published in January 2012. This book contains 160 pages showing images (photos by David Reygondeau) and telling stories (texts by Valerie Moreno), including all races, the great moments and the complete racing results of the 2012 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship and Cup. You will also meet the teams who took part in this sporting season. Published in limited edition, ENDURANCE 2011 is only available on reservation. Price 45 euros (+ dispatch cost). Please contact: david@reygondeau.com

Congratulations to the 2011 winners

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:05:00 +0100

The 2011 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship prize-giving ceremony took place on Sunday, November 13th on the Losail International Racetrack, in Qatar, the day after the 8 Hours of Doha race. This season's ultimate race managed to give consecration to the two 2011 world title contenders, the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and the BMW Motorrad France 99, and to reallocate the final slots of the Qtel FIM Endurance World championship and the Superstock FIM World Cup podiums.Under the presidency of Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya, QMMF (Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation) President and Reszö Bulscu, FIM Road Racing Commission Director, the prize-giving ceremony was another opportunity to give credit to the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team performance and longevity.
The official Suzuki team outperformed by a narrow margin the BMW Motorrad France 99. This official Belgian team managed to be consecrated vice-champion for their first participation in the complete Endurance season. The 2011 world podium third place went to the Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone. The official Yamaha team finished the season on a great victory at the 8 Hours of Doha.The FIM Superstock World Cup went to the Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT. This French team on Suzuki has finished on all the Superstock podiums this season, and was already consecrated after their class victory at Le Mans. They led the Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT, German team on BMW, and the team Atomic MotoSport, French team on Suzuki, who was not racing in Doha but has been regularly in the top 5 on all the other rounds this season.The provisional 2012 FIM Endurance World ChampionshipApril, 14 & 15 Bol d'Or (24 h) Magny-Cours, FranceJuly, 29 Suzuki 8 Hours JapanAugust, 11 and 12 24 H of Oschersleben GermanySeptember 8 & 9 24 Hours of Le Mans FranceOne or two other rounds still need to be confirmedA 52 minutes highlights programme of the 8 Hours of Doha will be broadcast this week on several TV channels around the world: Speed Channel – Australia - TV Meridiano – Venezuela - Sport TV - Portugal Moto TV – Italy - ESPN EMEA - Eurosport - FIM TVClassification of the 2011 QTEL FIM Endurance World ChampionshipClassification of the 2011 FIM Endurance World Cup

BMW Motorrad France 99 title hopes dashed in Qatar

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:58:00 +0100

A hard fought second place in today's 8 Hours of Doha, the final race of the 2011 Endurance World Championship, wasn't quite enough to see Team BMW Motorrad France 99 crowned as the 2011 Endurance World Champions, as third place for SERT saw them retain the title by just four points. Having dominated practice and qualifying, Sébastien Gimbert, Erwan Nigon and Damian Cudlin were confident of fighting for the win aboard the BMW S1000RR in Qatar today. Unfortunately, their hopes were cruelly dashed just 12 laps into the race when Katsuyuki Nakasuga crashed and collected race leader Gimbert on his way to the gravel trap. Four minutes lost to repairs in the pits meant that Team BMW Motorrad France 99 rejoined the race in 24th position. Nigon immediately started the fight back that would see the #99 BMW S1000RR progress rapidly through the field to eventually take the chequered flag in second place, trailing race winners Yamaha GMT94 by just 30 seconds. But those 30 seconds proved the difference between title glory and intense disappointment for Team BMW Motorrad France 99. Finishing second in the standings in only their first full season in the Endurance World Championship was little consolation for Team BMW Motorrad France 99, who were effectively eliminated from what promised to be an epic title fight very early in the race. Sébastien Gimbert: Pilot Bleu
"I'm disappointed, obviously, but I'm also proud of what we did today. I was comfortable at the front of the race when Nakasuga pushed too hard and took us both out. What he was trying to do I have no idea, and I don't think he did either. It was a risk he shouldn't have taken. It would have been easy to have given up then, to have left the bike, closed the pit box doors and just called it a day. But we didn't. Instead, we fought back and we came within 30 seconds of winning the championship. That is something for me, Erwan, Damian and the whole team to be proud of." Erwan Nigon: Pilot Vert "What can I say? I'm disappointed, but this is racing. Sometimes you enjoy good luck and sometimes you endure bad luck. Today we had some luck of the bad kind, but we did our best to recover and only missed out on a dream comeback by the narrowest of margins. I'd like to say a big thank you to my teammates, Sébastien and Damian, who never gave up today, to BMW, Michelin and everyone in the team for their support and to Michael Bartholemy, for the faith and confidence he's shown in me this year." Damian Cudlin: Pilot Rouge
"After Sébastien was t-boned by Nakasuga in the first hour of the race we regrouped, pushed on and came within 30 seconds of winning the world championship title. After 72 hours of racing this season, we lost out by just half a minute. How crazy is that? I'm bummed. There's nothing else to say really, except thanks to everyone who made this season possible." Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal "My feeling is one of frustration rather than disappointment. If Nakasuga came to the Endurance World Championship looking to make a name for himself then he certainly achieved that today. We fought back after the crash, lapping two or three seconds faster than anyone else on track for most of the race, but it wasn't quite enough and we lost out by just 30 seconds at the end. We are vice-world champions in only our first full season in the championship, but that really is little consolation. We were here to win, not finish second. I'd like to congratulate our riders; Sébastien Gimbert, Erwan Nigon, Damian Cudlin and Hugo Marchand, all of whom have done a fantastic job this season. Thanks also to BMW Motorsport and to Michelin, whose unstinting support allowed us to come here to Qatar still with a shot at the title. I'd also like to congratulate SERT on retaining the championship title. I hope we'll be back next year to do battle with them once again." Marcel Driessen: Director, BMW Motorrad France "I am super proud of my young team. To come back from 23rd position after the crash to finish second, just 30 seconds behind the race winner, illustrates just how exceptional our team and our riders are. We missed out on the ultimate prize by the narrowest of margins today but ending our first full season as vice-champions, in a series so closely contested that we've had five different winners in as many races, is an achievement I'm justifiably proud of."

