YART Yamaha Secures Stunning Suzuka Pole Position

YART Yamaha secured pole position at the 45th Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, with Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, and Niccolò Canepa setting a stunning 2:05.130.

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The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team, consisting of Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, and Niccolò Canepa, achieved a remarkable pole position at the 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race. This accomplishment came after dominating the qualifying rounds on Friday and securing a 2:05.130 during Saturday’s Top Ten Trial in Japan.

The YART team’s aspiration for a podium finish at Suzuka remains robust following an exceptional lead-up to the iconic race on Sunday. As the defending champions and Yamaha’s premier team at the event, YART entered the third round of the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) in second place overall, trailing the leaders by a mere point. They have demonstrated strong performance throughout the week, despite Suzuka’s intense heat and humidity.

Preparation and Practice

YART began their preparations with Wednesday’s Private Practice, finishing fourth overall on the combined timesheets with a time of 2:07.105. This session was crucial for fine-tuning the setup of their Bridgestone-shod R1. A crash by Canepa during the first session sees him emerge unscathed. Overall, the team had a productive day in both wet and dry conditions.

Friday morning’s Free Practice session saw track temperatures soar to 50 degrees Celsius. The team continued progressing, with Canepa posting the fastest time of 2:06.389, securing third place. All three riders displayed excellent race pace, consistently recording times in the 2:06 range.

Qualifying Success

Friday afternoon marked the first set of qualifying sessions for each rider. In the EWC format, each rider gets two 20-minute sessions to set a time, and the two fastest riders’ laps are averaged to determine the starting order. Suzuka’s ten fastest teams from qualifying advance to the Top Ten Trial on Saturday.

YART executed their strategy flawlessly during Friday’s qualifying. Canepa was the first on track, setting a 2:05.741 and finishing his session in second place, despite a red flag interruption. Fritz followed in the Yellow group, achieving a superb 2:05.252 to top his session by 0.832 seconds. Hanika then set an even faster time of 2:05.192 in the Red Riders’ session, topping his group by 0.750 seconds.

As track temperatures exceeded 50 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, most riders did not improve their times in the second qualifying sessions. Instead, the YART team focused on refining their race setup. Consequently, Fritz and Hanika topped their respective groups, with their combined times resulting in an average of 2:05.222.

Pole Position Achievement

YART’s performance in the Top Ten Trial on Saturday was the culmination of their hard work and strategic planning. Their pole position at Suzuka highlights their dominance in qualifying. It sets a strong foundation for a successful race. The team’s dream of a Suzuka podium is within reach. The stage is set for an exciting race day. They strive to maintain momentum and secure a top finish in the FIM Endurance World Championship standings.