Rd.3 - 8 Hours of Suzuka - Qualifying

Yoshimura SERT Motul aims high at Suzuka

Yoshimura SERT Motul arrived in Japan as FIM Endurance World Championship leader and qualified in fifth position for the start of the 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours.

After a great start to the season, marked by a victory at Le Mans in France, and a second place at Spa in Belgium, Yoshimura SERT Motul is in a solid position as it heads into the third round of the championship. The iconic race at Suzuka, in Japan, is a highlight of the EWC season and considered to be the toughest on the calendar due to the demanding nature of the 5.821km figure-eight layout, as well as the hot and humid conditions which require the riders and their bikes to be perfectly prepared.

This year, 46 teams have entered,14 of them in the Superstock class, as Suzuka is hosting an FIM Endurance World Cup round for the first time.

Yoshimura SERT Motul will contest the event with a completely new line-up. Gregg Black, who was injured during testing a month ago, has been replaced by Albert Arenas, the 27-year-old Spanish rider who competes in Moto2 and is the 2020 Moto3 World Champion. Experienced Japanese rider Cocoro Atsumi takes the place of Etienne Masson, who has been called up by the Team SUZUKI CN CHALLENGE to ride in the experimental category aboard a GSX-R1000R using 40 per cent biofuel and other environmentally friendly products. Dan Linfoot, the team’s regular rider since the start of the season, completes this new and promising trio.

All the main contenders took part in qualifying sessions on Friday 19th July. Cocoro Atsumi put in an impressive performance, setting a best time of 2’06.079. Dan Linfoot was also very fast on the Japanese track, confirming the good choices made by the technical team and the potential of the #12 Suzuki with a time of 2’06.402. Although Albert Arenas was new to both the circuit and the discipline, it didn’t take him long to find his form. He finished qualifying with a time of 2’08.017.
Based on the average of its two best times, Yoshimura SERT Motul ranked fourth, which opened the door to Saturday’s super-important TOP 10 TRIAL. It is this final session, with two riders per team from the top 10 qualifiers, that determines the final top 10 grid positions.

With a best lap of 2’06.097 recorded by Dan Linfoot, Yoshimura SERT MOTUL secured fifth overall and pocketed one bonus point. It is from this strategic position that the Suzuki #12 will line up on the grid for the 45th Suzuka 8 Hours.

Yohei KATO – Team Director
We finished fifth after the TOP 10 TRIAL. We would have liked to do better, but that’s not really important for the race. We performed well in both practice and qualifying, and we are well prepared for the race. Everything is working perfectly, and the riders are fast, so that’s very positive. I think we’re capable of fighting for victory.

Damien Saulnier – Team Manager
Coming to Suzuka is always a special trip. It’s even more so this year when we have a lot of changes in our riders. Albert didn’t know the team, the tires, the bike or the circuit, and he did very well. For his part, Dan was very constructive. He brought a lot to the team and today he set a great time! As for Cocoro, he’s very familiar with the circuit and was quickly at ease. They all had a good feeling on the bike. I’m also very pleased with our technical team, who did an excellent job during the week. Our collaboration with the Yoshimura technicians continues to bear fruit. So, I’m very confident for this race, where we all want to shine while also focusing on the championship.

Cocoro ATSUMI – Rider Blue
We have a very good feeling on the bike. In qualifying and in race mode, I managed to be very fast. I’m confident for the race and I believe in our chances of victory. Obviously, the main goal is to go into the final round of the Bol d’Or still at the top of the championship standings.

Albert ARENAS OVEJERO – Rider Yellow
Everything happened very quickly because I couldn’t arrive at Suzuka until Wednesday evening. I’ve been very well received by the team, and we’ve all done a great job in just one day. I’ve got some fantastic team-mates who have helped me learn everything and adapt as fast as possible. The bike works very well and the Suzuka track is difficult, but amazing. I’ve managed to adjust quickly and enjoy riding despite the difficult and very hot conditions. My pace is quite good. I hope to be able to help the team as much as possible. I’m very grateful for this incredible experience.

Dan LINFOOT – Rider Red
Qualifying went quite well, even though I’d have liked to lower my times to below 2’06. We qualified fifth, but the most important thing is the race, which is going to be long, hot and difficult. Our aim is to push for victory or at least a place on the podium. It’s more difficult here with some teams only entering this event. But our team has made a big effort, and it would be fantastic to get a good result tomorrow.