GMT win in Doha as SERT crowned

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:23:00 +0100

Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone riders David Checa, Kenny Foray and Matthieu Lagrive closed the season with a first victory and hence, offered their French official Yamaha the third place of the 2011 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship at the last race, in Qatar. Reaching the end of the race through a very fast pace, BMW Motorrad France 99 finished second in Doha. For the honours, Sébastien Gimbert, Erwan Nigon and Damian Cudlin outperformed Suzuki Endurance Racing Team of Vincent Philippe and Anthony Delhalle. Nonetheless, this third place gave Suzuki Endurance Racing Team their eleventh world title, with a four point lead over BMW Motorrad France 99. The race started at a very high pace, as Vincent Philippe took the holeshot but the fight to lead was quickly shared between Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone, Monster Yamaha YART and BMW Motorrad France 99 riders. The collision between the BMW and the Monster Yamaha YART riders during the eleventh lap gave then an open shot to the Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone who then took leadership despite the pressure of the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team. Following closely, the Honda TT Legends Team took a well-deserved fifth place, due to a strong pace and pit stop management. Honda riders John McGuinness, Keith Amor and Glen Richards outperformed the Spanish Yamaha of YMES Folch Endurance with Dani Ribalta, Pedro Vallcaneras and Jose Manuel Luis Rita. Maco Racing Team, Motobox Kremer Racing by Shell Advance, the Team FMA Assurances, the Team R2CL were in a group to finish in the EWC top 15. The Bolliger Team Switzerland lost the benefits of a great start during the early stages of the race as they encountered some fuel injection problems and finished 16th overall, in an unusual 11th in EWC. In seventh position, the Yamaha of DG Sport took victory in the Superstock class, thanks to their tire management by using their set of Michelin tyres during two consecutive shifts. Their well prepared riders, Hugo Marchand, Josep Monge and Raymond Schouten managed to hold back the Suzuki of Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT, already assured of the 2011 Superstock FIM World Cup. The Suzuki of Qatar Endurance Racing Team is back on the podium and finished in the Superstock third place ahead of the MCS Racing Ipone and Endurance Moto 45. The feminine team of Qatar Endurance Racing Team (Nina Prinz, Nikolett Kovacs and Paola Cazzola, Superstock) finished in 6th place, ahead of the BMW from Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT. Well placed from the start, the BMW lost some ground after a fuel shortage, but finished the season with a FIM World Cup second place. Some of the team favourites in the Superstock class saw their hopes for victory vanish from the beginning of the race. The Suzuki AM Moto Racing Compétition had to abandon with some fuel injection problems and their colleagues of Suzuki of No Limits Motor Team crashed, ending their season unceremoniously. 8 hours of Doha Standings2011 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship standingsFinal standings 2011 FIM Endurance World CupA 52 minutes highlights programme of the 8 Hours of Doha will also be broadcast next week on several TV channels around the world: Speed Channel – Australia - TV Meridiano – Venezuela - Sport TV - Portugal Moto TV – Italy - ESPN – EMEA - Eurosport - FIM TV.

Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone leads in Doha

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:12:00 +0100

After four hours of racing, Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone leads the race on the Losail racetrack in Qatar. The French official Yamaha managed to hold back the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, trying to win an eleventh world title. At mid-race, the SERT leads his direct competitor, the BMW Motorrad France 99 and the Monster Yamaha YART.

There was some high tension on the track already from the start. Vincent Philippe made the holeshot and led the first lap for the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team but each lap the leadership changed constantly by the efforts from Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone, Monster Yamaha YART and BMW Motorrad France 99.

BMW Motorrad France 99 was seen as the arch-favourite but were involved in a dramatic moment, which took place during the ninth lap. A collision between Sébastien Gimbert on the BMW Motorrad France 99 and Katsuyuki Nakasuga on the Monster Yamaha YART sent the two leading machines at the back of the pack. Back on track with a bang, the Austrian
Yamaha and the Belgian BMW started from the tail end, with a one lap deficit.

The Honda TT Legends find themselves again in the top 5, thanks to great race management of their pit stops. The British Honda leads the Spanish Yamaha of YMES Folch Endurance. Bolliger Team of Switzerland, after a great start despite a crash this morning at the warm up, lost all the benefits of a great race due to some fuel injection problems.

In the Superstock class, the podium spots changed frequently according to the pits frequent stops between Yamaha DG Sport and the three Suzuki of Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT, Qatar Endurance Racing Team and MCS Racing Ipone.

Some of the Superstock favourites have seen all their hopes for victory vanish from the very early stages of the race. Suzuki AM Moto Racing Compétition had some fuel injection problems from the second lap and just retired, the Suzuki No Limits Motor Team crashed and BMW from Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT, after a great start, lost ground after a fuel shortage.

The feminine team from Qatar Endurance Racing Team II continuous to round the circuit consistently, to find themselves in a very credible sixteenth place overall. The sunset just came over Doha and the arrival is scheduled at 9 pm (GMT + 3).

