YART Yamaha Wins; Suzuki Endurance
Claims 16th World Title
Y
ART Yamaha won the 12
Hours of Estoril, the season
finale of the FIM Endurance
World Championship, ahead of
F.C.C. TSR Honda France and
Wójcik Racing Team. Suzuki En-
durance Racing Team finished at
the foot of the podium in Portugal
and claimed the 2019-2020 FIM
EWC crown.
YART Yamaha and F.C.C.
TSR Honda France battled it
out until the last minute of an
action-packed race. After a
12-hour thriller, YART Yamaha
won the day thanks to riders
Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz and
Niccolò Canepa, with a less-
than-25-second lead over F.C.C.
TSR Honda France's Josh Hook,
Freddy Foray and Mike di Meglio.
Their win is equally a victory for
Bridgestone, supplier to these
two highly competitive teams.
Competitive but careful to seal
their chance at the world title,
Suzuki Endurance Racing Team
did battle in the leading bikes until
twice getting gear selector shaft
warning signs. Etienne Masson,
Gregg Black and Xavier Simeon
were fourth over the finish line at
Estoril, thereby clinching Suzuki
Endurance Racing Team a 16th
FIM EWC title—their first since
2016 and the first-ever for Damien
Saulnier, the new team manager
of the Suzuki factory team.
Moto Ain ruled the roost in the
Superstock class. The French
Yamaha team claimed the victory
in class ahead of Team Aviobike,
Wójcik Racing Team 2, JMA
Motos Action Bike and No Limits
Motor Team, who fell back after
a crash.
Their position as Superstock
leader 8 hours into the race at
Estoril secured Moto Ain the
FIM Endurance World Cup win
at that stage. But Roberto Rolfo,
Robin Mulhauser and Hugo
Clère did not let up their pace
as a result. Moto Ain won the
FIM World Cup for the second
successive season ahead of No
Limits Motor Team and GERT56
by GS Yuasa. CN
IN
THE
WIND
P52
The YART Yamaha squad won
the 12 Hours of Estoril but Suzuki
Endurance clinched the FIM
Endurance World Championship.