Follow the 8 Hours of Doha race live with "live timing" on FIM-LIVE.COM

A 52 minutes highlights programme of the 8 Hours of Doha will also be broadcast next week on several TV channels around the world: Speed Channel – Australia - TV Meridiano – Venezuela - Sport TV - Portugal Moto TV – Italy - ESPN – EMEA - Eurosport - FIM TV

Warm-Up: BMW & Yamaha behind BMW Motorrad France 99

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:51:00 +0100

The Michelin clan puts his strengths behind his best contender, BMW Motorrad France 99. The official Belgian team starts from pole position at the 8 Hours of Doha, this afternoon, to try to get in Qatar its first world title. BMW Motorrad France 99 sits nine points behind the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, ten times and current world champion. BMW is racing here for victory, but also needs to keep the Suzuki away from a final second place to be crowned 2011 World Champion.

On the starting grid like during the warm up this morning, the Michelin clan did his best to maximise the distance between the BMW Motorrad France 99 and the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, which is running on Dunlop. Michelin's strategy also lies on the two official Yamahas, to deprive the Suzuki from accessing the podium. Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone and Monster Yamaha YART are sharing that mission and outperformed again the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team during the warm up this morning. The two Yamahas are also racing for a 2011 championship third place.

During the qualifications yesterday, the BMW Motorrad France 99 proved once again their domination by clocking the pole position in 1'59.928 at the average time of their three riders, close to the best lap time scored by Ben Spies (1'59.041), during the 2009 FIM Superbike world championship .

In the Superstock class, the German BMW of Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT confirms its ambition for the victory. In this class, the 2011 FIM World Cup winner title is goes to the French Suzuki of Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT.

The start is scheduled at 1 pm local time (GMT +3) for this semi-nocturnal race, and the finish is at 9 pm.

Follow the 8 Hours of Doha race live with "live timing" from Saturday 10:00 am GMT on FIM-LIVE.COM!

A 52 minutes highlights programme of the 8 Hours of Doha will also be broadcast next week on several TV channels around the world: Speed Channel – Australia - TV Meridiano – Venezuela - Sport TV - Portugal
Moto TV – Italy - ESPN – EMEA - Eurosport - FIM TV

BMW Motorrad France 99 in pole position

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:10:00 +0100

There is more and more pressure on the Losail racetrack. The second qualifying session of the 8 Hours of Doha will stay an impressive one after the incredible BMW Motorrad France 99 pole position, with a 1'59.928 lap which astonished the competition. The Belgium official team seems untouchable and has major assets to target the victory and the 2011 world title: the S1000RR is incredibly fast, their three riders are on top form (1'59.818 for Sébastien Gimbert, 1'59.824 for Damian Cudlin and 2'00.143 for Erwan Nigon), and their Michelin tyres have obviously more grip than their competitors on the Losail racetrack.Hence, the first three on the grid are running on Michelin tyres. In second position is the Monster Yamaha YART with Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Katsuyuki Nakasuga, but they are already more than one second behind the BMW, and just ahead of the Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipon with David Checa, Kenny Foray and Matthieu Lagrive.The two official Yamaha outperformed the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, which is running on Dunlop. As they had now hope to clinch the pole position in Doha, the current world champion preferred to focus on finding the best race setup. The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team is also racing to keep their 2011 world title. In case of a BMW Motorrad France 99 victory, the SERT absolutely needs to finish second of this race in Doha to be crowned again. Bolliger Team Switzerland (Kawasaki), Maco Racing Team (Yamaha) and YMES Folch Endurance (Yamaha) are behind this quartet of official teams. The first Superstock bike is the BMW of Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT, in 8th place on the grid, ahead of the Honda TT Legends. Already winner of the FIM Superstock World Cup, the Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT (Suzuki) cleared their minor technical glitches to complete the top 10 on the grid, ahead the Yamaha of DG Sport.As expected, the women riders of the Suzuki Qatar Endurance Racing Team 96 improved their lap times today. NIna Prinz signed her best lap in 2'04.172, which is fastest than more than half of the grid from the first qualification session. Paola Cazzola and NIkolett Kovacs also improved their lap times.The Team R2CL will start from the back of the grid. The team received a ten seconds penalty for having not respected three times the flags at the end of the qualifying session. The start is scheduled tomorrow Saturday at 1 pm local time (GMT + 3) for a semi-nocturnal race which will end up at 9 pm.Follow the 8 Hours of Doha race live with "live timing" from Saturday 10:00 am GMT on FIM-LIVE.COMA 52 minutes highlights programme of the 8 Hours of Doha will also be broadcast next week on several TV channels around the world: Speed Channel – Australia - TV Meridiano – Venezuela - Sport TV - Portugal - Moto TV – Italy - ESPN EMEA - Eurosport - FIM TVProvisional Starting Grid

SERT is back on pace in Doha but BMW Motorrad France 99 keeps the hand

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:49:00 +0100

The stakes are very high for the 8 Hour Endurance race in Doha. During the first qualifying session this afternoon in Qatar each team presented their best assets. BMW Motorrad France 99 was still the fastest with their S1000RR power, Michelin tyres and three very homogenous riders-. All three riders lapped the Losail racetrack in the low 2'00's. Sin second place and using on Dunlop tyres, the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team approached their competitors very close. Nevertheless, a consequence-free crash of Vincent Philippe eroded their confidence, even a little. The 2011 world title will be decided between these two teams.

After this first day of practice, the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team leads the two, official Yamaha mounted teams on the provisional starting grid. With Katsuyuki Nakasuga riding in 2'00.598, Monster Yamaha YART outperformed Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone. The two teams are competing for a final podium spot in the 2011 world rankings.

The Swiss Kawasaki Bolliger Team and the Spanish Yamaha YMES Folch Endurance are keeping a close distance, almost in an ambush, ahead of the best Superstock mounted team, the Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT. The Superstock race promises to be disputed between the Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT and the Yamaha of DG Sport, who has entered the race in Doha with a brand new team, with riders Hugo Marchand, Josep Monge and Raymond Schouten. The Honda TT Legends has presented a change of riders since Cameron Donald broke his wrist when he fell climbing stairs some days ago. Glen Richards has now replaced Donald on the official Honda.

In the Superstock class, the Suzuki No Limits Motor Team did well, scoring a tenth place overall on the provisional grid. There is a lot of focus in Doha on the women's team, riding the Qatar Endurance Racing Team, who took a very honourable 22nd place on the grid.

See the Q1 results

Follow the 8 Hours of Doha race live with "live timing" from Saturday 10:00 am GMT on FIM-LIVE.COM!

A 52 minutes highlights programme of the 8 Hours of Doha will also be broadcast next week on several TV channels around the world:
Speed Channel - Australie
TV Meridiano - Venezuela
Sport TV - Portugal
Moto TV - Italie
ESPN – EMEA
Eurosport
FIM TV

The QERT is womanizing Doha

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:59:00 +0100

The QMMF, Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation, is making history in Doha. With the support of the FIM 'Women in Motorcycling' Commission, the Qatar Endurance Racing Team entered an extra team, composed with 3 female riders alongside their regular team. The QERT Suzuki # 96 motorcycle has three European women, with German rider Nina Prinz who has proven herself in the IDM, the International German Superbike championship, as well as in the European Superstock Women's Championship. Prinz has the support from Italian Paola Cazzola who has also made a strong impression in the European Superstock Women's Championship as well as in the 'Feminine Italian Championship'. Hungarian lady, Nikolett Kovacs performed well enough in the European Supersport Championship to receive a wild-card ride for the World Supersport championship round in Misano.

With the technical support of the regular QERT team, the feminine trio obtained the 22nd best time on the provisional starting grid. ''I love the Losail racetrack", said Nina Prinz, "but none of us knew the track so we can only improve our lap times tomorrow". When asked about the difficulties of an 8 Hour race for a woman, Paola Cazzola replied "…for this kind of race, the mental strength is as important as the physical strength"and "…this adventure is important for all women riders", added Nikolett Kovacs, "…and our target is to reach the end of the race".

Follow the 8 Hours of Doha race live with "live timing" from Saturday 10:00 am GMT on FIM-LIVE.COM!

A 52 minutes highlights programme of the 8 Hours of Doha will also be broadcast next week on several TV channels around the world:
Speed Channel - Australie
TV Meridiano - Venezuela
Sport TV - Portugal
Moto TV - Italie
ESPN – EMEA
Eurosport
FIM TV

BMW Motorrad France 99 is showing their ambitions

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:59:00 +0100

There is some electricity in the air on the Losail racetrack, in Qatar. The 2011 Qtel FIM Endurance World title will be decided this coming Saturday at the 8 Hours of Doha, between the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and the BMW Motorrad France 99. During the first free practice session this morning, the official Belgian team BMW Motorrad France 99 was showing their victory and title ambitions. On the S1000RR n°99, Sébastien Gimbert, Erwan Nigon and Damian Cudlin has been dominating the session by laping one second faster than the direct competition, with a 2'00.858 lap which is already faster than their Superpole time last year (2'01.358).The Monster Yamaha YART (2'01.979) is trying to keep up with the BMW pace, with Igor Jerman,, Steve Martin and Katsuyuki Nakasuga (who is replacing Gwen Giabbani, still recovering). Behind them is another R1, the one from Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone, with David Checa, Kenny Foray and Matthieu Lagrive (2'02.062 during the first session).Behind these teams on Michelin, the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team does not seem to be that comfortable with their Dunlop tyres on the Losail racetrack. The current World Champion also needs to deal without Daisaku Sakai, injured after a crash during some private testing earlier this week. The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team will fight for their 2011 world title with two riders only, Vincent Philippe, who just recovered from the collarbone he broke down at Le Mans, and Anthony Delhalle.In the Superstock class, the BMW of Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT took the best ahead of the Yamaha DG Sport, joined by Hugo Marchand for the season' last round, and the Suzuki from Qatar Endurance Racing Team, winner of the last three FIM Superstock World Cups.The Qatar Endurance Racing Team also recruited three women riders. On the Suzuki n° 96, the German Nina Prinz, the Italian Paola Cazzola and the Hungarian Nikolett Kovacs signed their best lap this morning in 2'06.441.First qualification session will be held this afternoon. Follow the 8 Hours of Doha race live with "live timing" from Saturday 10:00 am GMT on FIM-LIVE.COMA 52 minutes highlights programme of the 8 Hours of Doha will also be broadcast next week on several TV channels around the world:Speed Channel - Australie
TV Meridiano - Venezuela
Sport TV - Portugal
Moto TV - Italie
ESPN – EMEA
Eurosport
FIM TVResults Free Practice 1
Results Free Practice 2

Team BMW Motorrad France ready for Doha desert showdown

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:01:00 +0100

Team BMW Motorrad France head into this weekend's 8 Hours of Qatar, the final round of the 2011 Endurance World Championship, as one of the two favourites to be crowned as world champions at the end of the weekend.

A win at the 8 Hours of Albacete, a podium at the Bol d'Or and an impressive fourth place against the Japanese factory teams at Suzuka, means that Team BMW Motorrad France go into the season finale just nine points adrift of current championship leaders, SERT.

Team BMW Motorrad France's trio of riders, Sébastien Gimbert, Erwan Nigon and Damian Cudlin, know that only a win - and the 30 points that go with it - will do this weekend if they are to achieve their dream of being crowned world champions.

But while their goal this weekend is clear, Gimbert, Nigon and Cudlin are under no illusions as to how tough a challenge they face, taking on one of the most experienced and successful teams in endurance racing in only Team BMW Motorrad France's first full season in the championship.

The 8 Hours of Qatar takes place at the Losail International Circuit, which is located in the desert just 20km from the capital city of Doha. The weekend gets underway on Thursday 10th November with free practice and the first qualifying session, while the race will start at 13.00 on Saturday 12th November and finish at 21.00.

Erwan Nigon:
"Since the 24 Hours of Le Mans I have been doing some testing with Michelin, which has allowed me to keep up to speed ahead of the next race in Qatar. I've also ridden a lot of motocross to stay fit, so I will be heading to the Middle East in good shape. In Qatar we have to win the race if we are to take the championship, so that will be our only goal and we will take the risks necessary to achieve it. We have had a good season, with a race win at Albacete and podium at the Bol d'Or, so I'm pretty confident we can come away with another good result in Qatar."

Sébastien Gimbert:
"The Losail International Circuit in Qatar is one of my favourite tracks, and one where I've had some good results in the past. My teammates, Erwan and Damian, have also been quite successful at this track in the past, so we head into the final race of the season with some confidence. Since Le Mans I've been keeping fit with some Enduro Motocross in Auvergne, so I'm ready to race. I want the Endurance World Championship title; SERT will be hard to beat, but that won't stop us trying in Qatar. To win would be just reward for the team, for BMW and for Michelin, all of whom have worked so hard this season."

Damian Cudlin:
"While SERT will go into this weekend in Qatar as the firm favourites to win the championship this is endurance racing, so anything could happen. Our only focus is on winning the race, the rest we cannot influence. It's a good mentality to have and it certainly takes the pressure from us and puts it squarely on SERT's shoulders. We've all worked so hard to get into this position and now it's time to make the most of it. We're going to give it everything we've got in Doha and see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed!"

The 2011 crown to be decided in Doha

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:27:00 +0200

Like last year, the 8 Hours of Doha, last round of the Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship, will crown the 2011 World Champion. Scheduled on Saturday 12 November in Qatar, this final round will decide who will get the title between the two contenders, the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and the BMW Motorrad France 99. As the Team SRC Kawasaki is not entering the race (they only participated in the Bol d'Or and the 24 Hours of Le Mans), the battle also promises to be intense for the third spot on the podium.The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team French team leads the Belgian team BMW Motorrad France 99 by nine points only; however, the Qatar winner will take 30 points. Winner of the 8 Hours of Albacete, 4th in Suzuka just behind the Japanese top teams, the BMW Motorrad France 99 is one of the favourite for a Qatar victory despite the technical problems encountered in Le Mans. The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team is currently still uncertain, as Vincent Philippe is recovering from a broken collarbone due to a crash during the 24 Hours of Le Mans practice and Freddy Foray does not seem to be perfectly fit after the injuries he suffered in the middle of the season. But the ten times world champion team is full of resources. They proved it once again by their Le Mans second place, just behind the Team SRC Kawasaki.Fourth in the provisional championship, the Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone seems to be in the best position to finish the 2011 world championship in third place. The official French Yamaha will have to beware its Austrian sibling, though, the Monster Yamaha YART. To replace Gwen Giabbani, YART called another top rider, Katsuyuki Nakasuga. This Japanese rider already put the Monster Yamaha in the second place of the Suzuka starting grid. He was also replacing Jorge Lorenzo in the MotoGP at Sepang. The YMES Folch Endurance and the Kawasaki of Bolliger Team Switzerland could also join the battle.The 2011 FIM World Cup already went to the French team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT (Suzuki), but the race promised to be highly disputed in the Superstock class. The Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT will want to forget about their Le Mans disappointment. The Qatar Endurance Racing Team is entering three machines, one with top riders Alex Cudlin, Nasser Al Malki and Rashid Al Mannai, and a 100 % female team with three riders who impressed in Europe, the German Nina Prinz, the Italian Paola Cazzola and the Hungarian Nikolett Kovacs.Rendez-vous Saturday 12 November in Qatar for the final round of the 2011 season with a race held partly at night on the Losail international race track, near Doha.Provisional Entry List

SRC Kawasaki victorious at Le Mans 24 hours

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 16:32:00 +0200

For the second time in a row, SRC Kawasaki wins the 34th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 4th round of the 2011 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship with Julien da Costa, Grégory Leblanc and Olivier Four. Unlike last year, the official Kawasaki team gave its best until the very last lap. Some said the SERT was weakening with its new team of riders, Anthony Delhalle, Daisaku Sakai and Baptiste Guittet, as Vincent Philippe was injured. Despite this mishap, the team, now even more determined and thanks to the unique race strategy applied by SERT team manager Dominique Méliand - called "the Chef" by the whole paddock - once again paid.

The two official teams faced some minor technical issues which could not give any advantage to either. Towards the very end of the race, SERT focused to secure the second place, essential to score many points for the 2011 Qtel FIM Endurance World title, to be decided in the next round in Qatar.

Monster Yamaha YART took a well-deserved podium with a third place. The Austrian Yamaha of Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Loris Baz did a fantastic comeback during the night, after Loris Baz crashed at the beginning of the race and the team was sent to the bottom of the time sheet. Kawasaki Bolliger Team Switzerland (Horst Saiger, Roman Stamm and Jérôme Tangre) and Honda TT Legends (John McGuinness, Keith Amor and Cameron Donald) also ran a great race. From the early hours of the race, they positioned themselves just behind the leaders and respectively scored a final fourth and fifth place. As an Endurance newcomer, the official British team definitely proved that they now were in the circle of the world's best endurance teams.

Yamaha of YMES Folch Endurance finished 6 ahead of race favourite BMW Motorrad France 99. Starting from pole position, the official BMW led after four hours of racing, but had to around 4 am they experienced electronic and clutch cable problems which led to lengthy pit box interventions. In the end BMW Motorrad France 99 finished 17 laps behind the winner with 9 points behind the SERT in the provisional world championship standings.

Manufacturers and tyre suppliers share the podium: Kawasaki with Pirelli, Suzuki with Dunlop and Yamaha with Michelin. In the Superstock class, Suzuki clinched victory with Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT, ahead of the Kawasaki of Maccio Racing. The Suzuki Junior Team LMS finished third, after having encountered some gear change troubles. With 35 points ahead of Atomic Motosport, Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT takes the 2011 FIM World Cup Superstock.

The beginning of the race was quite dramatic with several crashes. The first of them involved the Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone, crashing during the lap 4 with David Checa. In his turn, Matthieu Lagrive fell two more times due a faulty throttle and dirty track conditions. Yamaha 94, too damaged to carry on, gave up just after 10 pm.

BMW of Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers, in 13th position, abandoned around midnight following problems with the front forks and serious overheating issues. Just before 7 am, Honda National Motos disappeared from the time sheet after a crash, and so did the Bihr Metiss. In the Superstock class, the Yamaha DG Sport retired from the race at 10:30 pm after their engine broke down.

Next and last round of the Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship is scheduled in Qatar on November, 12th, for the 8 Hours of Doha.

They said:
Gilles Staffler, happy SRC Kawasaki team manager
- "I have an extraordinary team of riders and some great mechanics. They all did an awesome job!"

Dominique Méliand, SERT team manager
- "We are a bit disappointed because we only enter a race to win it. But however we did a fantastic race so far and scored great points for the championship"

Anthony Delhalle, SERT rider
- "That was a physical and demanding race. They all started very fast and the pace remained very high. We are a bit bitter not to win, but the positive thing is we are now back in the lead for the championship"

Loris Baz, newcomer on the Monster Yamaha YART
- "I've learnt a lot. In Endurance, you have to make it with the other two riders. We lost because of me, the occasion to fight for victory but we did great lap times during the night. It was physically and mentally challenging".

Classification

The Dual between SRC Kawasaki & SERT continues

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:38:00 +0200

As the sun rises over the Bugatti circuit, the SRC Kawasaki ZX-10R and the SERT GSX-R played cat and mouse during the night. The leadership changed depending during the pitstops for refueling. Despite their last minute rider change (Baptiste Guittet replaced Vincent Philippe, injured), the SERT has been able so far to race for victory.

The two machines have eight laps advantage on the Monster Yamaha YART. The Austrian Yamaha did a great comeback since Loris Baz crashed during the early hours of the race. The Kawasaki Bolliger Team Switzerland and the Honda TT Legends are doing well. They are behind the leaders since the beginning of the race and are respectively fourth and fifth ahead of the Yamaha of YMES Folch Endurance and the BMW Motorrad France 99.

After a start from pole position, the BMW Motorrad France 99 took the lead after 4 hours of racing but lost the first position around 4 this morning. An electric problem hampered their acceleration performance and imposed a serious intervention, this resulted a loss of 14 laps from the leaders.

The first Superstock machine is the Suzuki of Junior Team LMS, in eighth position ahead of the Kawasaki from Maccio Racing and the Suzuki of Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT. The first Open class bike is the Metiss JLC Moto.

The beginning of the race was quite hectic. Several crashes occurred during the early hours and the first one was from the Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone, during the fourth lap involving David Checa. Matthieu Lagrive hit the ground twice as he suffered from a faulty accelerator and from gravel left on the track. Seriously damaged, the Yamaha 94 had to give up just after 10 pm.

In 13th position, the BMW of 18 Sapeurs Pompiers Team also abandoned around midnight, after facing overheating problems and a faulty front fork oil seal. Just before 7 am, the Honda National Motos disappeared from the time sheet after crashing and so did the Bihr Metiss. In the Superstock class, the Yamaha DG Sport had to retire at 10:30 pm after their engine broke down.

Follow the race live on www.fim-tv.com and on Motors TV.
Follow the race in live timing on www.fim-live.com

Standings at 8 am

BMW Motorrad France 99 in the lead after 5 hours

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 22:29:00 +0200

SRC Kawasaki in a duel with Suzuki Endurance Racing TeamIntense competition during the first hours for the 56 teams in the 34th edition of the Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship round, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After five hours of racing, BMW Motorrad France 99 managed to maintain a short distance between them their direct competitors. Just behind the official BMW piloted by Sébastien Gimbert, Erwan Nigon and Damian Cudlin, the battle for the lead involves the SRC Kawasaki team and the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team. SERT, Anthony Delhalle and Daisaku Sakai doubled their shifts before Baptiste Guittet was sent on track. The leading trio's order changed constantly depending on the pit stops for refuelling.In the very beginning of the race, the first dual battle involved Julien da Costa on the SRC Kawasaki and Anthony Delhalle on the official Suzuki, ahead of the Monster Yamaha YART of Loris Baz and the BMW Motorrad France 99 with Damian Cudlin. The best lap time was set by Julien da Costa in 1'39.038.After being delayed by a stop and go penalty, the Monster Yamaha YART disappeared from the top of the time sheet after Loris Baz's crash. In another crash at the beginning took the other race favourite, Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone away from a battle with the leaders. The official Yamaha 94 is not quite yet ready to come back, due to a second crash which sent it to the back of the pack. Also well placed from the beginning, the Honda National Motos lost a lot of ground because of a leaking water pipe.At 8 pm, the top 5 also include Kawasaki Bolliger Team Switzerland, as usual quite discrete during the qualifications, but always performing well during the race. Honda TT Legends place makes a good impression with John McGuinness, Keith Amor and Cameron Donald. The first Superstock machine was in sixth place overall at 8 pm: the Suzuki of Team Motors Events Bodyguard AMT leads the class ahead of the Suzuki Junior Team LMS, the Kawasaki Maccio Racing and the Suzuki AM Moto Racing Compétition, despite an exhaust issue.The race strategy of several teams was affected by many crashes, like for the BMW of Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers, who lost their 13th position. Follow the race live on www.fim-tv.com and on Motors TV. Follow the race in live timing on www.fim-live.comTimes at 2pm

BMW Motorrad France 99 in Le Mans pole position

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:02:00 +0200

The BMW Motorrad France 99 confirms its pole position. After the fantastic laptimes clocked yesterday by Erwan Nigon and Sébastien Gimbert, the official BMW team has put the hammer down once again. Damian Cudlin improved his laptimes this morning and gave the BMW 99 a definitive pole position despite the progress of the other competitors.

A second machine on Michelin, the Monster Yamaha YART, is in second place on the starting grid. On that bike too, Igor Jerman and Steve Martin did their best laptimes yesterday. Today, Loris Baz, the newcomer on the official Austrian Yamaha, managed to give its full potential and signed a great 1'37.514, second
best time of the sessions.

The team SRC Kawasaki, with Julien da Costa, Gregory Leblanc and Olivier Four, also made the most of the second qualifying session. After a loss of time as they suffered a crash yesterday morning during the free practice, the SRC Kawasaki moved up this morning to a third place on the grid ahead of the Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone of David Checa, Kenny Foray and Matthieu Lagrive. The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team takes the fifth place on the grid with Anthony Delhalle, Daisaku Sakai and Baptiste Guittet, who improved his laps by half a second between the two sessions.

BMW is also leading the Superstock class. The team Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT took the best this morning ahead of the Junior Team Suzuki LMS and the Team Motor Events Bodyguard AMT, although these two last teams suffered some crashes this morning. Highly disputed, this second qualifying session has been quite dramatic, with many riders running out of the track and several teams experiencing some engine breakdowns, leading the session to be interrupted for some time.

The race start is scheduled tomorrow Saturday at 3 pm, after the very last set-ups to be confirmed with the warm-up at 10:30 am.

Follow the race live on www.fim-tv.com and on Motors TV from Saturday, 2:30 pm. To follow all the practices and race results live, log onto www.fim-live.com

Times

BMW Motorrad France 99 faster and faster!

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:06:00 +0200

Monster Yamaha YART back on pace

BMW Motorrad France 99 put the hammer down from the first 24 Hours of Le Mans qualifying session, fourth round of the Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship. Erwan Nigon set a new qualification lap record in 1'36.950. With Sébastien Gimbert in 1'37.519 and Damian Cudlin in 1'38.224, BMW Motorrad
France 99 put the Team on a very comfortable provisional pole position, based on the average laptimes of their three riders.

This first qualifying session was also the occasion to see a great comeback from Monster Yamaha YART, now in the right pace. Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Loris Baz (replacing rider Gwen Giabbani, injured), on 1'38's, managed to offer the Austrian Yamaha a provisional second place on the grid, ahead of the
Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone of David Checa, Kenny Foray and Matthieu Lagrive, 1'37.834.

The Team SRC Kawasaki seems to face some difficulties and took fourth place in the first session, with Julien da Costa, Gregory Leblanc and Olivier Four. Maco Racing is just nearby the leaders on fifth place with Jason Pridmore, Greg Junod and Gregg Black. The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team is still in a recovery
process with Anthony Delhalle, Daisaku Sakai and Baptiste Guittet, freshly borrowed for the race from the team Suzuki Junior LMS.

The Junior Team Suzuki clinched a great second Superstock position with Cédric Tangre, Julien Enjolras and Loïc Napoleone, ahead of the BMW of Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT of Grégory Fastré, Michal Filla and a very impressive Ari Vos. The Suzuki AM Moto Racing Compétition, who did well from the free practice, lost some ground as Anthony Loiseau crashed.

The second qualifying session is scheduled this morning at 11 am on the Bugatti racetrack at Le Mans.

Times

Dramatic free practice at Le Mans

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:44:00 +0200

The BMW Motorrad France 99 takes the lead during free practices

The BMW Motorrad France 99 is once again the fastest machine on the track, and had the best time from the free practice. Sébastien Gimbert, Erwan Nigon and Damian Cudlin are by now the fastest on the track with a 1'38.455 best lap. But this first session has been quite dramatic with many crashes that even affected some of the favourites.

David Checa crashed towards the end of the session on the Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone, who managed still to claim the second best laptime. Third on the time sheet is the SRC Kawasaki; and that despite a crash from which the bike caught fire! Gregory Leblanc could not avoid some oil spill caused by an exploded engine on the BMW of Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers. The incident also sent three other machines on the ground, and caused the free practice session to be interrupted for quite a long time.

The Monster Yamaha YART signed the fourth best time and tried to make Loris Baz comfortable on the Austrian Yamaha. The French rider replaces Gwen Giabbani, still recovering from the injury he collected from a crash during a testing session last August. The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team is by now at a very unusual fifth place. In the SERT box, Vincent Philippe, who broke a collarbone after a crash during some private testing last Tuesday, is here to support his colleagues. The SERT borrowed Baptiste Guittet from the Junior Team Suzuki LMS to ride the Suzuki n°1.

Great performance for the Yamaha Maco Racing Team, who took the sixth place behind the SERT and ahead of the Honda National Motos, who is already in ambush behind the favourites.

In the Superstock class, the Suzuki AM Moto Racing Compétition is showing their ambition for victory ahead of the BMW of Van Zon Boenig Motorsportschool Penz13 RT and the Suzuki of Team Motor Events Bodyguard AMT, current Superstock leader.

To follow the race live, log on www.fim-tv.com and on Motors TV, from Saturday 2:30 pm. You can find the whole practice and live results on www.fim-live.com

Times of the Free Practice

Entry List

Motul to partner 24 Hours Moto

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:06:00 +0200

Europe's leading company in the field of motorcycle lubricants and lubrication, Motul, is ready for a new challenge in the field of endurance motorsport. As official partner to the 24 Hours Moto, which is taking place on 24-25th September on the Bugatti Circuit Le Mans, Motul colours will be carried on no less than 18 of the 62 entries throughout the 3,500 kilometres of racing.

The 24 Hours Moto, which has been organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest since its inception in 1978, is one of the classics of motorcycle racing and is set to be played out in front of a crowd of more than 90,000 spectators. The hugely popular event is a race of reference for official works teams and privateers, and is also a unique and intense occasion for the enthusiastic spectators; there is no where better to experience the combination of passion for motorcycling and a party atmosphere.

Some of the world's most successful endurance teams are due to compete, and those partnering Motul include the Monster Yamaha Austria Racing Team and National Moto Honda Team. A local Sarthe favourite will undoubtedly be the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team; the current World Endurance Champions have seven times won the 24 Hours Moto and have a hugely impressive 10 world championship titles to their name.

Motul has enjoyed long-established technical partnerships with many of these teams and is a well known name in both the World Endurance Championship and MotoGP. The lubricant specialists recognise that the Endurance championship, and the 24 Hours race in particular, is the ultimate test bench and living laboratory for its motorcycle products, and numerous world championship title holders have profited from the French company's experience and products.

Motul has benefited from its involvement in the highest echelons of motorcycle racing to develop highly specialised, experimental oils specifically to deal with the temperature extremes associated with the high performance engines used in this discipline. Products which will be used by both factory teams and the large number of private teams entered in the twice-round-the-clock event include the 300V Factory Line, RBF 660 and the new Motul MC Care range of maintenance and care products.

In addition to its partnership with the ACO, Motul has also announced that it will be sponsoring the Motors TV transmission of the 24 Hours Moto which will be aired in 38 different European countries, and reach 20 million households. Nine and a half hours of the 24 Hours Moto will be shown Live on 24-25th September 2011 and a two-hour highlights package will be re-aired on four different occasions.

High pressure for 24 Hours of Le Mans

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:52:00 +0200

A decisive round for the 2011 world title

Le Mans has recently been hosting two intensive testing days that promise some hectic racing for the 24 Hours, this coming 24th and 25th September. All the favourite teams are coming at Le Mans with different targets.

Amongst the official teams, the BMW Motorrad France 99, the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and the Yamaha Racing Team France GMT 94 Ipone are all seeking the 2011 Qtel FIM Endurance World title. Some others like the Monster Yamaha YART, Honda TT Legends and the team SRC Kawasaki would satisfy themselves with a victory at one of the most prestigious race of the season. Some other performing teams can also claim a podium slot, like the Bolliger Team Switzerland, National Motos or YMES Folch Endurance, amongst others.

After a great performance at the 8 Hours of Suzuka, the BMW Motorrad France 99 (Michelin) comes at Le Mans as a championship leader with a six points lead over the 2010 Qtel FIM Endurance world champion, the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team. On the official BMW, Sébastien Gimbert, Erwan Nigon and Damian Cudlin seem to have the situation in hands, but won't be able to afford any mistake against the team driven by Dominique Méliand, a great specialist of the 24 hours races, and against riders like Vincent Philippe, Freddy Foray, Daisaku Sakai and Anthony Delhalle. The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (Dunlop) will select their three permanent riders within a few days.

With their seventh place at Suzuka, the Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 Ipone (Michelin) is back in the title chase with David Checa, Kenny Foray and Matthieu Lagrive. They currently sit 22 points behind the official BMW, but 35 points are offered to the 24 Hours of Le Mans winners. One of the most ferocious competitors for the provisional leading trio is the Team SRC Kawasaki (Pirelli). 2010 Le Mans winner and second at the Bol d'Or, opening round of this current season, the official Kawasaki is more prepared than ever as they engaged Guillaume Dietrich to pair with their usual riders, Julien da Costa, Gregory Leblanc and Olivier Four. The Monster YART Yamaha (Michelin) will try their best to retaliate from a difficult season so far. Igor Jerman, Steve Martin and Gwen Giabbani will have the support of British Superbike rider Loris Baz, a welcome recruitment as Gwen Giabbani is suffering from a dislocated shoulder after a crash earlier this week.

There are also some great challenges for the Superstock FIM World Cup. The Team Motor Events Bodyguard AMT is currently leading the class but the BMW of Van Zon Boening Motorsportschool Penz13 RT is in ambush. For Le Mans class victory, we'll have to count with the Suzuki of AM Moto Racing Compétition and the one from Junior Team Suzuki LMS, who'll want to break away with the back luck they had at Bol d'Or earlier this season.

The first free practice sessions are scheduled on the Bugatti race track Thursday, the 22nd of September, at 12:30.

Entry List